skincare myth: natural ingredients are better

many people believe (with a passion) that natural, organic skincare is far better for the skin. the truth is, that belief is not based on any scientific validation. while we always stick to buying organic groceries, when it comes to skincare, the same rules don't apply. in fact, many natural, organic ingredients are actually bad for your skin. just because a product claims to be all-natural or organic, doesn't mean it's safe. a certain ingredient might be healthy for your diet, but not effective or safe on your skin...

our take on the topic and what to be aware of...

while there are pro's and con's to consider with both natural and science-based products, labels claiming to be "all-natural" and "organic" are becoming increasingly popular and can be very misleading. i mean, just because poison ivy is natural doesn't mean you should rub it on your face. to test the theory, i spent a month in bali about 2 years ago (travel post here) where facials are strictly all-natural and only use organic products. i had straight up papaya put on my face, and my skin had never been worse. i broke out in rashes and painful acne that was very difficult to treat

there's a significant risk of allergic contact dermatitis with some natural ingredients.  also, organic products typically don't contain preservatives to kill bacteria, fungus and molds, giving them a much shorter shelf-life than science-based products. bottom line: when it comes to selecting skincare products, never make a decision based on a marketing label. instead, educate yourself on what ingredients to look for and what to avoid

when a skincare product is labeled “chemical-free,” don't automatically assume it’s the way to go. there's a wide range of naturally-occurring chemical compounds such as hyaluronic acid and ascorbic acid (AKA vitamin c) that are crucial for your skin's health. in fact, everything around you is a chemical. we're chemicals, the air we breathe (oxygen) is a chemical, the food we consume are made up of chemicals, that turn into more chemicals. you get the gist. a chemical-free world doesn’t exist

please know we're not completely hating on natural or organic ingredients. there are many products on the market that are effective and certainly more environmentally friendly than science-based ones. however, the notion that they're the "best" or the only option is simply not accurate

our preference...

we like to incorporate both nature & science-based products into our routines. however, we find that when it comes to changing our skin, science-based products are more effective. they're delivery systems and ingredients are designed to enter the cell and effect change, which is why we turn to science for anti-aging, cell-turnover and exfoliation

here are some of our favorite natural products we like to incorporate into our routine...

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