Nourish and Protect Your Skin (and Help the Planet, Too) with Naturally Beneficial, Eco-Friendly Organic Skin Care Products

If you’ve embarked on an earth-friendly life, chances are you’ve probably considered or even tried natural skincare products. However, a trip down any skincare aisle (whether real or virtual) to shop for organic skincare products can be an overwhelming and complicated experience. With so many different eco-friendly labels, such as “organic,” “natural,” “all natural ingredients,” “green,” and so on, it’s no wonder most of us are still unsure as to what organic skin care really is! Here are some guidelines for making sure that what you are putting on your lovely skin is truly good for you, and makes your planet a better place, too.

What is Organic Skincare?
Understanding what all-natural skin care products are will help you become a savvier, less-stressed, eco-friendly shopper. Very simply, a certified organic product, from start to finish, has been made without even one toxic chemical or unsafe ingredient. Before the product can be labelled as certified organic, it must meet stringent organic certification standards and pass an independent third-party inspection, too. That means, when you buy certified-organic lotion, cleanser, powder, shampoo, or other product for your body, it contains no toxic chemical or unnatural ingredient that could harm you (or your family or your home). It also means that our planet hasn’t been harmed in any way while that product was being made.

Why Organic rather than Non-Organic Skincare?
Think about your day. From your early morning shower to your relaxing evening bubble bath, consider the many products you put on your face, hair, and body. Now, picture the scores of ingredients in those products being absorbed into your body through your porous skin. Common sense alone tells us that we should be very aware and very particular about what we put on our skin. More than that, non-organic products for skin, hair, and body can be very dangerous for you. Did you know, for example, that almost 90% of all skincare ingredients have not been safety tested? That many ingredients found in body care products are possible carcinogens? To take the best care of yourself and guard your health, be sure that you choose your skincare products very carefully. Organic products are inherently beneficial, containing natural ingredients chosen specifically because they have been proven to protect, nourish, and help your skin.

How to Shop Knowledgably for Eco-Friendly Skin Care Products
Unfortunately, because being “green” has become big business, many products labelled as eco-friendly may in fact be quite unnatural and even very harmful to your body. If you’ve decided to give your skin a natural treat, it’s important that you know how to recognize the impostors trying to imitate genuine, natural skin care. Here are some tips for reading labels that will simplify your skincare shopping, and help you leave your local or online shop with naturally right skin care:

1. Don’t be fooled by a product’s name. Even though a product’s name or tagline may contain words like “natural,” “all natural ingredients,” “natural origin,” etc., that doesn’t necessarily mean the product really is organic or even natural.
2. Always, always, always read the ingredients list, and remember these pointers:
• The ingredients list on a body care product is like a food label in the grocery store, starting with the most plentiful ingredient to the least. So, if you only see one or two natural ingredients – and they’re at the very end of the list – the product isn’t all-natural or organic.
• If a product or most of its ingredients are certified organic, the labelling will tell you that clearly. Keep in mind, a certified organic product is required to clearly identify its organic certifying body, too, so check for that name or logo, as well. 
• A complicated or scientific term isn’t always bad – it could simply be the Latin or scientific name for a perfectly safe and natural ingredient. If you’re unsure about a particular ingredient, here is a comprehensive toxic chemical list Alternately, check out this list of ingredients considered safe to include in organic products.
3. Know which harmful ingredients to avoid. While there are many potentially dangerous ingredients commonly used in non-organic body care products, be especially sure to avoid these:
• Parabens are highly toxic, synthetic preservatives regularly used in cosmetics. Stay away from methyl, butyl, ethyl, and propyl parabens: Not only can they cause skin allergies and rashes, but research has suggested that parabens may be linked to the development of breast cancer. 
• Diazolidinyl urea and Imidazolidinyl urea are also preservatives commonly found in body and skin care products. These synthetic preservatives not only cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, but also release formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that is a human carcinogen.
• Petrochemicals are crude-oil by-products that do much more than remove the natural oils from your skin: They have also been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, premature aging, ADD, dyslexia, acne, kidney and liver damage, and more. If you see mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, liquidum paraffinum, propylene glycol, petroleum jelly, or any synthetic dyes or artificial colorings in the list of contents, put the bottle back on the shelf – immediately.
• Sulfates are toxic synthetic cleansers that can cause eye damage, depression, hair loss, respiratory difficulties, and extreme skin rashes and irritation. When combined with other chemicals, sulfates can become carcinogenic. Check ingredient lists for Lauryl Sulfates or Laureth Sulfates to avoid this toxic substance.
• Phthalates are ultra-toxic. Commonly found in fragrances, nail polish, hair sprays, and deodorants, phthalates can irritate the skin, aggravate allergies, and possibly even cause hormone and reproductive damage. 
4. Most of all, use your good common sense. Do you want to put something on your skin that is likely untested, particularly if you’re not even quite sure what it is, what it does, and what its immediate or long-term side effects might be? Do you want to purchase products that contain ingredients that can harm you and are environmentally dangerous?

Give Your Skin the Soothing, Natural Benefits of Eco-Friendly Skin Care
Thinking of switching to organic, planet-friendly skin and body care products? Be sure to buy from a reputable company that philosophically stands behind its products, like ONEgroup. If you have any questions about any product, don’t be afraid to contact the Company for more skin care information. Many companies even have skin care product samples available, so you can try before you buy a full-size product, to ensure it’s a good fit for your skin. Once you’ve begun to use organic and natural products, your skin will feel lighter, fresher, and cleaner, and you’ll notice extra compliments will be flowing your way. 

“The first wealth is health” or so Ralph Waldo Emerson said. By choosing natural or organic products for your skin, you’re deciding what is good for you and you’re taking care of your most precious possession – your health. You’re also sending a powerful message as a consumer that you want safer, healthier skin and body care products, and you’re making a difference for Mother Earth, as well.