What Does the “Natural” Word Mean on The Products?
“Natural” refers to ingredients that aren’t made in a lab and instead come from sources like plants. In the past decade, we’ve seen an increased use of the words “Natural”, “Clean” “99% of ingredients are from a natural source”, and “Chemicals-free” on skin and hair products everywhere in the world, but does that make a product safer? More effective? Or unharmful?
The short answer is no. The use of words or phrases that indicate a specific product contains some natural ingredients does leave a positive impact on the consumer or the buyer but they are simply misleading and potentially harmful in some cases because:
1- The word “Natural” could be interpreted in many ways since it is not regulated by the food and drug administrations or global health organizations yet (there are no standards to measure or prove how natural these products are) . Meaning, a brand owner could use the word “natural” on their product simply because it contains one natural ingredient while the rest of its ingredients are lab-made, potentially harmful, or even unbacked by science which makes the product unhelpful and possibly could do more harm than good.
2- Even natural ingredients can (and do) cause severe allergic reactions. This can be problematic for people who have sensitive skin or who develop an allergy to these products while using them.
3- Natural skincare DOES NOT mean it will not cause an allergic reaction or contact dermatitis.
Of course this does not mean natural skincare is all bad, but that does not make it better either. A simple way to know what’s best for your skin is to read the ingredient list and try finding products with simple and clear ingredient lists then research what could be beneficial for you.
Summary:
The term “natural” remains vague and can be interpreted in many ways until reliable and credible institutes like the food and drug administration in your country or other countries state exactly how that term is regulated, used, and monitored to avoid scamming customers and overcharging them for regular skincare products.
What are DIY and homemade skincare?
DIY or (do it yourself) skincare products are homemade mixes (cleansers, face masks or creams) that are made from ingredients you usually find in your house or specifically, your kitchen.
This type of “skincare” becomes trendy or even viral due to the fun and easy process of making your own products. It is usually inexpensive, requires no special equipment or time and you also get the excitement of making your own face mask or cream.
These “fun” face masks may cause more harm than good and here’s why: 1–The ingredients you are using won’t do anything good for your skin: this means that the lemons you put on your face, oats, eggs,…etc are all made to go into the stomach and get broken down into their basic elements by the enzymes in the stomach in order for the body to benefit from them. This process will not happen on the skin’s surface and the foods you used will just stay on the surface of the skin without penetrating the skin.
2- You are exposing your skin for allergic reactions, sensitivity and hyperpigmentation:
Lemons for example contain antioxidants and vitamins, but they also contain a high concentration of citric acid which will mess with the natural pH level of the skin. This can result in severe skin irritation and sensitivity to the sun. It can weaken the protective layer of your skin and cause pigmentation, dryness and sun damage. We’ve seen many people applying turmeric on their skin after learning that it had anti-inflammatory properties and end up with a yellow face that won’t fade until a few days have passed. Simple mistakes like this could
3- Ingredients that go into professional skincare go through meticulous research, tests, and formulations in order to extract the beneficial substances from their natural sources without the possible allergens, while also balancing their PH level, ensure that their molecular size can penetrate into the right layer of the skin in order for the ingredient to be effective and processed by the skin.
4-Unsanitized, unstable, and untested: Homemade skincare lacks the basic health and safety standards which qualify it to be safe to put on the skin without compromising its overall health. These products lack preservatives, stabilizers, PH-balancers, and the safety and compatibility tests for germs and microbes.
Does That Mean That All DIY/Homemade Skincare is Bad?
It is always advised to completely avoid homemade skincare in order to protect your skin from potential allergens and any unwanted side effects.
Always stick to regulated and professionally-made skincare.
Myths- Higher concentrations
Active ingredients are ingredients that fix or treat a specific skin concern like hyperpigmentation, aging, acne, and other skin concerns.
The common misconception is that using skincare products with higher concentration of active ingredients means the product will show better and faster results..but unfortunately, that’s just not how it works with skincare.
When you apply active ingredients with high concentrations it will potentially disrupt the skin’s PH levels and the skin’s protective barrier, making it more vulnerable for irritation, inflammation and breakouts.
Consider the following points before introducing new active ingredient or a higher percentage for your skin:
1- Patch Test: No matter what your skin type is, every new skincare product requires patch testing to test the skin’s tolerance to the product.
2- pH Level: Some actives (like acids) need to be at specific pH levels to work effectively.
3- Consult a Dermatologist: If you’re unsure, seek professional advice, especially when using stronger actives like retinoids or chemical exfoliants.
For example most skin types can tolerate 1% retinol, but many would suffer from side effects or increased sensitivity when they start with a high percentage from the first time. Therefore, it is advised for retinol and other potent ingredients to be used at the lowest % (0.01% for retinol) and then gradually increase it to allow the skin to develop tolerance and recover its protective barrier overtime.
Here’s a list of the most popular active ingredients and the recommended concentrations to use:
-Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): 5% up to 20% (note that higher percentages does not always mean it will work more efficiently, not to mention that increased % of active ingredients = increased sensitivity)
2-If you have a hypersensitive skin, you can always opt for a more gentle derivative. Almost every ingredient we know has been altered in many ways to make a gentle and less irritating derivative for those with sensitive skin or compromised skin barrier.
