Why check the composition of cosmetics? To make sure there are no unwanted ingredients such as SLES, silicones or parabens. Well, this applies to ordinary cosmetics, you say. Why check the composition of natural products? Didn’t the manufacturer make sure that it consisted of high-quality plant materials and was safe not only for humans, but also for the environment? Of course! But no one but you can know your preferences: whether you need fragrance in the composition, whether you want to use a creamier or lighter texture, and whether it contains components to which you are allergic.
If you want to be sure that there are no potentially carcinogenic or allergenic substances in your cosmetics, you should focus on natural cosmetics. It contains no artificial flavors, preservatives or foaming agents. It consists of high quality herbal ingredients that are safe to use. Some of these cosmetics are even vegan and therefore cruelty-free. Nature comes at a price compared to discount stores - but compared to perfume creams, which often contain harmful chemicals, they are still cheap.
To protect yourself from making the wrong choice, we offer you 10 tips on how to choose cosmetics based on their composition. In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems.
The first thing you need to do before buying cosmetics is to check its composition. Look on the package for the manufacturer's list of ingredients that begins with .
Health should be worth it. The person is not perfect! Instead of hiding women under super-camouflage makeup that doesn't show pores, we're discovering that skin should still be visible. You can also maintain it so you don't have to cover much. And dissatisfaction does not make you more beautiful. Therefore, we want to encourage women to highlight and appreciate their own strengths, and not just focus on what is not so ideal in relation to them, or what does not correspond to the ideal of beauty.
Because satisfied women are more beautiful women? People who are content and content radiate a beauty that you cannot match with pure externalities and certainly cannot achieve. It doesn't matter how old a woman is, her nose is a little big or her lips are a little narrow. That's why we want to promote relaxation and balance with our beauty treatments.
If you see something like this: “rose water, almond oil, vitamin E,” then this is a list of active ingredients, which includes only the most “delicious” ingredients for the consumer. As a rule, the list of ingredients is given in Latin, and for plants their English name is indicated in parentheses. If cosmetics are produced for sale in Russia, then the description and composition will be given in Russian. In other cases, a sticker with a translation is attached to the packaging. Ingredients certified organic are marked with one or two asterisks "*" so you can tell at a glance how much is in the product.
In addition to her traditional training in cosmetics, Nadine Sheppey has continued to develop into a holistic natural esthetician. Is that why you became a natural esthetician? Suddenly I had really bad skin and nothing helped except using clean skincare products again. How has your body changed since switching to organic cosmetics?
My thin hair became oily very quickly. Now only use shampoos without parabens, silicones and sulfates and my scalp does much better because these lathers and preservatives are very harsh. I have also had problems with lymph nodes in the past. They were often a little swollen and caused pain under the arms.
The composition is read from top to bottom because the ingredients are listed in descending order. The more of a component, the closer it is to the beginning. Cosmetics, like humans, consist of sixty or even more percent water (aqua), which is why it ranks first in most products. Preservatives and fragrance are indicated at the very end. Some manufacturers of natural/organic cosmetics use aloe vera juice or flower water instead of water - these effective ingredients certainly add value to the product.
What's wrong with deodorants containing aluminum? It is now known that aluminum can cross the blood-brain barrier and be distributed throughout the body by the lymphatic system. Additionally, studies have found associations between Alzheimer's particles and aluminum in the brain. There is also a link between breast cancer and aluminum deposits in the lymph nodes and breast tissue.
And does it really come from Deos? There are also other sources such as cans or coffee capsules. We are already exposed to enough toxic sources that we know nothing about and that we have no control over. Silicones - these ingredients in cosmetics are known to most, and many have heard that they must be bad.
Not all ingredients can be used in large quantities: For example, active ingredients such as essential oils require little concentration, so they tend to be found towards the end. However, if a manufacturer praises some kind of chamomile extract, and poor thing, it lingers at the end of the composition, then, most likely, it was added only for advertising.
Silicones are synthetic oils made from mineral oil. They are often included in hair care products, very often in conditioners for example. Since they are not water-soluble, they do not wash off when washing your hair and do not settle on your hair or scalp. This can limit the skin's performance because the skin cannot process silicones. Silicones in cosmetics clog pores. In addition, silicones are not biodegradable. They must be filtered out at wastewater treatment plants.
