Which is best for you? | Natural VS Traditional Skin Care Products
Did you know? Your body uses nutrients not just from the food, but also from your skin. Your body absorbs what you apply to your skin.
Natural Ingredients to look for in your Skin Care Product
These natural ingredients in your skin care products can help you fight breakouts, soothe irritation, treat uneven skin tone, and more. You should scan your skin care product labels here for the following ingredients:
This natural wonder is commonly present in red, orange, and yellow fruits and veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins.
It is an essential nutrient for healthy skin. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for healing wounds, protecting against sun damage, and encouraging skin cell renewal.
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Natural and Organic Extracts
Instead of using chemicals, many brands nowadays use organic extracts. These extracts are rich in vitamins and minerals that can transform your skin and hair. There are various oils that you can apply to skin instead of chemical treatments. Tea tree oil is a great choice due to its therapeutic effects. You can use it to treat acne or to treat dandruff. Products like tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner control skin and scalp conditions you may experience.
Did the sun damage your skin? Look for green tea extract in your skin care products. This healthy drink contains high levels of antioxidant components to help prevent and reverse UV damage to the skin. It is also an excellent anti-inflammatory and natural skin-soothing ingredient.
There’s a reason why Vitamin C is called a super antioxidant. Vitamin C protects the skin from the signs and effects of aging like sagging and dullness.
It helps in collagen production that is essential for the skin to be firm and supple. It also has antioxidants that help fight free-radical damage and lightens dark spots.
Curious for more skin care tips you can add to your natural skin care routine? You can read more about it below:
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Your Skin Care Product
Parabens are the most common preservative that prevents the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast in cosmetic and beauty products. They are often found in skin care products like makeups, body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. You can also find them in food and pharmaceutical products. Paraben seems to be harmless, but it mimics the female hormone, estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone known to cause both normal and cancerous breast cells to grow and divide. In recent studies, some samples of breast tissue and breast cancer tumors contain parabens.
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Fragrance
The fruity scent in your facial wash is because of “fragrance”. Many skin care products have “fragrance” on their list of ingredients, but very few name the specific ingredients within it. This prevents the consumers in knowing what types of chemicals they are putting on their skin. Studies link fragrance with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential effects on the reproductive system. It is often present in many products such as perfume, cologne, conditioner, shampoo, body wash, and moisturizers.
Phthalates are commonly present in nail polishes, perfumes, lotions, and hairspray. But along with these beauty products, it is an ingredient primarily used to make plastic more flexible and harder to break. There is only a little information about this chemical’s side effects on the human body. But according to animal tests, this can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, and reproductive system.
Like Paraben, most skin care products have low doses of formaldehyde in their ingredients to help prevent bacterial growth. Studies also link it in increasing the risk of developing cancer. It is a respiratory irritant that causes chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, and nose and throat irritation.
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Synthetic Colors
Look closely at the labels of your skin care products. Did you notice an “FD&C or D&C” label? This represents artificial colors. Letter “F” means food while letters “D” and “C” drugs and cosmetics. Artificial colors come from coal tar. It has a long list of adverse side effects including the increase of risk of getting cancer. It doesn’t stop there. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged that artificial colors such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 trigger hyperactivity and behavioral problems with some children. Ironically, companies can still use Red 40 and Yellow 5 legally.
Toluene is mostly present in many beauty products like nail polish, nail treatment, hair color, and hair bleach. Outside of the cosmetic field, it is an effective chemical to dissolve paint. This chemical can affect your respiratory system. It can cause nausea and irritate your skin. Expecting women should avoid exposure to toluene vapors as it may cause developmental damage in the fetus.
Did you spot some of these harsh chemicals on your skin care products ingredient list? Keeping your skin glowing and healthy doesn’t have to take a toll on your overall health. Always read the ingredient list before you add it to your glam bags. Be informed, flip the cover!
Learn more about the top brands in the market and what you should know about them below:
