How to survive the religious cult of 'organic beauty'
I was told off...by a beauty consultant in an organic beauty store.
Listen to what happened below, or scroll down for what happened!
I was told by a salesperson another day that their products are organic and 'all natural'. I proceeded to reply, 'I like this brand because it contains fewer chemicals.' She looked shocked and pointed out almost apologetically (yet politely), 'but our products contain NO CHEMICALS! Not one single chemical is inside. All natural!'
'Then what is in this bottle?' I thought to myself, 'is it a vacuum or is it illusion of dreams and light?'😂
(I'm experimenting with a slower pace because I received comments saying I spoke too fast in my previous posts... But I don't really like it and I find myself TOOOOOOOOO slow now that I'm listening to it.... Please excuse me for this and towards the end it was kind of like talking to a friend with some awkward pauses... haha! I tried my best! Hope you like it!)
There is a common misconception about 'chemicals' that mislead consumers.
If it's in that bottle, it's made up of chemicals. Even water and air are chemical substances. What's different is that some are naturally-occurring, while the rest are synthetic/artificial. There's a growing trend for companies to 'wear organic/natural hats'. They like to advertise that products contain 'ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS', 'NO CHEMICALS'.
I'm sure they mean well and what they meant is 'no ARTIFICIAL chemicals'. But still: Naturally-occurring chemicals can be toxic, whereas artificial chemicals can be safe! For instance, preservatives such as potassium sorbate is most likely synthetically made in skincare manufacturing, but it's great when used at a right dosage to keep our products safe and stable.
Which is why I never buy into brands which shove their 'edible ingredients' in your face.
Okay okay thanks for the info, we all know XXX is an antioxidant when put in plant oils so they don't go rancid, but does it do the same for our skin? Save your fancy wording, show me the science. The consumers are more intelligent than you think.
What I look for, is the FUNCTION of an ingredient in a product.
'Anti-aging' is a CLAIM, a POTENTIAL BENEFIT, but not a function. A 'function' means, is this the
- preservative,
- foundation (liquid, oil, etc),
- aesthetic flourishes (aroma, for the good looks),
- functional (beads for scrubbing), etc.
It's only when you see past the superficial claims that you get to analyse a product.
Sounds super complicated... but let's take a step back!!
How difficult it is to make sure our skin is happy? Does it really take damask rose all the way from Bulgaria, or 'strictly controlled naturally fermented' pitera, or Mediterranean water to keep it happy? #isthisforreal LOL (no I'm not actually laughing. It's sarcastic)? People back then had nothing like this and I didn't see a widespread 'pimple plague' all over the world.
Perhaps the first step is just to make sure it's cleansed properly, moisturised enough, you're sleeping well, eating right, stress level low...Your skin goes through a 28-day cycle (think your menstruation), so you always have new skin every day! What's important is your metabolism.
Just skincare won't make your skin perfect, and let's just be honest, there's no such thing as 'anti-aging' unless you're going through a time machine. How about just do your part and age gracefully?
So... let's do this!
** Tips on selecting good products **
(1)
Look for shorter ingredient list because it's easier to analyse. Ain't nobody got time to Google all 50 ingredients in your hair mask!
(2)
Identify key ingredients from a category of products you want to avoid. E.g. If it's a cleansing product, avoid sodium lauryth/lauryl sulfate. If it's a sunscreen, avoid oxybenzone. If it's a deodorant, avoid aluminium salts. Because no product is perfect and we can only try our best to select the lesser evil option : ).
(3)
Pay attention to other factors such as your diet, stress level, etc. Also manage your expectation - are you really expecting your skin to look luminous because of one single product? That you can reduce your wrinkles?? Let's be honest with ourselves and do our part, be healthy and love our body....
Aaaaand that's it!
The tips are so simple that I'm expecting some 'boooooo-s' at the end. But actually these tips are simple to say, but difficult to implement. It takes time and research to select a product that you actually find effective and good for your skin...
Hope you enjoy this post and let me know how you like the audio blog!