But it is impossible to say with certainty whether and to what extent they will remain in our drinking water. And why are parabens harmful to cosmetics? Parabens are used as synthetic preservatives, are very aggressive in their action, are hormonally active and are often associated with contact allergies. Not only are you preserving the cosmetic product, but you are also preserving certain components of our healthy skin. As a result, the skin's natural protective covering is thrown out of balance. Parabens are also believed to make the skin more permeable.
LookBio has already written, which can be found in cosmetics masquerading as natural. Well, what undesirable ingredients can be in natural cosmetics? Firstly, if you are allergic, you should check the composition to make sure that it does not contain allergens (even in microscopic quantities).
Secondly, even natural cosmetics can contain undesirable components, but historically it has happened that even some certification bodies allow them. For example, the cleaning ingredients sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are listed in the top five. Preservative phenoxyethanol (Phenoxyethanol), purchased in Lately bad reputation (irritates the skin, can cause contact dermatitis), you need to look for it at the end of the composition.
This makes them less resistant to environmental influences, dirt particles and sunlight. Parabens are also not good for our lakes and rivers and the animals and microorganisms that live in them. The average woman uses between 5 and 20 beauty products per day. Most of them contain parabens and they end up in our environment when we go to the beach or badi.
But is it so easy to switch to clean, natural cosmetics? After all, organic products are often found on cosmetics even though they contain chemicals. Natural cosmetic, organic cosmetics or organic cosmetics - unfortunately, neither of these conditions are protected. On the surface, many companies convey the idea that they make natural cosmetics, but the ingredient list is just gibberish that no one understands who hasn't dealt with it for years or is a chemist. Therefore, certificates are a good support in the supply jungle.
If your skin is damaged, be careful with cosmetics containing lemon essential oil (Citrus limonium oil), menthol (menthol) or camphor, as these ingredients may increase dryness and irritation.
The basis of natural cream is vegetable oils. You can easily recognize them in the composition by English name“oil” – for liquid oils, for example, sesame – or “butter” – for hard ones, such as shea (shea). Vegetable oils nourish and soften the skin, creating a breathable film on its surface that protects from bad weather and adverse environmental conditions. The main problem with vegetable oils is how to make a cosmetic product not only useful, but also easily absorbed. Some manufacturers solve this problem by combining fatty oils (for example, rosehip) with light oils (almond, jojoba). Others use caprylic triglycerides (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride), derived from coconut oil.
The term “natural” is often double-wrapped with “sustainable.” Are natural products always sustainable? As long as the manufacturer takes a holistic approach in any case. Integrity involves asking a set of questions to a product: How does it work? Does it support or interfere with body functions? No one can be used for the product, it must not cause animal suffering, and environment must not be damaged. For every product that is not sustainable, you are paying for the damage that comes with the traditional cosmetics industry.
Caprylic triglycerides soften the skin, but do not leave the greasy feeling inherent in vegetable oils, which allows you to create a product that is more pleasant to use and, by the way, cheaper. However, caprylic triglycerides are a completely neutral ingredient whose function is to improve consistency and act as a “transporter” for vegetable and essential oils. Therefore, if you are looking for an “absolutely natural product”, then choose creams with vegetable oils, but be prepared for the fact that they can be absorbed for a long time. For those who prefer the easy way, pay attention to French stamps. They combine Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride with natural oils, resulting in a less greasy and sticky consistency.
Can cosmetics manufacturers always track where an ingredient comes from and how it is made? It is sometimes difficult for manufacturers to know and keep track of how each ingredient is produced. There are still many that do not work optimally. For example, palm oil is often used in conventional products, but unfortunately sometimes in organic products. Although palm oil is a natural resource, tropical forests are being cut down and thousands of monkey families are being killed. There are more and more manufacturers natural cosmetics who are very strict.
