Skincare and cosmetics are part of most people’s daily routine. Whilst you may choose your products based on their marketable features such as anti-ageing, pore-refining, whitening, brightening, softening, repairing, the list goes on, have you ever thought much about the chemical ingredients in those products? Here we list 5 reasons to use natural skin care.
1. What goes on also goes in
Your body absorbs what you put on your skin and the fact is you wouldn’t choose to eat these chemicals, so why put them on your skin. Avoid the chemical laden stuff and you’ll soon realise the benefits of natural skin care.
2. Toxic load
Every day the average woman applies up to 200 chemicals on her skin through cosmetics, perfume, skin care products and hair care products. We are exposed to a vast array of toxins and chemicals every day that build up in our bodies and contribute to our toxic load. Whilst the body has an effective detoxification system, we can easily overload it if we don’t become mindful about reducing our chemical and toxin exposure.
3. Better for the environment
Chemically based products can have a negative impact on our environment. During manufacture, majority of the chemicals will end up in the air and water and let’s not forget what we wash down the drain during our own personal use. These harmful ingredients will end up in the soil and waterways and can harm microorganisms and sea life.
4. A natural alternative
Only a small percentage of chemicals used in skin care have safety data. There are also many chemicals still used that other countries have banned due to safety concerns. Ingredients such as parabens, triclosan, and phthalates all have research showing they are harmful to our health. Whilst choosing natural skin care products does not guarantee you won’t have a reaction, they are less harsh on your skin and are tolerated by most people.
5. They work better
Most natural skincare products contain nourishing antioxidant ingredients that your skin loves rather than chemicals that can potentially cause free radicals that can further age your skin. In the long run, you’ll reap the benefits of using natural skin care.
Chances are you are now wondering which ingredients to avoid and which ones to include. Here are the ingredients to avoid with health concerns shown through research, and the ingredients to include that our great for our skin.
Chemical ingredients to avoid:
|
Ingredient |
Health concern |
|
Parabens |
Hormone disruptor, possible developmental & reproductive toxin, may affect fertility and developmental delays in children |
|
Triclosan |
Hormone disruptor, possible developmental, endocrine & reproductive toxin, may affect fertility and contribute to metabolic disorders |
|
Phthalates |
Hormone disruptor, possible developmental, endocrine, respiratory & reproductive toxin, increased risk of developing asthma and allergies, developmental delays in children, may affect fertility |
|
Oxybenzone |
Hormone disruptor, possible developmental toxin, may affect immune system and allergies |
|
Talc |
Associated with an increased risk of detrimental health effects, especially to the uterus and ovaries |
|
Petrochemicals |
Concerns over possible organ toxicity, possible carcinogen and problems with contamination |
Natural ingredients to include:
|
Ingredient |
Benefit |
|
Antioxidant, helps protect against oxidative damage, barrier to moisture loss |
|
|
Antioxidant, may help reduce fine lines, assists the body’s natural collagen production, photo-protective |
|
|
Rich in vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles |
|
|
Highly moisturising, may help smooth fine lines & wrinkles & reduce skin roughness |
|
|
Deeply soothing, moisturising and smoothing for the skin |
|
|
Antioxidant, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, photo-protective, reduces skin inflammation |
|
|
Antioxidant, may combat the signs of ageing |
|
|
Great moisturiser for dry, ageing and dehydrated skin. Natural fluid wax - mimics skins natural oils & can penetrate deep layers |
