Why natural cosmetics is NOT (necessarily) better for sensitive skin
Often times we hear people say that if you have sensitive skin you should be using natural cosmetics because it´s gentler, or it doesn´t contain all those "nasty chemicals" that harm your skin, etcetera, etcetera...
If you use natural cosmetics and it works for you, you should definately continue using it! But, the notion that natural cosmetic is BETTER for sensitive skin compared to the "regular" cosmetics is utterly false and in this article I will explain why.
The organic movement started in 1920s, at the time when industrialized agriculture began. "When a group of farmers and consumers sought alternatives to the industrialisation of agriculture." The interest in the green movement, health and nutrition grew in the 1960s and 1970s, and finally bloomed in 1990s, when the consumers became better-informed, more well-travelled, dissatisfied with conventional medicine and information hungry. The aging "western" population has more time and resources to spend on itself on average and began looking for alternative solutions to their health and beauty problems. They became more aware of what they eat and what they put on their skin. The natural approach became "an extention of the more holistic mind - body - spirit ethos."
That´s how the natural cosmetics industry emerged. It was (is) marketed to the unsatisfied, health- and enviromentally conscious consumer. But, does this "new" industry answer the questions of the unsatisfied consumer and offer any real solutions to their problems? Let´s find out.
Since I had problems with my skin (acne, redness, increased sensitivity), I also became a follower of this marketing trend. I was trying out various (natural) products in hopes that it would somehow magically heal my skin and make it healthy (yes, I was visiting numerous dermatologists, even ordering custom natural mosturizers, visiting homeopathic doctors and trying moisturizers with "good" bacteria in it - this all because of my job, cause otherwise I wouldn´t care much about it. But also wouldn´t be in this situation in the first place.). To my disappointment, they didn´t help at all. In fact, they would irritate my skin even more.
I remember trying out the Dr. Hauschka Normalizing Oil, that made me break out like crazy (and NO, I don´t believe in skin cleansing itself because it never becomes better afterwards.) Dr. Hauschka Shampoo made my hair horribly dry and lifeless. Rausch shampoo made my scalp dry and flaky.
Luckily, I stumbeled upon a site "Paula´s Choice" by the beauty expert Paula Begoun, also known as "The Cosmetics Cop". Articles on her website helped me understand why I was having skin issues throughout this whole time. Ever since I changed my skin care routine according to Paula´s advice, my skin got tremendously better!
Let me try to explain why...
1. First of all, there is NO published research anywhere proving that natural, organic ingredients are in any way superior to the synthetic, non-organic ingredients. There are good and bad ingredients in each category.
2.Many organic products include synthetic ingredients they proclaim they don´t include because, believe it or not, there are no industry standars or regulations for terms such as "natural" or "organic".
3. The most important thing of all is the fact that an "irritant is still an irritant". Irritating ingredients will irritate your skin. It doesn´t matter if they are organic or synthetic.
"Such natural ingredients as peppermint, menthol, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, sandalwood, essential oils, and on and on are routinely included in natural and/or organic products. Research has clearly established these ingredients as irritants, and when the skin is irritated it causes collagen to break down and hurts the skin's ability to heal." writes Paula on her website.
4. Besides that, ALL of the natural and organic products contain huge amounts of alcohol, which is extremely harmful for any type of skin, but especially for sensitive skin. The reason why they use such huge amounts of alcohol is because they don´t use any preservatives, and alcohol serves as a "natural" preservative. When you confront them about it, they will answer "Yeah, but it´s organic alcohol" as if that makes it somehow different. All that alcohol will do is, it will dry out and dehydrate your skin. And that is definately not what you want.
The most important thing you can do in saving your sensitive skin is avoiding products with huge amounts of (denaturated) alcohol (to learn the difference between "good" and "bad" alcohols click here) and fragrance, as this great article by Paula Begoun describes.
And of course there is NO way you will find natural and organic products WITHOUT alcohol or fragrance/essential oils.
The only natural products that I would wholeheartedly recommend are the PURE natural products, the ones that you can also eat, such as extra virgin almond or olive oil, since they are soothing and contain a lot of vitamins and antioxidans, and no harmful ingredients at all. Almond oil is also antibacterial and great for acne-fighting.
I´ll be on a lookout though and I will let you guys know when/if I find natural cosmetics that is non-irritating for sensitive skin. I´m determined to give you guys the best resources and advice on how to care for your sensitive skin, since the majority of the cosmetic industry and professionals seem to misunderstand that skin type.
Do you agree with this article? Disagree? What are your experiences with natural cosmetics? Let me know in the comments below! :)
Sources: www.paulaschoice.com - "Organic Cosmetics - Is Natural Better?" , "Allergy Prone and Sensitive Skin Care", www.organicinstitute.com - "History Of The Organic Movement", "The Natural Trend in the Cosmetics Industry"