Tip #5: Thick or thin? Determine consistency by composition
When we buy cosmetics online, we cannot predict what the consistency of the cream will be. However, if you look at the ingredients that predominate in the composition, you can draw certain conclusions. For example, coconut (Cocos nucifera), hazelnut (Corylus avellana) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea) oils do not leave a greasy film on the skin. Jojoba (Simmondsia californica), grape seed (Vitis vinifera), avocado (Persea americana), camellia (Camellia sinensis) and peach pits(Prunus persica).
But sometimes natural cosmetics manufacturers must make compromises, as raw materials and ingredients that are sustainable and fair on all levels are difficult to find. The final product is still much more stable and cohesive than conventional ones. For this reason, natural cosmetics are very expensive. Are the products more expensive than regular products?
No, there is a range from cheap to expensive - just like with regular cosmetics. In the case of organic cosmetics, however, it is often the case that the raw materials are more expensive. In contrast, the ingredients cost next to nothing on regular cheap brands. Then they may not have such a high concentration of the drug and may not be of the same quality or attractively packaged.
If the cream contains few or almost no extracts, but only vegetable oils, then it will be viscous, thick and more suitable for dry mature skin. But a product that contains glycerin, aloe vera gel, many extracts and essential oils will be light in consistency, but sticky when applied, so the main thing is not to overdo it in quantity.
In your store, however, most products are packaged quite nicely. Yes, we have very high quality products because we also have many handmade cosmetic lines. And by people who developed it themselves. It's automatically more expensive. Plus, we like to have cosmetics with a high proportion of active ingredients, and you'll soon notice a little more. However, there are more expensive traditional cosmetics than organic products. The most expensive one costs 190 francs and lasts for many months until it is exhausted.
If you look at a few other traditional brands, it's a lot. Do you also get good natural cosmetics from a pharmacy or pharmacy? Most pharmacies and pharmacies carry at least a small selection. Unfortunately, many pharmacies and pharmacies also have green products on their shelves that have nothing to do with natural cosmetics.
Tip #6: It doesn't foam! Cleansing ingredients in natural cosmetics
Shampoos and gels in the natural cosmetics range will have low to medium foam. Foam is not an indicator of high cleansing qualities - it is needed to correctly dose the product and feel that you are really cleansing the skin. Plant-based soft ingredients (such as coconut glucoside, which is made from desiccated coconut meat and fruit sugar) purify just as well as the infamous sodium laureth sulfate.
Since you think it comes from a pharmacy, it has a green label on it - and you're already convinced! Are natural cosmetics used? Natural cosmetics smell different and different from others, but this is a very subjective thing. There are people who are happy that they smell different and not synthetic scents. Products rich in active ingredients often smell stronger. The texture and feel of the skin can be very different from regular cosmetics. Many don't want to go back once they've tried it because it just feels more comfortable.
When buying a foam product, know that the French certifiers of natural cosmetics ECOCERT and Cosmebio allow the use of sodium lauryl sulfate (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), synthesized from plant raw materials, in products washed off the skin. In a couple of years, these controversial ingredients will be removed from the list approved by Ecosert and Cosmebio, but until then, be careful about the composition when you buy a foam product certified by the French.
Are there any natural substances that are not suitable for everyone? It's a bit like food. There are food allergies, so you may be allergic to plant extracts, root extracts, and so on. We all people! This is why one product works very well on one person and not on another.
Should natural skin care products differentiate between products for oily, normal or dry skin? There are natural cosmetics manufacturers who are still very convinced of this traditional skin evaluation and treatment. They then offer three products for each skin type. However, we find that skin care is too complex to be broken down into three types. We differentiate less between skin types but much more between skin conditions and therefore have skincare lines that suit all skin types.
Tip No. 7. Ethanol is an irritant for dry sensitive skin
Alcohol (ethanol) in the composition is in the first five ingredients; you can recognize it by its Latin name Alcohol or Ethanol. This is one of the oldest ingredients allowed for use in all natural and organic cosmetics certifications. Alcohol is used to make plant extracts, and it is also used as a preservative and solvent, helping the active ingredients penetrate into the skin.
