It’s hard to keep up with the beauty and skincare trends. In addition to curating the perfect daily routine, now consumers have to consider what ingredients are being used in their products. Understanding the actual makeup of a beauty product you’re using can help you make better, more educated decisions. In this article, let’s break it down and learn exactly what goes into your beauty products.
1. What Lurks Beneath: Analyzing the Ingredient Labels of Beauty Products
We have all seen and heard the phrase, ‘you are what you eat.’ But what about what you put on your skin? We spend time carefully considering what to feed our bodies, so why wouldn’t that same care and attention be paid to what we use to nourish our skin? Read on to understand more about the science of analyzing beauty product ingredients.
The Science of Ingredient Labels There are certain ingredients that are almost universally accepted as nourishing and beneficial. Commonly found on ingredient labels, they include extracts like lavender, jojoba, green tea, and chamomile, which have been scientifically proven to offer calming and anti-inflammatory properties. Other ingredients like cocoa, shea butter, and aloe vera offer cell-hydrating and -strengthening benefits. Here’s what else to look out for:
- Silicones used to help build a protective layer over your skin, prohibiting moisture loss
- Glycerin has natural humectant and emollient properties, locking in moisture to keep your skin soft and hydrated
- Tocopherol otherwise known as vitamin E, an antioxidant to protect against free radical damage and stimulate healthy cell regeneration
On the other hand, there are ingredients that can irritate skin and result in redness, dryness, and breakouts –– namely alcohols, SLS, and parabens. That’s why it’s important to read the label and understand what you’re using before you smear it on your face!
2. Exploring the Powers of Plant-Based Extracts and Artificial Additives
Plant-Based Extracts
The natural world is home to an abundance of power-packed plants – many of which are brimming with therapeutic properties that have the potential to improve our wellbeing. By exploring the natural plant-based offerings of herbal extracts, we can make use of their numerous benefits – allowing us to enhance our lives and health. Herbal extracts can affect our bodies in a multitude of ways, some notable examples include:
- Boosting immunity and providing anti-inflammatory benefits to aid with pain relief.
- Alleviating common ailments like colds and coughs.
- Increasing energy and improving mood.
- Reducing the symptoms of chronic illness.
Artificial Additives
At the same time, we are also flourishing in the realm of artificial additives. In the world of healthcare and nutrition, artificial food additives can act as powerful tools for improving our wellbeing. Examples range from flavor enhancers, biopreservatives, emulsifiers, and food colorings. These additions to our foods and drinks have the potential to increase nutrient absorption and delivery, improving our health and wellbeing. Moreover, they can boost palatability, texture, and shelf-life – creating tasty, healthy, and safe foods that endure.
3. Exposing the Harsh Truth About Hazardous Beauty Components
Behind the glossy facade of gorgeous makeup products, lurks the harsh truth – many of them contain hazardous components. These ingredients endanger us by clinging on to our skin or even invading our bloodstream. Here are the three worst offenders to look out for:
- Parabens – commonly used as a preservative, parabens can mimic hormones and disrupt the body’s natural functions.
- Fragrance – unlabeled fragrances found in many cosmetics have been linked to allergies, irritation, and asthma.
- Formaldehyde – a carcinogenic chemical often used for preventing bacterial contamination.
These and many other ingredients found in popular cosmetics products today are a cause for concern. The long-term health risks associated with hazardous beauty components far outweigh any temporary benefits we may believe we are getting. Just like anything else, when it comes to cosmetics it’s important to be aware of what added components are doing to our body.
4. Crafting an Eco-Friendly Skincare Regimen for a Clean and Clear Complexion
Getting a clear and glowing complexion is not an easy task and often requires lots of extra effort and dedication. Looking after your skin is not only about finding the right products, but doing it in a way that is eco-friendly and sustainable. Here are four tips to bear in mind to craft your own eco-friendly skincare regimen.
- Recycle and Reuse: when it comes to packaging, look for products that use recycled materials and can be recycled or reused again. You can also create your own containers for lotions, creams, and serums.
- Less is More: look for mostly natural and simple products that won’t strip away essential oils from your skin and respect its natural balance.
- No Animal Testing: opt for cruelty-free and vegan skincare alternatives, which will be more respectful to the environment and animals.
- DIY Alternatives: one of the most sustainable practices is to make your own skincare products at home. Look up recipes to make your own all-natural face masks and toners, and explore the power of natural ingredients.
By making small changes in your skincare routine you can ensure that you’re taking extra steps to protect the environment and make your complexion even brighter. Making sure that you are using only the best sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free products is key to achieve this goal.
We hope that this article has opened your eyes to some of the things to look for when understanding what goes into your beauty products. From understanding skin types and what ingredients are best for you to being on the lookout for potentially harmful ingredients, knowing what goes into your beauty products is an important part of being an informed and responsible consumer. Good luck on your skin-care journey!
