Choosing Natural Skin Care Products: Top Tips and Tricks
Every 28 days, our skin renews itself.
Through this process of renewing, and every other day, our skin deserves to be nourished and cared for. Our skin is sensitive and responds quickly to dehydration, stress, poor diets, and harsh environmental factors.
To keep your skin safe and looking fresh, use natural skin care products. Avoid any harsh and unnecessary chemicals damaging your body.
Because standing in a skin care aisle at the store is overwhelming, we're here to help you choose the best natural skin care products. Keep reading below for the best tips and tricks.
Understand Your Skin Type
The first step to learning how to choose skin care products is understanding your unique skin type. This will better guide you in looking for specific ingredients.
If you don't already know, take time to examine your skin throughout the day. Give your face a fresh wash in the morning with a gentle cleanser to start with a fresh palette.
As you go throughout your day, do you notice your skin is dry and flaky? Is it a giant grease bomb? Or is it only greasy in the T-zone?
Take note of your lifestyle as well because this has an effect on your skin type. If you spend plenty of time outside in the sun, your skin may be extremely dry.
Ingredients to Look For
As you sift through the different types of skin care products, there are key ingredients to search for.
If you have oily skin, find products containing glycolic or salicylic acid. These ingredients, along with hyaluronic acid and benzoyl peroxide, control oil production in the skin.
Do you suffer from dry, ashy skin? Find moisturizing products containing shea butter and lactic acid. Your skin is in need of a tall glass of hydration.
Grab gentle products with oatmeal and aloe vera if you suffer from sensitive skin. These ingredients are light and gentle.
Ingredients to Avoid
When making the switch to clean beauty, there's a large list of ingredients and additives to avoid. Take time to read the ingredients on a product's bottle. Do research before heading to the store or order online.
Run away from unnatural, heavy fragrances. We love to smell like vanilla cupcakes or cherry blossoms, but these chemicals hurt your skin. If you're going to use heavily-scented products, keep your usage at a minimum.
Put away products containing aluminum. It throws off the functioning of the body's endocrine system. This is why many people are throwing away their aluminum-filled deodorants.
Steer clear of parabens such as methyl, ethyl, and propyl. These are typically used as preservatives and greatly contribute to hormone imbalances within the body.
Other ingredients to avoid include formaldehyde, PEGs, phthalates, talc, toluene, and Teflon. There's plenty of information online about toxic ingredients.
Don't Buy Just Because of the Packaging
"Why use natural skin care products when you can just use cute products?"
As appealing as this logic is, don't fall into the trap of cute, colorful packaging. This doesn't mean natural skin care product companies can't have adorable packaging, but it shouldn't be your deciding factor.
If a product catches your eye from the shelf, take time to read through the list of ingredients. Thanks to the technology of smartphones, we can now conduct quick online searches from inside the store.
Chat with a trusted friend or dermatologist if you find yourself falling prey to too many unnatural skin care companies. They'll give you the advice you need. They may even have samples of clean products for you to try.
Also, just because a package says something is 'natural' doesn't mean it's good for your skin. Poison oak is natural, but no one would dare rub that on their face. Read up on the advertised natural ingredients.
The Benefits of Using Natural Skin Care Products
There are plenty of benefits of using natural skin care products that are healthy for your body.
The obvious reason for using clean products is the overall improvement of your body's health and appearance. Your skin will learn to properly regulate itself, and people will notice a stronger natural glow about you.
Clean products are also much better for the environment. Synthetic chemicals can hurt plants and animals in the case there's contact. The manufacturing process of gunky ingredients also takes a toll on nature.
Trusted, natural companies also don't test on animals. It's terrifying to know how many companies still test on live animals. Clean products are more ethical products.
Lastly, you'll feel safer using clean products. There won't be any need for staying at home to see how your face reacts to a variety of chemicals. No puffiness and inflammation for you!
A Few Remaining Tips
We can offer some remaining tips for your journey to natural, clean skin care products.
Don't get scared of the list of ingredients. A long list doesn't always mean a bad list. Use your knowledge and intuition when selecting a product.
Always use your available resources. The internet provides thousands of transparent, honest reviews from users all over the world. While not everyone will agree on every product, you'll find general guidance.
Start slow when making the transition. Rome wasn't built in a night and neither was your skin care shelf. Switch over major players in the game first, such as your cleanser, face scrub, and moisturizer.
Do a patch test with new products. While natural products are much safer, test them on a small patch of skin before diving in deep.
Switching to Natural Skin Care
Taking the leap and investing in natural skin care will prove to be one of the best decisions you've ever made. Your skin and body will thank you each day as you nourish them.
Always look at the listed ingredients of products, and don't be fooled by adorable packaging with no substance. Use the internet and/or a trusted dermatologist if you're in need of guidance.
Are you ready to commit to natural products for your home and body? We offer a large variety of clean household essentials, body care products, and even products for your kids! Take the pledge for a cleaner, healthier life now.