How to recognize pure natural cosmetics based on ingredients
Especially it concerns vegetable oils. Nadine Sheppey recommends 3 shopping tricks. The most famous seal of approval for natural cosmetics. Recognize the ingredients in the cosmetic products themselves. The most common questionable ingredients in cosmetic products are relatively easy to identify by their ending on the ingredient list.
All tested cosmetics are contaminated
They are suspected of cancer. First on the list of ingredients on this body was oil: mineral oil, therefore mineral oil. To gain clarity, we refined the analysis and tested others cosmetical tools, which are declared to contain mineral oil - first other body oils, and then creams, baby and lip care products, hairdressing products and petroleum jelly.
Many brands of natural cosmetics use alcohol obtained from organically grown raw materials (such as wheat grains). Everything seems to be fine, but... alcohol in cosmetics can cause dryness and irritation, especially if the skin itself is dry and sensitive. It doesn't matter whether the alcohol is certified organic or not - it will still have the same drying properties.
The fact is that alcohol dissolves the protective hydrolipid film, which protects the skin from bacteria and maintains the moisture level in the upper layers of the skin. To restore this film healthy skin it takes several hours, and even more for dry or sensitive skin! And if you constantly use alcohol-containing cosmetics, your skin may become drier and irritated than usual. This does not mean that alcohol is a bad component, just be careful about the composition if your skin is predisposed to dryness.
Alcohol is actively used by German brands (Dr.Hauschka, Weleda, LOGONA), certified by BDIH or NATRUE. However, even with these brands you can find products without alcohol or those that contain alcohol towards the end (i.e. there is not much of it there). In any case, first look at the composition, then pay attention to the skin reaction and only after that draw conclusions!
Fragrances, along with preservatives and chemical UV filters, are the most skin-irritating ingredients. Sometimes on the packaging of cosmetics you can see the phrase “fragrance-free,” but in reality this means that the product does not contain synthetic fragrances, while it may well contain essential oil components such as Citral, Linalool, geraniol ( Geraniol) and others, giving the product a pleasant aroma.
It cannot be said with certainty that cosmetics containing fragrance will irritate the skin. But if your skin is sensitive or irritated, then it is better to look for products without a hint of aromatic substances. Such products are, for example, the almond line from Weleda, the LOGONA Pur line from LOGONA and the Dr.Hauschka Med line (Crystal Grass) from Dr.Hauschka.
Tip #9: Attention vegans! Animal ingredients in natural cosmetics
The new COSMOS standard, founded by five certification bodies (BDIH - Germany, Soil Association - England, ECOCERT and Cosmebio - France, ICEA - Italy), will bring order to this difference in certificates. The new standard allows the use of ingredients of animal origin if they are produced by an animal, but are not part of it and do not entail its death (milk, honey). However, the COSMOS standard provides an exception for carmine (a red dye used in lipstick, etc.) and silk - these ingredients are allowed for use, despite the fact that their production can lead to the death of insects.
Regarding animal testing finished products or individual ingredients, both are strictly prohibited. All COSMOS founding companies will begin to certify cosmetics exclusively according to a single standard from January 1, 2017. Until then, national standards operate on a par with the COSMOS standard.
Tip No. 10. Low price does not equal low-quality cosmetics
Prices for natural and organic cosmetics can vary greatly, and sometimes it is not entirely clear why one cream is budget-friendly and another is not? The most important thing is how the brand positions itself and what circle of customers it is intended for. Exclusive implies beautiful and stylish packaging, which from the very beginning hints that the precious vessel contains equally valuable contents. The composition can contain both rare plants and patented formulas that guarantee a certain “wow” effect. Naturally, such cosmetics will be expensive.
If the brand believes that natural and organic cosmetics are not a luxury item “for the elite” and is going to conquer the masses, then its packaging can be laconic, and the compositions contain useful, but not exotic ingredients. A simple composition does not mean that the cosmetics are bad or will not work. It all depends on the condition of your skin and whether it gets what it needs through cosmetics. And if the skin is sensitive, then the shorter the composition, the better, because the number of potential irritants is reduced.
