Making more informed choices about what you put on your skin doesn't need to require a huge amount of time and effort. In this first Organic Community post, I want to highlight the epic difference between good quality natural skincare products, and everyday full-of-harmful chemicals skincare products, and help you to understand why you want to be choosing the former.
From what I can gather there are 2 or 3 main reasons why folks purchase skincare products that contain nasty chemicals:
Low cost price: you don't want to pay the earth for your skincare regime;
The products are readily available to purchase with minimal effort;
You are not well informed in relation to what chemicals these products contain, and not motivated to find higher quality natural alternatives.
Let's start with number 1: Cost:
Repeat after me: Good quality natural products don't have to cost you more.
With the rise of bespoke organic and natural skincare companies, there is more variety and a wider choice of natural skincare products than ever before. This is good news for those of us devoted to natural skincare. As natural skincare customer numbers and sales increase, prices are getting more competitive, not less. There are currently many products on offer that are low to mid range in price.
Long term, the health of your skin and overall health will be better if you have avoided harmful chemicals, and you can't put a price on that!
Number 2. Effort:
In today's fickle throw away society, it comes as no surprise people like minimal effort, not just when it comes to purchases. We now have dating apps where we choose a date at the flick of a finger, on the basis of one glimpse. But I digress: my point is, you get what you give. If you don't put effort into your Tinder choices, you'll probably wind up across the table on a first date with the likes of Chewbacca. So it pays to put a little effort in, when the potential reward is high. Likewise, putting a little effort into informing yourself about natural skincare will result in your skin not only being treated to a superior quality product, but also also being more healthy long term when you say no to harmful chemicals. Importantly, you will also be supporting small - and in many cases local - businesses, who genuinely strive to provide a good quality, harm-free product, who care about sustainability, and who truly value your support.
Number 3. Informing yourself to make a cleaner choice:
Let me start by saying: It isn't a good idea to put chemicals on your skin without having an understanding of what they are, and what effect they can have on your body with repeated use. I realise this may be stating the obvious, but I am constantly surprised by how trusting people are of multi national consumer goods corporations, who mass produce shitty quality products containing harmful ingredients, and who view you as a number - a minion, adding to their billions of dollars in net sales figures. That said, they can't be that bad if millions of people are buying them.... or can they?
If you're currently settling for the type of skincare product you find on a supermarket shelf, power to you - if it's working for you. However, if you believe you deserve better, listen up. With a small one-off investment of your time, you can soak up a little information about the beautiful natural, locally made products you could be using instead. Once you know a few names, and try a few products, I guarantee you'll be kicking yourself that you were settling for less than you deserved all along. Some of my favourite Australian natural skincare at the low to mid price points are: Byron Bay Skincare, Dollar Hippy Club, Saba Organics, Juniper Australia. (I don't receive any benefit from sharing this information and I'm not affiliated in any way with any of these products or companies).
Here is a list of some of my favourite products, by category:
Deodorant
Noosa Basics Organic Deodorant Stick - Sandalwood. AUD $14.95. Buy it here
Also comes in Lemon Myrtle, Rose & Frankincense, Coconut, and Coconut & Vanilla.
Face Moisturiser - Rich/Night
Mokosh Rich Face Cream. AUD $58. Buy it here
With Pomegranate, Neem, and Hemp.
Face Moisturiser - Light/Day
Byron Bay Skincare Replenishing Cream. AUD $26.95. Buy it here
Body Cream - Rich
Saya Rich Body Cream. AUD $46.00. Buy it here
With Shea Butter, Coconut, and Macadamia oil.
Body Cream - Light
Saba Organics Hand & Body Lotion - Rosehip & Shea Butter. AUD $13.95. Buy it here
Shampoo & Conditioner
100% Pure Shampoo - Moisutre Drench. AUD $44.95. Buy it here
100% Pure Conditioner - Moisture Drench. AUD $44.95. Buy it here
Face Cleanser
Sodashi Clay Cleanser - Sandalwood. AUD $69. Buy it here
Face Mask
Sodashi Plant Essence Replenish Mask. AUD $120. Buy it here
Face Serum
Mukti Rescue & Recover Serum. AUD $114.00. Buy it here
All the above products are completely natural and toxin free, and all are Australian owned and made, with the exception of 100% Pure, which is made in the USA. Whilst some are at the higher price point, there are many lower priced options. What you get by paying a little more is peace of mind - you won't find any chemicals here, just natural goodness. Just to drive home my point, I'll also provide below a list of the most common harmful chemicals found in some of the most popular mass produced skincare products (not naming any names, you know who they are!).
Top 20
20 of the most common nasty substances lurking in your skincare products:
Parabens (endocrine disruptors)
benzylparaben
butyiparaben
propylparaben
methylparaben
ethylparaben
isobutylparaben
Fragrance, or Parfum (wildcard - any chemical can be used due to proprietary laws)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine or 'Coco Betaine' (coconut derived surfectant. Irritant, can cause contact dermatitis)
Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP) (endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxin linked to birth defects)
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (endocrine disruptor, probable human carcinogen)
Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA) (Potential carcinogens, organ toxicity)
Benzalkonium Chloride (surfactant associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies)
Benzyl Alcohol (toxic, allergen, associated with immunotoxicity)
Benzyl Benzoate (known skin, eye, nose and throat irritant)
Titanium Dioxide (classified as expected to be toxic/harmful, suspected carcinogen)
Hydroquinone (likely carcinogenic, organ toxicity, irritant)
Methylisothiazolinone (allergen, possible neurotoxin)
Oxybenzone (endocrine disruptor, irritant/allergen)
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG compounds)
Phenoxyethanol (Irritant, organ toxicity)
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (penetration enhancer)
Ceteareth-20 (penetration enhancer)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (suspected mutagen, reproductive/developmental toxicant, neurotoxicant, endocrine disruptor)
Petroleum: (derived from the same stuff you use in your car. Needless to say: toxic to humans)
Paraffinum Liquidum
Petrolatum
Xylene
Toluene
Mineral oil
Formaldehyde releasers: (formaldehyde is known to be a human carcinogen)
Quaternium 15
DMDM hydantoin
Imidazolidinyl urea
Diazolidinyl urea
Sodium hydroxymethylclycinate
2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1 (rated an 8 on the EWG skin deep database)
Bronopol
It's a bit of a daunting list isn't it? It's by no means an exhaustive list of the thousands of chemicals used by this industry, however, it covers off most of the common ones. While it seems like a lot of names, once you start to compare unnatural product labels with the ingredients labels of natural products, you soon will start to recognise these chemicals. Something to keep in mind, when you're standing in the aisle pondering your next purchase.
So if you'd like to keep your head buried in the sand, nobody will stand in your way. Roll the dice, take your chances on years of exposure to those little beauties listed up there. There are no definitive answers, and no certainty. Life is just a series of choices and consequences. Sometimes we realise the consequences of our choices immediately, and sometimes it takes years to realise that we actually deserved better all along.
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