Choosing Natural Beauty Products
Be an Informed Consumer for your Personal Care
Products claiming to be organic, herbal or botanical are all the rage, but how do you know if they are really safe. Educate yourself about natural, healthy alternatives.
All-natural and organic are catch phrases for advertising products that may not be quite what they seem. So many personal care and beauty products claim to be natural by highlighting botanical and herbal ingredients on the label. But who has the time to really find out what is in their shampoo or foundation? It may take some time and energy to find all-natural products, but it will be time well spent.
Consider that every chemical you come into contact with, especially those that go on your skin, can easily be absorbed into your system. Ask yourself if the makeup you spread on your face every morning is really safe. With innumerable resources at your fingertips, anyone can make responsible, healthy decisions about the products they put on and in their body. Even if you don’t have a wide variety of retail options in your community, buying natural beauty products online is easy. You just have to know what to look for.
Be careful about packaging and advertising. Products can claim to be safe and still have dangerous chemicals. Read the ingredients and look for warnings on the package. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the FDA does little to regulate ingredients in cosmetics, and many ingredients are not tested to determine long term effects. You can check the products you use on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep report. This is an excellent resource for finding products that have been tested by EWG and found to have fewer dangerous chemicals. Educate yourself about what ingredients are cause for the most concern and choosing safe products will be that much easier.
Many high quality products with all-natural ingredients can be found at your local organic market. Online, look for websites that give complete and thorough product information. A little knowledge about natural ingredients can help out a lot here. The Skin Deep website has a tool to create a custom shopping list of all the safest products in each category. Know which brands make the safest products and try a variety of products to find those that work best for you. Research and shopping around is worth your health.
If you are really ambitious, you can bypass the marketed products altogether and make your own. Some of the most useful and economical beauty secrets can already be found in your home. Baking soda is a natural cleanser and exfoliant. Apple cider vinegar can be used internally and externally to improve skin and hair condition. Extra virgin olive oil is the best natural moisturizer for hair, scalp and skin. These ingredients can be used alone to clean, tone and condition, or you can add essential oils for specific benefits. Store natural concoctions in attractive containers and enjoy the savings.
Essential oils are indispensable in natural products, and can be used in a variety of ways. While they are often pricey, essential oils can be used for a variety of beauty and health needs. Most recipes only call for a small amount, so they will last you a long time. Lavender oil is often used in aromatherapy, but it is also good for the skin and hair. Peppermint oil, often found in toothpaste and muscle rubs, feels clean and crisp when used in shampoo or massaged into the scalp. It also has many benefits to digestion and reduces redness and inflammation of pimples. Tea tree oil is useful for acne, minor cuts, and athlete’s foot. A little research on the uses for essential oils can guide you in creating homemade beauty products or help you pick natural products based on ingredients.