Did you know that 60% of substances that come into contact with the skin end up in our body? Recent studies have shown that most of the toxins reach us not through food, as previously thought, but through the air and skin cells. Seemingly harmless procedures such as washing your face or body, applying makeup, applying deodorant, or coloring your hair can be hazardous to your health if the proper products are not used. Bronchial asthma, headaches, eczema, allergic reactions and hormonal changes are just a partial list possible consequences from using the “wrong” cosmetics. And today, unfortunately, there are a lot of them: gels, soaps, perfumes, shampoos, creams, shaving foams, hair sprays, deodorants, children's products, toothpaste, etc. Toxins can cause whole line and more severe disorders, including cancer and genetic changes in unborn children. Despite this, the cosmetics industry, including the most prestigious brands, continues to widely use unsafe ingredients in their products. The most toxic include substances of petroleum origin (wax, mineral oils), formaldehyde, triclosan, lead, bromine, flavoring additives, talc, silicon, propylene glycol, sodium laurisulfate, aluminum, etc.
There shouldn't be too many ingredients!
The creation of a cream involves emulsifiers (to combine fats and liquids), antioxidants (protect the cream from the action of air), gelling agents (give it texture), preservatives (preserve its quality) and bactericides (prevent the formation of microbes). As you can see, there are very few components! So why, you might ask, do so many products have endless ingredient lists, often with more than 50 different ingredients in a typical moisturizer? The thing is that the cosmetics industry strives in any way to increase its own profits. And the shortest way to this is the creation of new synthetic additives. To date, 6,000 such additives are approved for use, despite the fact that their effects on the body are not controlled in any way. According to the British Health Protection Agency, more than 600 new chemicals are introduced into the world every month. They join the list of already existing 80 thousand, of which only 10% have been studied! Once upon a time in 1969, one judge's verdict caused heated debate in the United States: a client of a certain cosmetic factory demanded compensation from her for deceptive advertising of a product that caused the lady a severe allergy with eczema. The judge dismissed the lawsuit with the words: “The cosmetics industry sells advertising, and the consumer must decide for himself whether to believe it or not.”
Hypoallergenic and other myths
Today's advertising has created many new expressions and technicalities that sound good but have no scientific basis. For example, “super-moisturizing peptides”, “cellular cleansing system” and others. Moreover, some ingredients were invented only because they sounded good or impressive. How do you like “muscle extract” or DNA (genetic substance)? Even the term “hypoallergenic,” so popular in cosmetics today, doesn’t mean anything other than “super-mega-cool.” This is usually the name given to products without aromatic additives - the main culprits of allergic reactions. But this does not mean at all that other components of the cream, lotion, etc. will not cause you allergies, which often appear only a few weeks after the first use.
Tricks of cosmetic companies
The struggle to increase profits and reduce costs has led such firms to create chemicals whose effects last only a few hours. With true care, the skin is provided with nutrients that help it heal itself. While pseudo-substances create only short-term effects, which are often even harmful to the skin:
- chemicals that cause micro-swelling and create the appearance of removed wrinkles. With prolonged use of such products, epidermal cells expand and the skin becomes flabby. And a person has a natural desire to increase the dose of the product because of the complete confidence that he can no longer do without it;
- whitening creams with ammonium - an aggressive substance that lightens the skin and, when used for a long time, causes pigmentation problems, eczema and acute photosensitivity (the skin can no longer tolerate sunlight);
— mineral oils, despite their apparent oily texture, not only do not moisturize the skin, but also block the natural lipid barrier of the epidermis, dry out and cause cracks. In the long term, they can cause chain allergies, chronic irritation, acne, etc.;
- substances that are often added to cosmetics to “reduce the harmful effects of other agents.” In fact, this strategy has no scientific basis and only adds to the endless lists on labels. Thus, unscrupulous manufacturers use additives that can irritate the skin (for example, emulsifiers, plasticizers or cheap gelling agents) and mix them with agents that block skin functions and prevent the appearance of obvious allergies.
The most dangerous ingredients in cosmetics
1. Mineral oils are very carcinogenic, like almost all petroleum products. In addition, they clog pores, block cellular respiration, dry out the skin and are highly addictive. They are contained in almost all hygienic lipsticks, so lips crack even more when they stop using such lipstick. On cosmetics labels, petroleum products appear under the names: mineral oils, Paraffinum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, in words that begin with Paraffin-, Petroleum. Petroleum derivatives are also very harmful: silicone, silicone oils, Silicone quaternium, methylsilanol, microcrystalline wax, ozokerite, ceresin and petroleum jelly (!).
