Why I use Organic

One of the most common questions people ask me when I explain that I’ve switched across to natural and organic beauty products is “why?”. My response is generally “why not?!”, although there is obviously more to it than that, I’m certainly not missing out by eliminating man-made chemicals from my products. I can still get the results I need, without Parabens, SLSs and PEGs.

The truth is, “Organic” gets a bad press, as there are a lot of mediocre brands out there, and worse still there are the brands claiming to be organic that in reality may be as little as 1% natural. The reason for this blog is to highlight the good guys, and show people what you can achieve with natural ingredients.

The list of ingredients that I don’t allow in my products appears endless, however with good certification and awareness I find everything I need, and a whole lot that I don’t. There’s still room in the bathroom, just.

For those just starting out, here’s a brief roundup of ingredients to avoid:

Parabens: Synthetic preservatives, a cheap way of making your products extend the use by date. Connected to premature skin aging (and yet often used in anti-aging products?!), and even more serious, linked to breast cancer as it mimics oestrogen.

Polyethylene Glycol: Used to make a product penetrate into the skin, this also removes natural oils, so much so it has a second use as an oven cleaner.

Sodium Lauryl / Laureth Sulfate: A degreasing agent that is an ester of sulphuric acid, it is also used to remove the grease in a car engine! This stuff makes your shampoo’s foam. It also strips the skin of the natural oils, leaving it dry

Diethanolamine, Monoethanolamine, Triethanolamine – When mixed with other ingredients in a product DEAs. TEAs and MEAs can create nitrosodiethanolamine, this disrupts the hormones and is thought to cause tumours.

Silicon: This is most commonly known for its use in hair conditioners as it coats the hair and leaves it shiny. However, its often used in beauty products too, where it coats the skins and traps in dirt and bacteria. This is why people often complain that their foundations cause spots.

Mineral Oils: Distilled from crude oil, Baby Oil is 100% mineral oil. It sits on the surface of the skin, stripping it from excreting toxins, which clogs pores. The toxics are also thought to re-enter the body and cause a build up in the endocrine system. With long term use this product will dry the skin out.

Artificial Fragrances: These are often made from petroleum, and are linked to asthma and allergies. Some artificial fragrances are thought to be carcinogenic

For every argument that is put forward for these products to be avoided, somebody will put forward another one to ‘prove’ these ingredients are safe. From my point of view, I choose to avoid them as there are safer alternatives that work just as well. Yes I may pay a couple of pounds more for my products, but it’s my skin and I only get one body so I’m going to look after it in the best way I can.