Most skincare
formulations are designed to be absorbed by the pores of our skin, except for
products containing mineral oil (this petroleum derived oil acts as a barrier
and in fact "envelopes" your pores so they can't breathe and detox normally).
Most commercial skincare use medical-sounding terminology to give their
products the air of superior performance and to justify their high prices. Much
of what they claim is not supported by proof of user effectiveness. Have you
ever read a published medically accepted research report on how many women/men
worldwide experienced real long-term benefits from a skincare/hair care
product? No? That's because the cosmetic and skincare industry worldwide is not
regulated by any central scientific organisation. Each company regulates
itself. Like the melamine in milk fiasco, no central non-profit independent
body monitors cosmetic and skincare conglomerates, or their use of animals to
test their formulations.
Organic and
natural skincare does not make such superior claims; only that it does NOT contain
mineral oil, artificial preservatives (except where it’s absolutely necessary
to guarantee the integrity of the formulation), sulphates, petroleum by-products,
artificial fragrances, perfumes and other common toxins and irritants. Organic
and natural skincare will not give the instantaneous effect that commercial
brands would, but long-term use would support prolonged health and beauty of
your skin without the toxin build-up at cellular layers of your skin. Before
the development of commercial skincare, how did women maintain their beauty? By
using natural products made by the elder women and herbalists. In fact many of
the so-called premier brands do contain herbal and fruit extracts, but they are
listed in scientific jargon to make the product appear ‘medical’ and to mask
the use of chemicals and toxic ingredients.
A study
published by the University of Michigan this year reports that retinoic acid
and hyaluronic acid do in fact help to repair the support structure of the
skin. There is no scientific evidence that skincare and cosmetics that claim to
contain stem cell or growth hormone technology are effective when applied
topically. For one thing, their molecules are too large to be absorbed by
our skin.
So, be savvy,
and don't believe everything you read in commercial advertising. Big budget
companies employ expensive advertising geniuses to ‘hype up’ their product
image and celebrity status, the cost of which you end up paying at the cash
register, with no guarantee of long term benefit to your skin. If all these
skin care brands are everything they are hyped up to be, local and
international celebrities and beauty industry divas would not need to make ‘secret’
appointments with the plastic surgeons when they reach their 40s and 50s!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is
the distinction between 'organic' and 'natural' products? Who defines what a
product label should be? Read on to find out more:
Organics – Facts &
Fiction
The benefit of eating pesticide free or organic foods, i.e.
foods grown without using chemical pesticides, sewage sludge, genetically
modified organisms and ionising radiation, is now known. However, the same consideration is not being given by most people to the largest organ of our
body, the skin. "There is a growing concern that daily exposure to the
harmful ingredients found in some skin-care products could be producing adverse
long-term effects, according to Sharon McGlinchey, founder of MV Organic Skincare, who
is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of food-grade organic
skincare manufacturing and as a skin healing therapist.
Can I believe the labels
on many products that claim to be 'Organic' ?
In the current state of the skincare & cosmetics
industry, 'Organic' is the new most abused term used by manufacturers
(replacing 'natural' in the 1990s). International labeling laws permit
manufacturers to claim their products are organic or natural even though the product may contain only 1 such ingredient and chemicals have been added in to
preserve the product for extended shelf life and to make it smooth, lustrous and pretty/attractive to ignorant buyers. Thus, so many non-organic products are labeled
and sold as 'organic', including eye creams, moisturisers, spa products, and
baby products. And many are sold at ridiculously exorbitant prices that most people won't or can't pay.
How pure should
'Organic' products be to earn that claim ?
Any product that contains less than 40 per cent organic
ingredients is not a serious organic product. Manufacturers should also be
honest in declaring any artificial content that they may be compelled to use to
stabilise the product or protect it from rancidity, mould or bacteria, as such
deterioration in the product may cause harm to the users. 'Organic' products with
a token organic content below 10 per cent may be equally toxic and irritating
as many mainstream products available off the shelves.
What should I look out
for when buying skincare & hair care?
