According to a report, the market value of “Natural” skincare products is expected to reach 7.2 billion dollars by 2024. It is because of the rising awareness about synthetic products harming the environment and practicing animal testing. Now, people are switching from synthetic skincare products to organically made and non-toxic products, such as vegan moisturizer, cruelty-free cleansers, and natural deodorants created by brands such as Arluka.
Besides that, there are several other benefits of natural products. The goodness of organic products easily gets absorbed in the skin and provides effective results. Moreover, unless you are allergic to certain ingredients, they are totally harmless.
Nonetheless, is it a good reason to start using natural skincare? YES, But! Before you start using natural products, there are a few more things that you should know about.
Let’s start from the basics!
What Is Natural Skin Care?
There is no specific definition of what “natural” means in skincare. However, most people believe that anything generated/extracted from the plants and doesn’t involve animal cruelty is natural.
Generally, the ingredients include herbs, essential oils, flowers, seeds, and even roots. In addition to this, they are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, bioactive compounds, proteins, and much more. All these things help in removing impurities and rejuvenate the skin.
Not to forget that these are free from every harmful chemical that might damage the skin, causing allergic reactions, redness, or rashes.
Terminologies you should know
The goodness of natural skincare products can’t be doubted. Nonetheless, as a conscious customer, it is essential that you know some terms.
- Naturally Occurring: It means that ingredients used in the product are unprocessed and are used in their natural state. For example, crushed flowers, raw honey, Aloe vera, and oils.
- Nature-identical: As the name suggests, it means that ingredients are produced in the lab because they couldn’t be used directly on the skin. For example, sorbic acid, zinc oxide, ascorbic acid, micas, or potassium sorbate.
- Synthetic: They are created and produced in the lab only and are not really close to being natural. For instance, parabens, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and Stearalkonium Chloride. It is better to avoid all these ingredients, as they harm your skin.
Knowing these terms will help you answer the prime questions, i.e., “where the product is derived from?” Moreover, it will also offer peace of mind.
Processing of ingredients
Deriving ingredients from nature and processing them to create the ultimate product is totally different. Generally, the ingredients are processed in two ways:
- Physical Processing: In this process, the molecular composition and structure of ingredients stay the same. It includes cold processing or filtration. For example, unrefined oils or butter.
- Chemical processing: In this process, the molecular composition and structure of ingredients change. It includes hydrogenation. For example, using castor beans to derive vegetable wax and using hydrogen to create castor oil and wax.
Learn about the label
You might be aware of the fact that “Natural” is an umbrella term. A natural skincare product is generally marketed with terms like Organic Ingredients, Cruelty-Free, Vegan, Green, Herbs, etc. These terms are known as labels.
Yes! All these terms do indicate that the product is natural and safe to use. However, their meaning is quite different from one another. Therefore, you should know what exactly makes your chosen product different from others.
- Green: Generally, this term describes that the product is environmentally friendly, and the company focuses on sustainability. It also indicates that the product contains physically processed material free from sulfate, parabens, or artificial colors. It also limits the waste produced during the manufacturing process.
- Organic: It indicates that the product is created using organic materials, giving a surety that it’ll not harm the skin in any way. Furthermore, it also means that the ingredients are prepared without any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, sulfates/parabens, or GMOs. They are pure and will provide effective results.
- Vegan: Vegan products mean that they are produced organically and are cruelty-free. Furthermore, it also means that the products are gluten and GMO-free. Therefore, if you are lactose intolerant, you should pay attention to vegan products.
- Cruelty-Free: As mentioned before, that synthetic skincare product are made by animal testing. It is one of the major reasons why consumers are shifting to organic products. Using the label “cruelty-free” implies that no animal is harmed in the product’s processing.
But how can you ensure that no animal is harmed? Well, you need to check the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) certification of the company. It is a verification that can provide you the peace of mind of no animal cruelty.
Note: You should not get confused between the terms “Vegan” and “Cruelty-free.” As every vegan product is indeed cruelty-free, but the opposite is not true. That means it isn’t necessary that cruelty-free products are vegan also.
Depending upon your skin and requirements, you can choose any of the above labels for your skincare products. In fact, you can also find the products that provide everything in one, ensuring the best results.
Natural skincare routine
Lastly, knowing about the origin of your products is not enough; you should also know the skincare routine to get effective results.
- Cleansing: Wash your face twice a day with the selected product. It will ensure that all the impurities are removed and the goodness of ingredients is absorbed into the skin.
- Exfoliation: You need to scrub off the dead skin from the upper layer of the face to get them growing and healthy skin. Do this at least 2 to 3 times a week, but don’t overdo it, as it might result in redness.
- Moisturizing: After cleaning your face, always use a moisturizer. It will ensure that the skin will stay hydrated throughout the day and helps in skin rejuvenation. Even if you have oily skin, you should still moisturize.
This simple routine will ensure that your skin glows and stays healthy.
To sum it all up!
Switching to natural products is a very significant step that you must take. Along with improving the skin condition, it will also ensure that the environment and animals are not being harmed for your leisure.
