You are what you smudge... 6 things to look for when buying natural skincare

More and more people are starting to realize the importance of using natural skincare products, finally! Products containing chemicals may seem like a good and sometimes quick fix, but they can damage you from the inside out without you even noticing it. We often don't even know for sure what the long term effects are of using these chemicals either. And this is kinda risky: our skin acts rather as a sponge than a barrier. 60 percent of what we use on our skin eventually ends up in our bodies and can place a burden on the immune system and detoxification of the body. Some ingredients may stay active in the body for several months, or sometimes even years!

Not only our bodies may get harmed by it, also the environment might get a little blow from all of our artificial product leftovers. Through our garbage or shower it ends up somewhere where it can have further impact on the environment. 

1. Reading labels. Avoid harmful, hazardous and toxic “Terrible Touch-Me-Not” ingredients like: Aluminum, Pthalates, DEET, Dioxins, Formaldehyde, PABA, Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA), Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Toluene and Camphor.

2. Not only ingredients are of the essence, learning how the products are made is important too. The least processed the ingredients are, the better. Look for cold pressed extra virgin plant oils or steam-distilled essential oils. 

3. The shorter the list of ingredients, the better. Logically, the more amount of a beneficial ingredient is used in the product, the more it will likely be of use instead of having a tiny bit of it combined with a lot of other tiny bits of other ingredients. 

4. You are what you eat, or smear.. Don't put on your skin what you wouldn't eat. Or what has a very long expiring date/shelf life. Fresh isn't supposed to last too long, otherwise there as been some messing done. 

5. Forget about fragrance. Fragrance smells like trouble! Whether the fragrance in the product is natural or synthetic, it is almost always a problem for skin and mostly just a 'cover up' for the natural smells of the product.

6. Since you're already on the right path in helping the environment a little by choosing natural products, don't forget to pay a little attention to the packaging too. Glass is best, since it doesn't leach toxins in the products that in contains and is recyclable. Some plastics (PET, HDPE) are also safe to use and recyclable. Avoid containers with recycling code #3 or have a V mark, these are hazardous for health and environment. 

These are some of our all time favourite and very addicting skin pampering products. To give your gorgeous and precious body some TLC. 

A tropical dream whilst bathing €19,- | Herbivore

Soft and kissable lips to die for, set of 3 €59,- | Herbivore

Say goodbye to dust and dirt, say hello to pure freshness €19,50 | Morning Calm

Find more natural skincare here.

beautiful plantphoto used before found on pinterest