Ingredients are listed on the back or bottom of the packaging
in descending order by volume. Organic ingredients should appear at or near the
top and be differentiated with the word 'organic' or a symbol, such as an
asterisk. As a general rule, organic skincare proponents suggest choosing
products that are free from mineral oil, propylene glycol, glycerine from
non-organic animal origin, petroleum-derived solvents and alkyl sulfates
(sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate). See our Toxic Ingredients List for
information on what such ingredients can do to your body.
This is especially important for your children, from the time
they are newborns. Their bodies are so delicate that all the chemicals you put
on them will do them far more harm than you can imagine. For teenagers, who are
undergoing hormonal changes and maturation of their sexual organs and hormonal functions, chemicals in
skincare and cosmetics can cause disruptions to the natural hormonal balance, thus
insidiously affecting their general well-being. Most people disregard the importance of hormones in the human body, but they are crucial to many of our bodily functions and our mental states.
Research conducted by Brunel University established that
the oestrogen mimicking effect of parabens (known since 1938) could be
responsible for upsetting the oestrogen balance in animals including humans.
Upseting the oestrogen balance is considered to have significant effects that
include lowered sperm counts, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune
disease. The response to this study from the cosmetic industry association in
Europe, (COLIPA) was that the findings were irrelevant as they believed that
parabens didn't penetrate the skin. There is no scientific validity to their
claim. Skin penetration is affected by many factors such as heat, hydration,
occlusion and chemical synergies. And several studies have shown that parabens and other synthetics have been found in breast tumours. So how did the chemicals get into the blood circulation if not through the pores or by ingestion?
Without synthetic
preservatives, how long will my products last?
Real organic brands with a 'serious' or 'high concentration'
of organic and natural ingredients will use natural preservative systems and
anti-oxidants to support the life span of the product and prevent rancidity and
moulds. The most common used are Rosemary Oleoresin, Citric Acid and Vitamin E. A combination of these natural anti-oxidants and preservatives generally give anywhere
from a 12 to 24 months of product life. Commercial products, due to their chemical
preservative usage, usually have a three-year product shelf life. Check your product label or ask the therapist for more details. If you are
consistent in using your skincare, then you should finish it before the expiry
deadline. If you are not consistent, then we suggest you keep your creams and
lotions in the fridge.
Information extracted from:
Dingle, P. Brown, T. "Dangerous Beauty”, Healthy Home Solutions 1999
JOPDAB Journal of Pediatrics. V.1-1978
Winter, R. “A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients”, 5th Ed. Three Rivers Press New York 1999
Routledge, Parker, Odum, Ashby, Sumpter 1998. “Some alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives
are oestrogenic”, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacy
International Agency for Research into Cancer (UN Agency)
Epstein, S. Steinman, D. “The Safe Shoppers Bible”, Macmillan
1995
What is ‘Natural’ ? Criteria
for Natural (according to BDIH - German
Federal Association of the Industrial and Commercial Companies)
The BDIH is a consortium companies manufacturing
medications, health products, dietary supplements, and skin care products. However, please note that they are self-regulated, thus are not answerable to any government or medical body worldwide. We are only listing their criteria below as indicators of what the manufacturers perceive as 'natural'.
As the term ‘natural’ was starting
to be widely used and dishonestly exploited in the 1990s, in
1996 the consortium joined forces and developed comprehensive guidelines to
define what constitutes a natural product. Each company involved in the BDIH is
subject to testing performed by an independent institute, Ecocontrol. The objective is to ensure compliance with the
guidelines based on an 'unbiased evaluation' .
Some if the criteria include (but are not limited to):
1) Raw material is predominately of plant or mineral origin
2) Plants should be grown organically, biodynamically, or
wild-harvested; however, when quality and availability are inadequate,
consideration may be given to alternatives
3) Raw materials must be obtained in an environmentally
sound and socially responsible manner
4) Most synthetic ingredients are unacceptable
5) No animal testing of raw materials or products
6) Animal by-products from vertebrates, such as collagen,
elastin, ceramides, mink, or spermaceti oils, are not allowed
7) Production methods must be apparent and verifiable
8) Genetically modified material is strongly discouraged
9) Packaging must be environmentally-friendly - it should be
renewable and recyclable wherever possible
10) Company philosophy must embrace socially responsible
business practices.
