When it comes to the skincare products you choose to use on your skin every day, you need to be sure you are using ingredients you actually feel good about. 

When you go to the store and are confronted by aisles of endless products, it can become pretty confusing pretty fast.

You may become so overwhelmed that you end up settling on a product that may not be so good for you. 

Learning how to read labels is important! It will help you to sift through the synthetic stuff, ensuring that you are purchasing a product formulated only with non-toxic ingredients. 

Why is reading your labels important?

Because many companies slap “natural” or “paraben-free” labels on their products while hiding toxic ingredients behind other names on the labels. 

In this article, we will talk more about the differences between traditional and "natural" skincare versus organic skincare.

Then you'll be able to decide which option is most important to you!  

Traditional Skincare

Many traditional, mass-produced skincare products are brimming with synthetic ingredients. These synthetics are usually focused on short-term relief of your symptoms. BUT they might not provide the long-term skin benefits you are after. Not to mention they may be awful for your health. 

Around 60% of everything you apply externally to your skin may end up in your bloodstream. This puts you at risk for all sorts of health hazards.

Many traditional products only provide temporary results due to ingredients like silicones that may provide instant plumping effects, yet clog your pores and contribute to breakouts over time.

Exfoliants, for example, are often formulated with harsh abrasives that may cost less, enabling mass production, but may cause microscopic tears in your skin.

Those tears put your skin barrier at risk, which in turn may cause all sorts of skincare woes from dryness and irritation to breakouts that linger no matter what you do. 

Mass-produced products are also brimming with preservatives allowing them to have a longer shelf-life. That means the product might last longer but those preservatives can be damaging to your skin and health in the long-run. 

That's exactly why our salt scrubs are made with a small grain sea salt. It's a very gently exfoliant that still gives you all the benefits you need. 

If you see ingredients on the label that are hard to pronounce or seem like they come from alien-lands then you may want to think twice before checking out at the register. 

When in doubt, do a quick Google search to learn what the potential side-effects of the ingredients might be.

Don’t be fooled by “Natural Skincare” Products: They are not all created equal

Once you have decided to forego traditional, synthetic-laden products in favor of a better alternative, you may decide that the next best thing is to consider "natural" skincare products. 

But is this really the right choice?

The term “natural” refers to any plant, animal by-product or mineral in a product.

While this seems okay (unless you are looking for a vegan product) the major downside is that natural products are not overseen by any major governing bodies.

While some companies that claim to be natural genuinely are, there are many that hide their toxic ingredients behind other names. 

Parabens, for example, are often hidden behind the “parfum” or “fragrance” ingredient terms, allowing the product to be labeled “paraben-free” but in this case, it isn’t truly paraben-free. 

A product only really has to have one or two natural ingredients to be deemed a “natural” product. The rest of the formulation can contain as many chemicals as they want!

As you can see, companies can throw the “natural” term around quite freely, even if their product contains only a handful of natural ingredients. 

Of course, as we said before, some natural companies are truly that, all-natural.

Your best bet is to simply ask for a full ingredient list and if something seems off don’t be afraid to ask questions, you have a right, as a consumer, to get the answers you need. 

(and that's exactly why we list 100% of our ingredients on the product descriptions and the containers our products come in)

Another way you can be sure that your product is really natural is to see if any of the ingredients are organic. 

Organic Skincare

If you want to be sure that your products are clean then you should look for products that are formulated with organic ingredients.

For an ingredient to be organic it has to adhere to strict rules, including that it is grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics.

For example, jojoba oil in our scrubs and serums is Certified Organic.

The Redmond Sea Salt we use in our scrubs is mined in the U.S.A, straight from ancient sea beds dating back to the Jurassic era, meaning that it still contains all the essential trace minerals.

We don’t use any artificial fragrance or synthetics in our products, only pure essential oils that are as good for your mind as they are for your skin! 

Here are two top benefits of an ingredient or product that is organic:

• Organic Farming does not put our planet at risk

Organic farming does not involve toxic chemicals or any harmful processes. It also means that growers, farmers, and other producers are using good environmental practices like crop rotation, preservation and protection of natural habitats, and protection of groundwater supplies.

• Healthier for you and your family

Organic ingredients contain no antibiotics, harmful chemicals, artificial colors, and other additives, making them a better choice for your skin and a safer choice for your health and the health of your family.  Organic ingredients also have increased nutrient content as their nutrition value is not stripped away by pesticides or other synthetics. 

We hope this article has made things easier to understand in terms of the different categories of skincare products. It’s an easy choice for us.

We believe that going the truly natural/organic route is the best way to go!

Our products are all free from any harmful toxins and other chemicals so you can feel good every time you use them!