What is “natural” skincare?
Whether you’ve seen this term in your bathroom at home or on the pharmacy shelves, you may have asked yourself what exactly constitutes clean or natural skincare. Well, basically clean or natural skincare means a product was made according to certain ideals:
- For example a product may focus on botanicals from a particular geographical region.
- Some may be cruelty free, vegan, plant-based or packed in recycled and/or recyclable packaging.
- Others may be free of microbead, synthetic fragrances, dyes, sulfates, phthalates1, mineral oils, petrolatum, triclosans, silicones and other ingredients.
Are natural products also organic?
It depends. In order to be labelled "organic", a product must comply with legal regulations, which differ depending on country. For that, it’s best to check with your favourite brand. Like any product which is new to you, consult with your Pharmacist if you have sensitive skin, allergies or an underlying skin condition, to ensure it suit your skin.
What sort of products and ingredients can I find?
Basically, any type of product can have a natural alternative. You can find cleansers, day and night creams, face oils, serums, masks, cosmetics and more. You may see ingredients which have been derived plant or botanical ingredients, which can provide our skin with proteins, vitamins, antioxidants and essential oils.2 Look for ingredients derived from3:
- fruits and berries
- seaweed (e.g., sea kelp, algae)
- plants
- minerals (e.g., from clay, spring water)
- oils (e.g., from fruits, seeds, plants)
- aloe vera
- wax (e.g., bee’s)
- natural vitamins (e.g., A, C and E)
- milk protein
- caffeine
- honey
- green tea…and others!