23 Jan Top 5 Tips For Choosing Organic Skincare Products Safely

So, you have concerns about your organic skincare products. Fair enough, after all, it is your right to know whether your organic skincare products are really as safe as they claim or not. Therefore, let’s jump directly on the tips on how to choose only safe skincare products.

1. Find out about regulated claims

You might be surprised to know that common claims from natural skincare brands like “dermatologically tested”, “for sensitive skin”, “Hypoallergenic”, ‘natural’, “fragrance-free”, etc. represent the claims which aren’t regulated. To add more to your surprise, the term ‘organic’ is even regulated in a few countries only. Hence, your best bet to eliminate the chances of suspicious chemicals and synthetic ingredients in the ingredient list itself. An ingredient list rarely lies.

2. Learn about petroleum byproducts ingredients

A lot of commercial brands use petroleum by-products, i.e. from crude oil. Some of the common petroleum derivatives are –

• Mineral oil alias Paraffinum Liquidum.
• Petrolatum alias Petroleum Jelly.
• Propylene Glycol or PEGs (Polyethylene Glycol).
• Polysorbates followed by numbers and TEA/MEA/DEA.

Wondering about the reasons for their use? Well, the answer is simple. They are cheap, abundant, and can last (almost) forever on the shelf. Brands using these derivatives are not so safe skincare products because these derivatives are always at a risk of getting contaminated with carcinogens during manufacturing. Plus, they’re sometimes linked to skin allergies.

3. Watch out for preservatives

Preservatives are essential to increase the shelf life of natural skin care products. But the question is about preservatives being synthetic or natural. Some of the synthetic preservatives are-

• Parabens such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, and propylparaben play a possible role as ‘endocrine disruptors’ or may cause tumors in the skin and breasts.
• Phenoxyethanol is the most common preservatives in natural skin care, which may weaken your central nervous system.
• Benzyl alcohol has been associated with contact allergy.

4. Avoid fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are often derived from petroleum as well as coal tar. Consequently, they’re often linked to cancers, central nervous system disorders, and birth defects. The most common thing you’ll get is allergy. Plus, fragrances used are considered ‘trade secrets’ so manufacturers don’t need to list them.

5. Choose ingredients you recognize

The thumb rule is if something doesn’t sound like you’d put it in your mouth, it is better off not put on your skin.