Online Class: Natural Skin Care 101

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Nutrition 101

Depression Management

Course Motivation

Many of us never think twice when purchasing skin care products. In fact, the average U.S. consumer uses about 10 cosmetic products every day and with it allows their body to absorb an average of 126 unique chemical ingredients on a daily basis! Nearly all of these ingredients easily penetrate the skin, and some we consume directly by accident from our lips or hands.

Natural ingredients such as shea butter, argan oil, and aloe vera have become trendy in recent years. Not only have people begun to understand the wonderful beneficial properties of these ingredients, but they are attracted to the exotic scents, textures, and healing properties of natural ingredients. This has created an increased demand for these products.

Because of the increased demand, many traditional companies have jumped on the bandwagon and added some amount of natural products to their formulations. However, because chemical ingredients are often less expensive than natural ones, there is usually only a minuscule amount added. This allows the company to claim that the product contains "natural ingredients," without really investing in large scale sourcing of natural products.

Some ways that products falsely capitalize on using a small amount of natural products are statements like:

Contains natural…

Nourishes with natural…

Many companies use this term to describe their products, but it can be misleading as well. When a person thinks of an all natural product, they envision that it is produced without any growth hormones, genetic modifications, or pesticides.

There are many products on the market that state that they are all natural, but are grown and processed using highly chemical or unnatural means. To be sure of the efficacy of the product check that it is certified organic, does not contain chemical residue or is certified all natural.

Products that are labeled Organic usually have a large percentage of the ingredients that are legitimately organic. However, there may be some additional ingredients that cannot be certified organic, such as minerals. Also, there may be things like fillers, foaming agents and binders that are not of organic origin.

This is the safest option when purchasing personal care products. To carry the designation of "Certified Organic", the product must contain at least 95 percent organic materials, with the remaining 5 percent being natural ingredients (but not necessarily organic).

There are some products that use 100 percent certified organic ingredients and if so, they will usually list this on the label or in their marketing materials. This category of products is very good for people concerned about chemicals entering their bloodstream; those who care for the environment and people with compromised immune systems, as well as babies.  

Food for Thought:

Were you aware of the many differences in the composition of skincare products? What category of products do you currently use? Can you see the need or benefit of one category over another?  

Conclusion

As a consumer, it's important to know what you are paying for. You may think that you are purchasing a great product, but based on the classifications listed above, you may not be getting your money's worth. Education is key in making healthy and informed buying choices.