2. Dyes are the main component in cosmetics, hair dyes and bleaches. Ingredients with the words anilin, anilide (for example, “acetanilide”) are highly carcinogenic and toxic. Some dyes have such a complex molecular structure that only their initials or short names: HC - “HC orange 3”, Acid - “acid Red 73”, Pigment - “pigment Green 7”, Solvent - “solvent black 3”. All of them are extremely carcinogenic.
3. Halogens - Believed to cause cancer and allergies. It's about about combinations of chlorine, bromine and iodine, which are presented in cosmetics as aluminum chlorohydrate, methyldibromo glutaronitrile, iodopropynyl, words with “chlorine”, “bromine”, “iodine”. Not to be confused with chloride, bromide, iodide, which are generally harmless components of salts.
4. Polyethylene glycol is a typical emulsifier that combines water and fat. Completely harmless in itself, but makes the skin more susceptible to other substances. In cosmetics it appears under the name PEG with the following number (should not be more than 5, as is usually the case in natural products), as well as with eth at the end of the word: “steareth”, “ceteareth”, “sodium laureth sulfate” (“ steareth", "ceteareth", "sodium laureth sulfate"). It is the main ingredient in gels, shampoos and soaps.
5. Sodium lauryl sulfate - causes problems with pigmentation and acne, often found in toothpastes. Its safe concentration is less than 1%.
6. Artificial fragrances - found in perfumes and deodorants, affect hormonal balance and can cause cancer. Dangerous for children breastfeeding. The most dangerous of them are acetyl hexametyl, benzyl alcohol, bromocinnamal and aluminum chlorhydrate, which can cause breast cancer (deodorants containing aluminum should be avoided) and Alzheimer's disease.
7. Phenol and phenyl are preservatives and dyes, very toxic, and with long-term use they destroy cell walls. Phenol is found in cosmetics under the names nitrophenol, phenolphthalein and chlorophenol. Phenyl - as "N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine" and "phenylenediamine sulfate".
8. Formaldehyde is a highly carcinogenic substance that accumulates in cells, damaging their membranes, causing malformations in the fetus, irritation and aging of the skin. In its pure form it is prohibited in cosmetics, but is replaced by substances that release it (!). They can be recognized by the names Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Polyoxymethylene Urea (not to be confused with just Urea, which is a derivative of uric acid and is beneficial for the skin), DM and DMDM Hydantoin, or Dmhf, Dimethyl Oxazolidine.
9. Phthalates are plasticizers and solvents that are highly toxic, affect hormonal balance and are suspected of causing cancer. Appears on labels as “dibutylphthalate”.
10. Parabens - some believe they cause cancer (parabens were found in all cases of women with breast cancer), others say they are completely safe. Just in case, it is better to refrain from purchasing cosmetics with this ingredient.
Sunscreens
Previously, such creams used mineral filters based on titanium or zinc oxide (Zincoxid or Titaniumdioxide). But due to the high cost of these materials, they were replaced with oxybenzone, benzophenone, methoxydibenzoylmethane and dibenzoylmethane, which are carcinogenic filters, although they are present even in the most expensive and exclusive brands. Such additives are used not only in sunscreens, but also in any other creams that contain retinol.
How to choose the right cosmetics?
Cosmetics with an endless list of ingredients should be avoided. A truly good product does not need more than 30 components. Choose creams where natural substances are first on the list. On the other hand, you cannot trust products whose labels contain only natural additives - this is pure deception, since there are no cosmetics without synthetic components at all. Avoid products that advertise “natural wonders” and that claim bio-extracts last places according to the list - the closer to the end, the lower the concentration of such substances. You should not buy cosmetics that have passed through the hands of several distributors, especially if they are inexpensive - their quality will most likely be questionable. And finally, a brand that constantly advertises itself in mass media, usually shows that its priority is not long-term investment in quality, but acquiring new customers.
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