Your skincare decoded

Skincare, in all its various forms, is as much prevalent as it is popular in modern society, yet we pay so little attention to the ingredients that make up (no pun intended) many of the skincare products that are available to us on the High Street. More often than not, we are sold on what the marketing campaigns behind the skincare products promote as being ‘in vogue’. We totally entrust our skin health (as well as the other aspects of our health) to companies whose main purpose is to make a profit rather than to actually support our health.

Did you know that there are about 80,000 chemicals in the environment and only a fraction of them have been tested with regard to their effects on human health!?

Our skin is the largest organ and, as such, deserves to be nourished and taken care of by products that are safe and natural. A rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t put anything on your skin which you wouldn’t put in your mouth because anything you put on your skin enters your systemic circulation and, therefore, has a systemic effect. So, it’s not just your skin that is affected by what you put on it but your whole body!

Many mainstream skincare brands have a laundry list of ingredients which most of us can’t even pronounce let alone trying to figure out what the ingredients are good for. They also act as endocrine disruptors, which means that they have the ability to interfere with our body’s innate hormonal massaging having potential repercussions that are not pretty.

I believe that it is our responsibility as consumers to educate ourselves about what we put on our skin. Take time to research ingredients in your skincare and view it as a long-term investment in your health. The environmental working group (EWG) is a great resource for that, search their ‘skin deep cosmetics database’ to learn about the good and not so good ingredients in your skincare products.

While the main focus of this blog is skincare, know that the same vigilance should apply to your haircare, shower gel, soap bar, toothpaste, mouthwash, antiperspirant, perfume, nail varnish, sunblock, menstrual cycle and make up products!

So, here is to a radiant skin nourished by non-toxic means!

Jana :)