Integrating natural skincare products into your routine is an excellent way to promote skin health, but before making this choice it is essential that you do your research and locate formulations suitable for your specific skin type.
“Natural” does not always translate to chemical-free; even water contains chemicals! Additionally, fragranced products may prove challenging.
Benefits
Natural skincare products provide a gentle alternative to chemical-laden beauty regimens. Their ingredients come directly from nature and contain essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which benefit your body and skin – they help nourish and balance complexion, soothe irritations, and counter signs of aging.
These products are better for the environment as they do not contain harsh chemicals that leach into soil and disrupt ecosystems, nor synthetic dyes, phthalates or any harmful substances that could enter our bloodstreams.
When purchasing natural skincare products, make sure that you take time and care in reading labels and doing your research. Look for organic, cruelty-free options without parabens, sulfates, petrolatum or any potentially irritating compounds like artificial fragrances (these can often trigger allergic reactions in some individuals) or anything containing artificial fragrances as these can often irritate skin irritants further. Whenever possible try selecting plant-based oils such as jojoba and rosehip oils which nourish while simultaneously balancing skin health.
Ingredients
Though there is no standard definition for what constitutes natural skincare products, they tend to be gentler on skin and contain ingredients with antioxidant properties. Many also employ organic farming practices and eco-friendly packaging.
Shea butter is well known for nourishing skin and diminishing wrinkles, while rosehip oil contains essential fatty acids to improve skin elasticity and reduce scars and stretch marks.
Many natural skincare products incorporate hydrosols, made by distillation of plant material into essential oils through steam distillation. Hydrosols can be found in toners, facial mists and micellar waters; they may also be added to emulsions as the water component of serums. Another popular natural skincare option is sea buckthorn oil which contains potency anti-oxidant levels to support healthy cells; reduce inflammation; balance uneven pigmentation.
Safety
While natural skincare products can be beneficial, it’s important to keep in mind that these have not been clinically tested to ensure safety and efficacy. Furthermore, certain natural ingredients may cause skin irritations or be toxic; to be on the safe side it’s wise to read through product instructions carefully and follow them.
As “natural” can often be used as a marketing gimmick, certification logos should be checked to ensure authenticity. In the US, for a product to qualify as USDA organic seal-certified it must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
Organic products must be free from synthetic fragrances, dyes, parabens, phthalates, SLS and phtalates; additionally they may be sulfate-free and vegan (meaning they do not test on animals).
Plant extracts have increasingly become natural preservatives in lieu of synthetic chemicals like paraben esters, formaldehyde donors and phenol derivatives that have raised concerns regarding endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity. NaDES extraction technologies enable this transition by safely incorporating sensitive bioactive compounds with superior solubility and stability into products without adverse health impacts.
Tips
When transitioning to natural skincare products, it’s best to ease into them gradually into your beauty regimen. Too much change too soon may cause irritation or an adverse reaction, so it is prudent to conduct a patch test on a small area of skin for at least two days prior to using on larger parts.
Natural skin care can be an effective solution to acne breakouts, uneven pigmentation and general dullness on acne-prone skin. Furthermore, its environmental-friendliness reduces waste disposal costs as well as flushed chemicals into waterways.
Be wary of products touting themselves as “clean, chemical-free,” as these claims may be used to sell items without potentially harmful ingredients. Be sure to examine ingredient lists carefully for organic or eco-friendly items that have been ethically sourced. Lastly, remember that “natural” does not always mean organic as these labels are unregulated by FDA so may still contain synthetic materials.
