This is my first article and I want to start with something which is very close to my heart and a passion for me since I was a kid(literally) - and that is of-course Skincare !! Skin Care products are sometimes lovely (but mostly nasty) - the products that we all use day in and out without realizing their overall effect on our skin and health overtime. Hope you enjoy reading this first piece and start taking a close look at the ingredients we slather on our lovely skin.
It may surprise you when you will know the amount of potentially harmful additives found in skincare products. Dr. Samuel Epstein, an internationally recognized toxicologist, has listed more than 80 known and hidden carcinogens, 30 known hormone disrupters and many other common allergens that are found in cosmetics and beauty products in his book ‘Healthy Beauty’. Take a special note of parabens, phthalates, paraffinum liquidum, sodium laureth sulphate, and propylene glycol. It truly turns out beauty is more than skin deep: The average person slathers, lathers, rubs and sprays 10 different skin care products on his or her body every day and since our skin acts more like a sponge than a barrier, we absorb the nearly 130 chemicals we regularly expose ourselves to. Considering that the average woman wears makeup every day, and you begin to understand how a little dab here a quick spray there begins to add up. The fact is, no one really knows how certain chemicals affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination. There are many more to be found, causing a range of problems that are reason enough for most to choose natural skincare. It may also seem puzzling as to why chemical nasties are used in big beauty products when natural ingredients provide all the excellent skin care benefits your skin deserves. Two major reasons are cost, and shelf-life. It is a lot cheaper to fill up a product with synthetic ingredients than natural ones, and with a highly competitive market some companies’ compromise on quality to offer low cost cosmetics. Shelf-life is important too; chemical preservatives allow a moisturizer to be safe to use for up to three years, and if you think about the large batches products are made in and how long they can be on the factory shelf before being finally delivered to a shop and bought, this extended shelf-life becomes a necessity.
In the light to this situation - Natural skin care products fair a lot higher in quality and make for a great choice because they do not have the harsh additives that other products have. You can remove years from your skin by using natural and pure products. This way you can save your skin from the harsh chemicals that are bad for you and also keep control of your health in the long term. To maintain a healthy look you want to stay au natural. You want to make sure that you are using plant oils, botanicals, essential oils and hydrosols to maintain your skin’s natural beauty and make it radiate the beauty from within. The secret behind beautiful glowing skin is contained in all these natural ingredients - these botanicals and oil agents which are grown and derived from plants. I am a firm believer of the fact that Nature has played a role in beauty products for thousands of years.
So, Next time when you slather on your favourite OTC skincare brand, remember you are taking a tremendous risk by putting harsh chemicals on your skin and hence should always try to use all natural products rather than over the counter skin creams and products.
Stay Close to Nature and find your inner beauty!!
Much Love
Abha
P.S. follow this column for my next blog on what all harmful Ingredients to watch out for in your skincare products.