Looking for natural organic skincare that you’ll like and believe in?
This is the question that rests on so many organic and natural shoppers minds, and takes hours to research; what are the ingredients, what preservatives are used, what’s the texture of the product, what certifications has it got? Am I going to like it, it’s a big investment and suppose I hate it? If it takes me that long to choose products for my site I can well understand the confusion, frustration and time it must take the day to day shopper to decide on the products that are best for them.
Endless hours analysing the small print, comparing the prices and product details - You’ve done the hit and miss orders, and been landed with products you hate! You’ve had the products that are good, but are looking for a change, or you simply want superior performance. Or you simply want to know if the products are genuine in their claims of being natural and pure. Where do you start?
If you’ve already launched yourself into natural shopping you’ll know that the shampoos, and creams all perform differently to regular high street products. You may have got the hang of a lot of the basics just through trial and error and you’ll already know that starting off with a real understanding of some fundamentals can make life a lot easier. We just thought we’d put together a quick checklist of things to consider. So sit back, grab a cup of herbal tea, and take stock of the variety with as little strain as possible, then take the decision about what might suit you best.
Herbal Potions compared with Scientific concoctions:
What grabs your fancy? A witch’s brew or laboratory test tube?
Two distinguishing features separate most natural and organic products.
The traditional ones tend to be created on herbal lore, Earthbound
organics, Raw Gaia, Eselle organics and Spiezia for instance, use time
old recipes and blends based on ingredients that are known to have
natural healing or beneficial properties for the skin and body, without
the toxins but with all the benefits and time tested proof that they
work. The newer breed of natural and organic skincare products such as Organic Apoteke
for instance combine herbal lore with scientific research and
cosmeceutical knowledge, this makes them similar in their placement on
the market to top beauty houses, taking the preparation out of the
kitchen and into the laboratory! Both lines are equally good.
Balms, Creams, Lotions and Oils
The consistency of a product can make a huge difference to whether you are going to like a product or not. We all have our preferences. What’s yours, rich and buttery, runny like hunny or creamy and dreamy?
Another
key difference between many completely pure certified organic products
and others that have additives lies in the formulation. 100% pure
products tend to be balms or oils such as Eselle Organics, Spiezia organics etc.
These don’t appeal to everyone as they are quite rich products, but if
they do appeal to you, then you’ll find them packed full of rich
nutrients and skin goodies that can really make a difference to your
skin. They tend to be heavier and oilier and therefore aren’t
everyone’s cup of tea.
Other people who prefer creams can go for the purest available which will still be slightly heavier such as Earthbound (beeswax based) and Raw Gaia
(shea butter based). These formulations are all heavier because they do
not contain any water hence bypassing the need for preservatives. The
Shea butter and Coconut butter based products are mostly solid at room
temperature and therefore need to be melted in your hand before being
applied. The essential oils used in these products preserve them over
time. Don’t be put off by their richness, as a little goes along way
and after applying, any excess can be soaked off with a tissue.
Creams and Lotions that have a lighter feel to them inevitably have water as an additional ingredient. This makes it necessary to add a preservative. The majority of preservatives have an irritational element to them, so the Soil association for instance strictly limits their use. The popular ones that are accepted are Phenoxyethanol and Limonene the absence of a preservative could result in a more dangerous form of contamination from Nitrosamines which makes their presence necessary. Many of the newer organic products tend to be made in the form of these lighter applications such as essential care, Organic Apoteke and Miessence, although some lines have cleverly avoided even the accepted preservatives and used totally natural preservatives. Balms, oils, and heavy creams are better for normal/dry/ maturing skin types, whereas oilier skin types may do better with a lighter cream or lotion.
Biodynamics and Wildcrafted
Do you feel assured by knowing the ingredients are charged by Mother Nature or simply growing free range?
Products
that contain Biodynamic ingredients contain ingredeints that have been
grown in accordance with the lunar cycles and seasonal cycles that
create the greatest benefit and achieve optimum results from the
plants. May sound a little woo woo! But all of Weleda products are for
instance bio dynamically based and therefore provide the benefit of
optimum ingredients for health wellbeing and healing. Wildcrafted
ingredients are taken from plants that have grown wild without the use
of pesticides or herbicides such as Eyre Biobotanics.
Certifications and Ingredients to avoid
Do
you need the security of a certificate or are you happy to check the
ingredients and see there’s nothing really nasty in it, so its ok!
Let's compare the standards.
Certifications can often make a product more expensive. That’s a fact. The common certifying bodies for products you will see being sold in the UK are Soil Association Standard (UK) , USDA (American), EcoCert (European), Organic Food Federation (UK), Australian organic, Demeter (Eurpoean), BDIH (German), Organic food Chain (Australian).
If you’re happy with going with a certificate then look out for the logos and verification that the product is certified. If you’re not too fussed about the certification but want to make sure it’s natural enough then check the products don’t contain any of the following:
AHAs – Alpha-hydroxy acids
(or ‘fruit acids’; incl. Glycolic acid and lactic acid) --
Why? Because it can penetrate the skin causing many reported adverse skin reactions in the US - May increase sensitivity to sunlight therefore increase photo-aging and risk of sun-related skin cancers
BHT
(butylated hydroxytoluene) - Preservative antioxidants
Why?
- Possible allergen
- Has been linked to possible behavioural effects, reproductive failures, not allowed in baby food
Fragrance
(Parfum, or Aroma.) Can exacerbate asthmatic symptoms.
Why?
May contain chemicals linked to cancer, damaging to the liver and kidneys and toxic to the nervous system.
Parabens
(Alkyl parahydroxy benzoates, or butyl/methyl/ ethyl/propyl/isobutyl paraben)
Why?
- Oestrogen mimics
- - Can penetrate the skin
Phthalates
(Dibutyl (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP))
Why?
risk to pregnant women and unborn children;
- DBP and DEHP on EU list of banned substances to be phased out by early 2005
- May disrupt hormones and cause birth defects
- Linked to asthma and allergic disease
P-Phenylenediamine
(PPD, or Para-phenylene-diamine)
Why?
Linked to cancer in workers
- - Linked to asthma and allergic disease.
- - Can penetrate skin.
- - Skin irritant
Triclosan
(5-chloro-2 (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-phenol) or Trade name – Microban
Why?
Bioaccumulative - builds up in fatty tissue and can’t be broken down properly.
has been found in human breast milk and fish
Dioxins (linked to cancer) are formed when it is manufactured, incinerated or exposed to sunlight.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
(Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
Why?
Skin, eye and respiratory tract irritant.
- May damage liver, lungs and immune system.
- Some evidence to suggest reproductive effects.
Toluene
(Toloul, methylbenzene)
Why?
Risk to women workers of spontaneous abortions
- Skin irritant
- Toxic to central nervous system, eyes, blood, liver, kidneys and skin.
Propylene glycol
(propan-1,2-diol)
Why?
Humectant - used to maintain moisture.
- Can cause contact dermatitis
- Linked to depression of the CNS (Central Nervous System)
Source: WEN Toxin Tour Factsheet
Also check out what WEN – Women’s Environmental Network has to say on the subject of toxins
http://www.wen.org.uk/cosmetics/facts.htm
Go onto their resources page for a good non bias heads up on what’s what in the cosmetics industry.
