Natural Skin Care Beats Cheap Tricks

There are a number of cheap tricks that cosmetic companies use to fool us into believing that we're purchasing something that is 'natural' or otherwise good for us, when it is anything but. This can also be known as Greenwashing, here are a couple of examples to look out for:

Incorporating 'natural', 'organic' or 'botanical' into the brand or logo

This unfortunately does not mean you are getting a truly natural skin care product. Such products may contain minuscule amounts of natural ingredients, along with a whole host of chemical nasties.

The regulations currently state that 'ingredients must be listed in descending order by volume or mass, however ingredients present at less than one-per cent may be listed in any order.'

So very diluted herbal extracts such as certified organic floral waters (a by-product of making essential oils) are commonly added to cosmetic products. This may imply that the products are more herbal or natural than they really are.

Hypoallergenic

Again, this doesn't mean you're getting a gentle or natural skin care product. This means that some common irritants have been left out, usually fragrances, but the product may well still contain many other potential toxins.

Parfum/fragrance

This ingredient is everywhere, even in some of my favourite 'natural' brands. It can mean that a synthetic substance has been added, possibly to make the product smell nicer. It masks hundreds of ingredients, including phthalates, which can disrupt the endocrine system and could cause reproductive and developmental harm.

It is absolutely infuriating not to be able to trust any of the familiar skin care brands we know and love, but unfortunately we can't. Informing yourself as to what ingredients mean and constant label-reading are the only ways to ensure that your skin care products aren't causing you harm and that you really are choosing natural skin care products.

That's why we created Nourished Life. We've done all the label-reading and research for you, and you can trust any of the products you find on the site to be chock-full of wholesome ingredients and no nasties.