Your skin is the largest organ of the body and its complexion is a window to your overall health. It is one of the first things people notice about you, thus proper care of the skin is very essential. Not all of us were blessed with perfect skin, so finding the best products to improve our skins health and vitality is a constant quest for many of us. Consumers are beginning to pay attention to what ingredients are actually in their skincare and other beauty products. With a multi billion dollar saturated market, it is hard to know where to look or what ingredients to trust as a part of your beauty regiment.

Many natural botanicals have been proven to enhance the health and vitality of your skin without the sometimes damaging and skin irritating effects of man-made ingredients. Unfortunately, these synthetic additives have been added to our skin and hair care products over the last century because they are simply inexpensive to produce and market. Yes, not all ingredients are created equal. You need to be smart in your choices and find out what works for you.

Natural:

Personally, I am not a fan of man-made ingredients and prefer the all natural approach to skin care. People have been using natural elements from the earth and nature as a part of their health and beauty regiment for centuries simply because.. They Work! We have unlocked nature’s secrets and have perfected our usage of these natural botanicals.

Beauty distributors have picked up on this “natural” wave and have been promoting products that contain many natural ingredients. This is great to see, but one must still be careful. Going for a product simply because it is natural is one thing, but do your research and find out if it actually works. Some ingredients sound appealing on a label even though they have no real effect on the skin. Examples of these ingredients are various fruits and berries that are appetizing when eaten but have no real reason for being in a skin care lotion.

Find the ingredients that have been proven to be effective in skin care. Start with the well known proven ones like anti oxidant laden and free radical fighting Olive Oil. Rosemary, Rose Hip, Sun Flower Oil, Jojoba, Seed Oil, Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Beeswax, Shea Butter, Tea Tree Oil and Chamomile are also well known for their beauty benefits. Build from these as your base.

Man-made Synthetics:

Synthetic ingredients can be quite the slippery slope… Modern technology and research have developed many synthetic products that have a number of different purposes and effects in skin and hair care. Some work, while others tend to cause damage overtime.

Many synthetic ingredients trick the consumer. This is because they cause silent damage. The initial damage of skin and hair actually makes it feel softer and smoother to the touch, even improving their appearance. This is only temporary though, as the damaged under layers of skin will eventually surface. When this happens people usually apply more synthetic product to get the results from when the product was first used, thus beginning a horrible cycle.

Another thing to take into consideration is the effects that man-made ingredients can have on your overall health as time passes. When we consume food, our body has an amazing built in filtration system. Unnatural additives in food can simply be filtered out by the kidneys and the intestine. The same is not true for the skin. Ingredients in lotions and shampoos are quickly absorbed and can enter the blood stream and body tissues. In moderation, the body can filter out these additives, but long term bombardment can have adverse effects.

These cosmetics additives do not require FDA approval before they hit store shelves.

Additives to Avoid:

• SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES
• PARABENS UREAS
• 1,4-DIOXANE
• PETROCHEMICALS
• MEA/DEA/TEA
• SULFATES CHEMICAL
• SUNSCREENS
• QUATS
• ANTIBACTERIAL COMPOUNDS
• SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
• SYNTHETIC COLORS
• CHELATORS
• NANOS
• and avoid ANIMAL TESTING

With synthetics, I recommend choosing ones that were derived from natural products. A favorite in my skin care regiment would be Glycolic Acid (which is derived from sugar cane).

Moderation is key when dealing with synthetic ingredients as they seem to have become a permanent staple in our beauty care. Keep your eyes peeled as many products labeled as natural skin care products have main ingredients that are naturally derived but still contain synthetic chemicals as fillers, colorants or fragrances. In many cases synthetics are simply added to add to the volume of the product so that it can be sold for slightly more and to reduce production cost.