Everybody’s head turned as she strutted in. At first, I thought it was a celebrity or maybe the country’s first lady with the way she held everyone spellbound with her carriage and beauty. But when I stared a tad closer at her, I knew without being told that she used organic skincare products.
Everything about her contributed to making her the cynosure of all eyes. From her statement outfits to her glowing skin, she was such a ravishing beauty to behold. And when I walked up to her to compliment her, she disclosed the brand responsible for her flawless skin.
I won’t tell you the organic skincare brand yet. I’ll instead give you a walk down on everything about organic skincare. Because before you jump at any product to look as ravishing as the lady I’m talking about, you have to go in with every important detail so you know what to expect.
Therefore, if you’re looking to learn more about this new (but old) rave of beauty products saturating the market, come along with me. Let’s take a deep dive into organic skincare.
What is Organic Skincare?
I’m sure you must have heard that term a million times this year. Perhaps while scrolling through your social media feed or like me, when you come across a lady with nice skin and she mentions the product to you. But what exactly does it mean? Here it is:
Organic skincare refers to any skincare product that uses naturally grown ingredients void of chemicals, pesticides, or contamination. In other words, the products are organic and made without the inclusion of chemicals. And because these products hardly contain harmful chemicals, they have proven to be effective at giving you healthy skin.
But there’s a clause: Not all natural skincare brands are completely organic.
Some include chemicals in their product that end up harming your skin. As such, you should always be on the lookout for counterfeit products that claim to be organic and flee from them.
What are the Benefits of Organic Skincare Products?
Apart from following the fashion rules to live by, you also have to eat the foods for healthy skin and watch what you apply on your skin. This is because the skin is our largest organ and it absorbs everything you put on it.
Furthermore, these days, there’s been a huge shift in the market to organic products. And we have well-researched studies like this to thank for that as customers have become more aware of the dangers of using chemical products on their skin.
But what keeps attracting people to these products? How are they better than their chemical counterparts? Let’s find out together.
1. They Contain No Harmful Ingredient
Many skincare products contain synthetic ingredients and chemicals such as phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and parabens, etc.
These chemicals are toxic and can harm your body as a whole. Even though your skin may look brighter while you use them, they can cause irritation, clog your pores, or increase your skin’s sensitivity. Some of them even contain carcinogens responsible for skin cancer.
But when it comes to organic, there are no carcinogens; just naturally cultivated ingredients that are grown without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, etc.
As said earlier, this type of skincare product doesn’t contain chemicals or additives. And as such, you can be sure they won’t pose any harm to your skin.
So, if you have sensitive skin that easily reacts to harsh chemicals, port to organic skincare and enjoy its wonders.
2. They Save the Ecosystem
Since these products are made with organically grown products and not chemicals or fertilizers, organic skincare products also boost the sustainability of your environment.
That is, during production, no toxins, fertilizer sprays, or harmful chemicals go to the soil, air, or water. Thus, this saves our planet from pollution and preserves the ecosystem.
3. They are More Effective
About 95% of organic skincare products contain active ingredients which make them more effective at giving you healthy-looking skin. They are also grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers and as such, they contain no contaminated ingredient which can hamper your skin’s glow.
4. They are Non-Allergenic
Since there are no harsh ingredients, organic skincare doesn’t trigger allergies. But if you get an allergic reaction while using these products, it could be because the manufacturer included a synthetic or chemical ingredient in the product.
5. They are Anti-ageing
Organic skincare doesn’t only make you glow but also helps you look younger by getting rid of wrinkles.
This is because some natural ingredients, such as unrefined vegetables and nut oils, present in these products contain antioxidants that rejuvenate your skin.
Types of Organic Skincare Products
These types of products usually come as:
- face cream
- face scrub
- body cream
- soap
- glow oil
- toner
Each serves its purpose of unclogging your pores, getting rid of dead skin cells, toning (or maintaining) your complexion, and ensuring your skin doesn’t age quickly.
What are the Side Effects of Organic Cream?
Organic skincare products aren’t supposed to be harmful to your skin because they contain natural ingredients. But even at that, when used in excess, some of these ingredients become a threat.
What’s more? Some organic manufacturers are not sincere. They include synthetic bleaching properties which in the long run do more harm than good to your skin.
Dr. Folakemi Cole-Adeife, a Consultant Physician and Dermatologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital explained this better while speaking on her YouTube channel.
According to the dermatologist, most organic creams contain bleaching ingredients, steroids, and high concentrations of hydroquinone that can cause irreversible skin damage.
In her words:
“A lot of these so-called organic creams are just filled with a lot of bleaching agents or steroids. Some have a very high concentration of hydroquinone that may be causing a lot of skin damage. Please be careful, don’t just buy any soap or cream that you see being advertised on some media, on Instagram, or Facebook and apply it on your body, it’s a risk, it’s a hazard. A lot of people feel natural is better and that is not always the case, a lot of people claim that they are selling natural products but there is absolutely nothing natural about the products.
“Sometimes, some natural products can be harmful, just because something is natural or organic doesn’t mean it can’t damage your skin. We have to remember that in this environment, we have a high sun intensity, and high UV intensity. A lot of natural products contain beta hydroxy acid, alpha hydroxy acid, and other photosensitizers that can actually burn the skin when the user is exposed to the sun. So, it’s very important that you don’t just put anything on your skin.
“And for the cream mixers and mixologists that are mixing all sorts of things for people, please be careful. Very soon, lawsuits may be coming because we notice that people are really having damaged skin as a result of using some of these products.”
Dr. Folakemi Cole-Adeife
So, don’t fall for the sham. Even though these products may make you look brighter and more beautiful, the glow will only last for a short while.
And if you continue to use them, your skin will suffer irritation and every other malady that comes with using chemical-based bleaching products.
What then do you do to avoid becoming a victim of many of these fake organic products? Find the answer below
What to do When Buying Organic Skincare Products
Before you buy from any organic skincare brand, make sure you pay attention to the ingredients. This is necessary because some of these brands don’t stick to the organic code.
They claim to be organic yet add additives and chemicals to the products. As a natural beauty expert, May Lindstrom advises,
“Ignore the front of packaging and any marketing jargon and instead go straight to the complete ingredients listing. This is where the fun starts! Much of conventional skincare is filler and fluff and perfume and colourants.”
May Lindstrom
Apart from that, checking the ingredients will also let you monitor what works and what doesn’t for subsequent usage.
So, look at the ingredients just as you would when buying products for your natural hair.
In addition, you should also know your skin type and buy what won’t harm it. There are skincare products for dry skin, oily skin, and combination skin types. Know yours and go for it to avoid results that would make you regret it.
Wondering how to do that? Read this piece on how to know your skin type without consulting a dermatologist. It’ll save you from using a skincare product that can ruin your beauty.
