What is organic skin care? The term ‘organic’ refers to the ingredients in a skin care product, such as plant extracts, and means that they have been grown without the use of pesticides and fertilisers. When looking at the question of what is organic skin care, it is interesting to note that there is no legal definition of ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ when it comes to labelling skincare products. In other words, a product labelled as natural could contain over 99% chemical ingredients, which are irritating to the skin and potentially harmful to health.

More and more people are asking what is organic skin care as they become better informed about what goes into conventional toiletries. Ingredients used in organic skin care are grown under strict conditions and certified by regulatory bodies such as The Soil Association. Organic farming doesn’t just produce plants, which are pure and full of natural, regenerative properties for the skin, it’s also better for the environment. Organic farming retains the natural minerals in the soil, which makes the plants more effective, when used in skin care products.

WHAT IS ORGANIC SKIN CARE – IT DOES NOTCONTAIN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS:

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) – This is commonly found in many conventional products such as soap, shampoo & toothpaste as a foaming agent. Once absorbed by the skin, it cannot be broken down by the liver, and so remains in the body. It is renowned as a skin and eye irritant. More worryingly, it can cause hormonal imbalances as it disrupts oestrogen levels, which can cause fertility problems in both men & women. The hormonal imbalances caused by SLS also have the potential to lead to certain cancers.

2. Parabens – These are used as preservatives in most conventional skin care products such as deodorants, face cream and shampoo, to avoid them forming mould or bacteria. However, parabens have been discovered in breast cancer tumours leading scientists to question a causal link between parabens and cancer. Although nothing has been proven, there have been suggestions that parabens found in deodorant lead to an increased risk of breast cancer. This may be because they also mimic oestrogen production, leading to hormonal imbalances.

3. Petrochemicals – The majority of conventional skin care products contain ingredients that are by-products of the distillation of petrol from crude oil. These may go by the name of petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin. Mineral oil, for example, sits on the surface of the skin and prevents toxins being excreted through the skin naturally. Petrolatum contains carcinogens and forms a barrier on the surface of the skin, preventing it from taking in oxygen.

4. Alcohol – This is used as a preservative but it is very harsh and irritating to the skin. It can dry it out and also cause it to produce excess oil, leading to acne.

When considering the question of what is organic skin care, it is worth knowing the following facts. Skin is the body’s largest organ and it is estimated that around 60% of a substance is absorbed through the skin. The number of people suffering from skin sensitivity and allergies is 1 in 4 and this is not surprising considering that over 100,000 tonnes of synthetic chemicals are used in ‘natural’ products every year.  The key problem with using conventional skin care products that contain the above listed chemical ingredients is that the body cannot break them down and so they accumulate and can cause allergies and immune disorders.

The ingredients used in organic skin care are good for skin health as they come from a variety of natural sources.  Organic skin care can include extracts from herbs, flowers, fruits, plants and oils.  Many of these ingredients have therapeutic and restorative qualities for the skin, such as improving tone and reducing blemishes and scarring.

There are now many companies offering reasonably priced organic skin care products as people make informed choices, Lovelula.com is one of our favourites. Worldwide shipping available.

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