Natural Beauty Products: What’s in yours?
The terms “natural” “organic” and “green” have become somewhat of a cliché in today’s marketing campaigns, trendy cafes and health spas – but how do you know if the products you are buying are actually natural and if they are, so what?
When I first started buying these “natural” products I sort of did it because I thought I should. My simplistic line of reasoning was that when it comes to most things, “natural” at least sounds better than “artificial” right? I came to realize though that while my initial thought wasn’t totally off course, there is actually a lot more depth to the natural beauty trend then I thought…
When reading an article on a similar topic, this statistic really stood out -making me realize the importance of being choosey about what products I would buy from then on. Nearly 60% of the roughly 200 chemicals your skin comes in contact with daily are absorbed into the body. I don’t know about you, but I would rather have natural ingredients making up that 60% than any other substance. Especially since many chemicals have been linked to birth defects, aging skin issues, clogged pores, an increase in the likeliness of developing certain cancers, unwanted hormonal effects and even things like anemia and increased blood pressure!
On study suggested that the average woman uses up to 20 different skincare products a day – and when I thought about it, I realized that was pretty accurate, at least for me…and so my search for natural products began.
I found this list helpful – it includes some of the most harmful chemicals to look for when reading the list of ingredients in products before purchasing them. Many are thought to cause several of the complications I listed above.
Common harmful ingredients: Lead, mercury, mineral oil, petroleum (and its by-products), phthalates, collagen, lanolin, talc, formaldehyde, nanoparticles, Parabens (methy, butyl, ethyl, propyl) and Silicone emollients (dimethicone, cyclomethicone).
One company that has some great and truly natural beauty products is Rhonda Allison http://www.rhondaallison.com/en/?SID. Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics actually uses these products in their program, to teach future Aestheticians the importance of using natural products and the techniques to make their clients look and feel their best.
Another great way to assure that the products you are using are actually natural, is to make them yourself – try some of these recipes http://naturalbeautyaz.com/holisticrecipe.php
-Emily M
