Liz Thompson
In the natural beauty biz we talk a lot about what you don’t want to put on your skin. The harmful ingredients used to make mainstream beauty products. But today I’d like to cover what you do want to see in your beauty products. The healthy ingredients and pure manufacturing practices that make green beauty the best choice for your skin and health.
Buying the Best Beauty Products
The best ingredients. When choosing skincare and cosmetics we first focus on identifying any toxic culprits. Once you’ve become familiar with the cosmetic ingredients best avoided and brands that don’t use them, you can move on to looking for the very best in healthy ingredients. Organically produced ingredients are made without the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Remember, a product that says Organic on the label does not necessarily include 100% organically produced ingredients. Weird and confusing, I know. But such is the state of labelling in the US at the moment, so best to arm yourself with knowledge. Here’s how to ID a product made with organic ingredients.
Next, learn how to avoid GMO ingredients. That’s right, cosmetics can contain GMOs too. Choosing certified organic products will lower your risk of coming into contact with GMOs as will avoiding ingredients most commonly GMO-contaminated.
And then there is cruelty free. This means each individual ingredient. A finished product may not be tested on animals, but unless noted, an ingredient it contains could have undergone animal testing. Be sure the brands you support are committed to sourcing their ingredients from manufacturers who don’t test on animals. To find out read their commitment page or ask me. I’ll do my best to find out for you.
Made in small batches. Most truly pure cosmetics brands manufacture their products in small batches. This ensures quality, freshness, and a more stable product. As with food, the thought of a skincare product made to sit on a shelf for up to 3 years is kind of disgusting.
Properly preserved. Products made with water, like cleansers, shampoos, lotions, need to be properly preserved in order to be safe. Inadequately preserved products are susceptible to bacterial growth. If you’ve ever opened a jar of face cream with black mold, you know what I’m talking about. A turn off and hazardous to your skin’s health. But adequate preservation doesn’t mean chemical ingredients. Some plant and essential oils, herbal extracts, and vitamins are natural preservatives. Packaging in tubes and pump bottles helps to maintain freshness, as does the use of the purest ingredients. Many natural cosmetics brands have developed their own unique and effective preservation systems.
High performance. The idea that you have to choose between safe and high performance in cosmetics is super outdated. In the past that may have been the case. Today there are so many nontoxic beauty brands making products that perform just as well as conventional products, if not better. Don’t feel that you can’t have a yummy smelling, luxurious product in a pretty package just to be healthy. Organic beauty has come a long way, baby. You truly can have it all.
Get to know the brands you purchase a little better. This is a great way to know you are getting the best out of your beauty products.
[Image of woman looking in mirror via Shutterstock]
