Why go 'Natural' with your Skincare Routine and Ritual?
Why do we choose to use only natural, plant-derived ingredients in our skincare products?
Everyday we repeat the same routine, we use the same products day in, day out. We use product for every need and want. From cleaning our hair and bodies while we shower, to our skincare products which cleanse, tone and moisturize our face. We apply extra products to help combat aging and wrinkles, to controlling blemishes and break outs. We aren't finished there though, we cover up and beautify ourselves with make up and cosmetic products. We use products to style our hair, and body products such as antiperspirant deodorants and expensive perfumes to smell the part.
When we really think about how many skincare and body care products the average person uses daily its quite astonishing. According to the Environmental Working Group, women use an average of 12 products a day. Not to mention other products we are exposed to at home and at work, such as cleaning products, dish soaps, hand soaps and sanitizers.
Do we really know how many different ingredients we are applying on to our bodies each day, maybe multiple times a day. According to EWG the average woman will put 168 different chemicals on their body, and men will put 85 chemicals on their bodies.
If you took a closer look at each of the product ingredient lists how many of those ingredients can you actually read, pronounce and understand. Would you know what the ingredients purpose is and how it benefits the body, if it does at all?
Everything we put onto our skin is either absorbed through our skin, into our bodies or washed down the drain and into our environment.
According to EWG, they found 16 hormone-altering chemicals, including parabens and phthalates when they tested 20 teenagers blood and urine to find out which chemicals from skincare products were ending up in their bodies.
When these chemical-synthetic based products are introduced to the body, they put a heavy load on our immune systems, making it difficult for our bodies to do their jobs.
When we are exposed to toxins and chemical-synthetic based products, Our body's white blood cells have to immediately start working to rid the body of these. Putting extra work load on our bodies, while they may already be working hard at fighting other things such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and abnormal cells. This extra work load may result in you feeling tired and lethargic, you may find you get sick easily or often, your injuries may take longer to heal, and abnormal cells may not be eliminated from the body properly.
Now we are all aware that toxins and chemicals are bad for our skin, bodies and our well-being.
We are exposed to environmental pollutants daily which are mostly out of our control and very much unavoidable.
What we can control is the amount of toxins and harmful chemicals that are absorbed into our body's through our skin, from our skincare and body care products.
These not only put pressure on our bodies to eliminate them, they negatively impacting your body’s homeostasis. They can disrupt your natural hormonal balance, impacting your endocrine system, they can trigger different skin allergic reactions, they can be toxic to our organs, and weaken your immune system. The EWG states "some have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, reproductive and neurological harm, and developmental delays."
We want to avoid toxins and harmful chemicals at all costs, for our bodies, our well-being and our environment.
As consumers, we need to be aware and mindful of the ingredient's we are using not only on our own bodies, but on our family and children's body also.
Knowledge is power when it comes to understanding what you are putting on your face and your body!
Here we will go through some of the more common toxins and chemicals found in traditional skincare products.
Phthalates - Hormone Disruptors & Carcinogenic: Are found in fragrances, perfumes, nail polish & hair spray.
Parabens - Hormone Disruptors: A group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives and Fragrances. The concern with these chemicals is that scientific studies suggest that parabens can disrupt hormones in the body, harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer. They can also cause skin irritation.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) - Skin irritants & Carcinogenic Contaminants: One of the most cheapest and strongest foaming agent/surfactants used in skin care, Body care, hair care and toothpaste. It is also one of the most irritating surfactants associated with skin dryness and redness. They cause irritation to the skin and eyes which can become more reactive over time. When they get washed down the drain they cause harm to our environment.
Synthetic Colours and Dyes - Reproductive, immune & nervous system toxicity and Carcinogenic: These are usually labelled as letters F, D, or C, followed by a number or colour. Many cosmetic colourants are made from petroleum and coal tar, so they contain toxins including heavy metals. They can also cause skin irritation, blocked pores, skin inflammation and sensitivity.
Petrolatum / Petroleum / Mineral Oil / Paraffin / Polyethylene Glycols (PEGs) - Carcinogenic Contaminants: Poorly refined petroleum jelly may be contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a group of chemical compounds, several of which are classified as carcinogens and skin irritants. Mineral oils are mixture of complex Hydrocarbons comprised of mineral oil saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH). It has been proven that if MOSH are absorbed the body, they are stored in various organs and may cause damage to the liver and lymph nodes. PEGs are petroleum-based ingredients that have a penetration-enhancing effect they make it easier for other undesirable ingredients to penetrate deep into your skin, disrupting the skin’s natural balance and they often come contaminated with toxic impurities.
Aluminum - Genotoxin & Breast Cancer Suspect: Aluminum is genotoxic; it can alter both DNA and genetic code. Often an ingredient found a traditional antiperspirant deodorants, it is under suspicion for influencing the development of breast cancer. Researchers have found a higher rate of mutated cells in this area, noting that aluminum influences the estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells.
At Generate Kind Co. we choose our ingredients very carefully and there are some nasty toxic ingredients that we strictly don't go near. You can trust that all of our ingredients are derived from nature, from plants, and processed in a way that preserves their potent, and natural plant nutrients. Because we believe in the power of nature and know that the best, healthiest active ingredients come straight from their natural sources.
We hope you enjoyed learning a bit about why natural skincare products are the best choice for you, your family and the environment.