Navigating the Toxic Jungle of Skincare: Embracing Nature's True Gifts
So many products on the market are made with toxic ingredients. When we start caring about our bodies, what we put in them and what we put on them are a very important component to this level of self-love. This article is written to give foundational information on your non-toxic skin journey and suggest some 100% natural, from the earth, organic, products.
How to See If Your Skincare is Safe
Many skin care products have long lists of ingredients, some of which are unrecognizable for the average consumer. A great resource for researching products and ingredients is EWG. They provide detailed safety profiles for both products and ingredients. Generally we sway in the direction of products with ingredients we can recognize. Click here to learn about your skincare EWG.
What Ingredients to Avoid and Why - The Short List:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Can strip natural oils from your skin, leading to dryness and irritation.
BHT: Potentially disrupts hormonal balance.
Phthalates: Known endocrine disruptors that can interfere with hormone function, particularly affecting reproductive health.
Propylene Glycol: May cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
Butylene Glycol: Can be irritating to the skin and might increase skin penetration of other chemicals.
Parabens: Suspected to mimic estrogen, possibly contributing to hormone disruption and linked to breast cancer in some studies.
Fragrances: Often contain numerous undisclosed allergens and irritants, leading to skin sensitivity or allergic reactions.
There are plenty more, this is just a short list. Links to studies can be found at the bottom of the article.
The Skin is a Microbiome
Your skin is not just an organ but a living, breathing microbiome - the largest in the body. What you apply impacts this ecosystem. Using natural products, even things that you can find in your kitchen, like yogurt or avocado can be beneficial due to their fatty acids, which help soften the skin. In contrast, alcohol can kill off beneficial microorganisms, which is generally only useful on the skin in specific medical contexts like surgery preparation. In daily life, nurturing your microbiome should be the goal for optimal health. It is notable, while natural products are often gentler, allergy awareness and sensitivities are highly individual and should be taken into consideration when choosing the right natural skin care for YOUR unique microbiome.
Read about the benefits of Tallow Skin Care.
Skin as a Barrier and an Open Book
The skin acts as a protective barrier, but it also absorbs what you apply, potentially entering the bloodstream. Consider whether you'd want those substances inside your body. This is why we create organic, or from nature, products above anything in-organic, synthetic or chemical. We source all of our ingredients from nature, using things like avocado oil, jojoba oil and beef tallow and infusing them with benefits of whole herbs collected from healthy soil. It’s amazing the gifts that the Earth and Soil have to offer and we are happy to connect people to the planet’s living energy through our products.
Not all Plant Oils Are The Same
When it comes to natural oils in skin care, not all plant oils are created equal. Oils like soybean, corn, and canola oil, which are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are prone to oxidation when exposed to air, light, or heat, potentially leading to skin irritation or contributing to free radical damage. You will notice that these are also oils that can cause a load of health issues when consumed internally over time. On the other hand, oils such as jojoba, avocado, and coconut are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and more stable fatty acids like oleic acid, which can nourish the skin, help retain moisture, and promote healing. Thus, selecting skincare with these ingredients can make a significant difference in skin health.
The Dangers of Essential Oils
With greenwashing rampant, educating ourselves is crucial. Essential oils, taken from herbs, often replace fragrance in many "green" products. Essential oils, while "natural," aren't automatically safe. They're potent distillations of plant volatiles, requiring caution. A medical doctor friend shared a case where a patient, using a higher concentration of an essential oil, suffered a chemical burn when exposed to sunlight. There's also research from the National Institute of Health on endocrine disruption by essential oils. My approach is one of caution and moderation with these oils; however, we prefer using whole plant extracts in our products and staying away from essential oils completely. Using whole plant extracts connects us directly to the herb and the soil it grew from, offering a gentler alternative to essential oils.
Connection to the Living Intelligence of Earth and Soil
Herbs have inspired many synthetic chemicals in consumer products. We prefer going back to the source - the soil - using organic land management to grow herbs for our skincare. Our herbs are grown on our farm and other small farms prioritizing organic land management techniques. Now what exactly does this mean? Well, for starters, no synthetic or toxic chemicals are used on our soil or plants. To enrich the fertility and organic matter in the soil, our sheep are grazed rotationally across the land and we use cover cropping to feed the soil. These practices not only nurture the land but are a piece of what makes our products so special. We truly commit to aligning with the natural, organic essence from which our bodies come by connecting with the land.
When products are made close to nature, they tend to be gentler on the skin, working in harmony with its natural rhythms. Our aim is to harness the earth's gifts for natural, non-toxic skincare that nurtures both skin and soil.
Discover Our Natural Skincare Line
Embrace the gifts of the earth with our range of 100% natural, organic skincare products. Each item is crafted with love for your skin and respect for our planet.
Explore Our Products Now - Connect with nature's healing touch and experience skincare as it was meant to be.
Studies about skincare ingredients to avoid:
