natural beauty matters
There are two simple reasons why I choose natural products over synthetic ones.
As a holistic facial therapist and consultant, I find that my body and skin are, without fail, healthier the more I align my choices with nature. Whether that is in taking an excipient-free Food-Grown Magnesium supplement, or moisturising my body with a 100% organic cold-pressed oil, by simplifying our choices and removing as many unnecessary synthetics from our routines as we can, we also lower our body’s overall toxic load. While I cannot choose to live in a pollution-free world, I can choose to eat whole foods, massage my skin with natural oils, and support my self holistically with everything from massage and mediation to yoga and walking in nature. My beauty choices are a natural extension of my lifestyle choices – simple, pure, natural.
The EU bans 1,328 chemicals from use in cosmetics – including formaldehyde, asbestos and coal tar – that are known or suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm or birth defects. The US Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), by comparison, has only banned or restricted 11. (www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/08/carcinogens-cosmetics-brexit-britain-eu-makeup)
Given that, at the time of writing, the UK has now left the EU and ever-more craven trade deals are in the process of being stuck with the US, I think there’s never been a better time to get very clear on what goes into the cosmetics products you purchase (and yes, if they come direct from the US, you may want to take a closer look), and what you will, and will not, allow into your cabinet.
My safeguarding apps of choice are Skin Ninja (where you can check by brand, product & ingredient), Think Dirty, and online database EWG.org, which is US-based, and offers very detailed breakdowns into the potential risk of all cosmetic ingredients (from low to high hazard ratings). This may all sound terribly ‘conspiracy theory’ but if you’re in doubt as to the actual harm that a ‘benign’ beauty product can do, I’d urge you to do an internet search on Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder and their $4.67billion payout to the 22 women who developed ovarian cancer after years of powdering their nether regions with this ‘innocuous’ white powder (which, as it turned out, was very likely contaminated with traces of asbestos – something J&J were fully aware of, yet failed to disclose at any point). It is not just sobering, but truly horrifying.
So – in short, the impetus behind my real life choices are not some leap towards an increasingly ‘clean’ bandwagon – it’s a real flag, waved high and proud, to champion those who are doing good things, naturally, and in whom we can invest our trust and money, with peace of mind to boot.
And because I always want to offer you the balanced view on things (and yes, not even beauty is ever black & white), there are three worthwhile ‘caveats to natural’ too:
Being natural does not automatically make a product less allergenic or more suitable for sensitive skin. In fact, some of the most commonly cited irritants in skincare are essential oils. Everyone’s skin is different – and you are the best judge of your skin’s own response to the skincare you are using. Trust those instincts.
Natural isn’t automatically synonymous with safety or efficacy either – if improperly preserved, some natural oils can easily oxidise, leaving them rancid and full of skin-damaging free radicals. Ensure that there is a sensible and trusted preservation system in use – most of our favourite natural brands come in UV-blocking dark brown, black, blue or violet glass, which naturally extends shelf life. Keep all products out of direct light, away from central heating or warmth, and try to minimise contamination by using a pipette, clean spoon, clean finger each time.
Some once-lauded natural preservatives have recently been shown to degrade and produce free radicals in the same way, making them pro-oxidant (not good) rather than antioxidant, leading some very smart natural product formulators to choose stable, safe, yet synthetic preservation for their otherwise wholly natural – and organically certified – products. Simply: do your research (and use those apps/websites for back-up whenever you need to).
