There is a definite growing interest in organic and natural skincare, across all age groups, at one point only women dedicated to choosing natural skincare because of allergies or a desire to be sustainable would choose these options, but now the younger and older generations alike seem to want to opt for organic skincare because it has become a genuine ‘rival’ to conventional skincare and ticks many other boxes in the process.
Janey Lee Grace the author of Look Great Naturally without ditching the lipstick, offers her top tips for adopting a natural approach to skincare and ageing.
Check the labels
The new discerning consumers are seeking real integrity and clarity over labelling, as it can be very confusing, just because a product claims to be ‘natural’ or ‘pure’ doesn’t mean much, so companies that make it really clear what is and what isn’t in their products do well. Organic certification really helps too. Of course it’s clear if brands are 100 percent organic, (i.e. balms, oils etc) but otherwise, it’s important to look for those which are certified, the process of certification means the company have really invested in their organic credentials and a high percentage of ingredients must be organic. If however just the word ‘organic’ is used it may not mean much at all, for example, a product which says contains organic aloe vera may only contain 0.01 percent of organic aloe vera alongside a whole host of synthetic ingredients!
Go Raw
It would appear the mantra ‘don’t put anything on your skin that you can’t eat’ is really hitting home, and the idea of ‘from farm to skin’ is definitely taking off, just like with food, it’s important to know where the provenance of the ingredients in skincare.
There’s an increase in food within skincare products too, such as the use of Raw cacao in beauty products, (high in antioxidants – all the indulgence without the guilt) Check out the organic Chocolate face mask from Inlight Organics, Coconut oil – which for a while has been hailed as a brilliant moisturizer in its own right is now appearing with lovely essential oils added, people now know the difference between the quality too, opt for the premium brand Tiana whose products are raw organic extra virgin and sustainable. They offer an anti-ageing organic rose coconut moisturizer and also coconut oil with added Argan oil for a deep hair conditioning treatment.
Be open minded
There are also some interesting ingredients such as goats milk Kefir (goats milk culture) being added to skincare from a company called Chuckling Goat, not only does kefir restore your intestinal microflora when you drink it, but it also restores the delicate balance of beneficial bacteria on the surface of the skin. Restoring healthy bacteria balance can revere and naturally healing many skin conditions that steroids fail to resolve. Kefir also has anti ageing and anti-inflammatory properties that help keep skin looking young and radiant.
A touch of citrus
Another recent discovery in the skincare market in the skin care industry is Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA). These fruit acids are found as a citric acid in citrus fruit, tartaric acid in grapes, malic acid in apples, and – you guessed it – in Kefir, in the form of lactic acid. Lactic acid creams, by dissolving the lipids that hold old skin cells together, help to remove dead skin particles so that the new skin can emerge in new radiance. Kefir contains all the good AHA without all the negative artificial colourants, dyes and synthetic perfumes that may cause allergic reactions.
Nature’s liquid gold
Lots more companies are using honey and propolis in their products. You can make your own skincare using honey applied topically it has amazing benefits, it antibacterial and soothing. It can also be beneficial on minor wounds. Of course, Apitherapy – the medicinal use of honey has been known about for centuries and medical grade honey is used in some hospitals in the world for severe skin condition and wounds.
Moisturizing mallow
White mallow or marshmallow (not to be confused with the bonfire treats) is a lovely intensive moisturizing ingredient, Weleda and Herbfarmacy both use it in products, great for nappy rash as well as general use.
Janey Lee Grace is the author of Look Great Naturally… Without Ditching the Lipstick and offers recommendations for natural products at Imperfectly Natural.
Last modified: June 10, 2021
