Considering the glut of new "natural" and "organic" products flooding the marketplace, it can be super baffling to figure out which ones to purchase. Browsing my own neighborhood Walmart recently, I observed a whole section devoted to "natural" beauty care. Yet, upon reading the ingredient lists of a number of the personal care products in this section, I discovered a number of chemical substances I was not sure I actually want on or in my body.
So then, how do you locate beauty products that are really natural, or organic? To begin with, "natural" just indicates the item contains some ingredient within it which is sourced from the natural world. This doesn't mean the entire product is literally made up of natural sources. (100% natural is a different affair.) And the same thing with the "organic" description.
According to regulations, an item is required to indicate what percentage within the components have been certified organic. Nevertheless, a product may declare it's "organic," regardless of whether only one organic substance (in sufficient amounts) is present, as long as it specifies within the small lettering on the description, what components are truly organic.
Listed below are some beneficial tricks to navigate out of the "natural" beauty product jungle:
1. Search for beauty products labeled "100% Organic", and perhaps with the "Certified Organic" sticker. ("100% Natural" can also be satisfactory, but just bear in mind this doesn't connote organic.) In case you can't obtain one hundred percent Organic and natural products (which in certain products can be very challenging or maybe even not possible to find), go for the greatest proportion possible, and make an effort to make certain the other items are at least natural, even if not organic.
2. Search for products with substances it is easy to recognize. I like to only buy beauty products if I can actually pronounce all of the ingredients! This doesn't suggest you have to know exactly what every single one is. As an example you may see the ingredient "rosehip seed oil", without knowing precisely what rosehips are, but you can still at the very least understand that it is really a natural substance. As a reverse example, in recent times there has been a lot of discussion about parabens, and how bad they are for people (many new beauty products even announce "paraben free!" on the tag). So, if you observe an ingredient such as "methylparaben" on the label, you do not have to grasp exactly what a paraben is and just how it works, to recognise that it is advisable to steer clear of that product.
3. If you're buying all-natural beauty products, note they could have a shorter shelf-life than the standard chemical-laden stuff. Therefore, we will usually recommend where feasible, that you buy straight from the producer, so you already know the item is freshly made. For example, the leading maker of organic personal care products and skin care which we mention on our web page creates each one of their products in small batches, to ensure that they'll be as freshly made as possible whenever you request them. (You may wish to drop by our link in the resource box further down to find suggestions and also direct links to the manufacturers.) If you purchase their personal care products at a different store, you might not know just how long they have been sitting there on the shelf. (In addition read the label carefully, since some types might recommend refrigeration.)
4. Really, if you cannot pronounce it, it really is almost certainly a substance you don't need on or inside your body! (Among all of the new-fangled natural and organic beauty products hitting market shelves as of late, it may be confusing to figure out which ones are the best, not to mention which of them truly aren't all that "natural," or maybe even include substances which may add directly to your ongoing toxic load (sometimes also called "body burden"). Here are a few guidelines that may help you in your search.
the exclusion of a number of products that record pure plant-based substances via their scientific names -- but even then typically they're going to list the familiar nickname -- e.g. "rosehip seed oil" -- also.) Ingredient lists for many items may also most likely be much briefer than for conventional beauty products, seeing that all-natural products won't (or should not!) be full of artificial perfumes, dyes, or preservatives.
Hopefully this will function as a useful list of guidelines, the next time you're bogged down in the "natural" personal care product section! Just keep in mind, do not just look for "natural" or "organic" right on the front of the bottle -- examine the label, and hunt for "100%". Additionally look for a short list of contents which you'll be able to identify (or at least spell!), and also an expiration or "use-by" date. These suggestions should help reduce your toxic load -- at least that part of it that may be absorbed through your skin.
Have fun shopping!
Author Resource:
For a few recommendations of excellent, truly natural and organic beauty products (in addition to a great deal of additional guidelines and recommendations for avoiding toxins within your home and reducing your toxic load), feel free to check out our web site at www.newholisticliving.com/toxicload.html, and be sure to pick up your FREE checklist for reducing toxins inside your home!