Are You Really Using
Natural Skin Care Products?

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When you choose natural skin care do you look for the word natural on the label? Seems like a good thing to see if you are trying to buy something with pure, natural ingredients, ingredients that come from nature.

Natural is a word you probably like to see on your skin care products. It should be a good thing but frequently that word on a product can be misleading. No wonder we all have such a hard time shopping.

Learn to Understand and Read the Labels

You need to read the labels for truly natural skin care. At present a company might put natural on their label even if only one ingredient is natural while many of the other ingredients are synthetic and even toxic chemicals.

Perhaps you've seen a product claim "Now with natural aloe vera" or some other natural ingredient printed boldly on the front of the container. It gives the impression that this is a natural product which it could be but you won't know for sure unless you learn to read the labels and know the ingredients.

At this time there are no regulations guiding the use of chemicals in skin care products. And since your skin is capable of absorbing 60% or more of whatever you put on it, I know you want to be sure that what you are using is safe, natural skin care.

From an issue of Alternative Medicine Magazine:

• 100,000 synthetic chemicals are currently registered for use.
• Fewer than 10% have been tested for their effects on humans.
• Increasingly these toxic chemicals are found in our cosmetics.
• Companies are not required to disclose them as ingredients. The "trade secret loophole" allows companies to put these ingredients under a generic term such as "fragrance".

How to Choose Truly Natural Products

Synthetic chemicals are a common ingredient in many of the products we use everyday. Chemical preservatives used to preserve a product and extend it's shelf life is one example. Some research has shown that the small amounts typically found in a product are not harmful. That may be true.

What is of concern is the cumulative effect of supposedly safe synthetic chemicals found in products we use everyday. The face creams, toners, eye shadow, foundations, cleansers, etc., etc. Don't forget to include products you use for your hair. Take a look at the ingredient list for hair color alone and you might want to look for more natural hair color.

All these different products each with their own synthetic ingredients. No one knows how they will react in our bodies when combined. There are just too many of them to test all the different combinations.

Sounds grim. But it doesn't have to be. There are solutions.

Natural skin care means more than natural ingredients. While natural ingredients should make up the bulk of the list there are other things to look for:

• Learn what ingredients can be harmful. Check out nontoxic skin care.
• If possible choose organic but make sure it is "certified" organic.
• Great skin care does not need animal ingredients.
• Please make sure the company you buy from does not do animal testing.
  Far too many companies still use this type of testing for their products.

Where To Shop

All of your skin care products from your cleansers, moisturizers, toners, serums, you name it, can be made with natural and organic ingredients. In fact, it's getting easier to have truly natural skin care thanks to companies who believe really good skin care doesn't need to be tested on animals or to contain synthetic chemicals or animal ingredients.

A few to consider:

• Aubrey Organics
• Terressentials
• von Natur

Other Natural Skin Care Products

New products turn up everyday and are promoted as natural. Green tea, chocolate, coffee, aloe and herbs are just a few other ingredients being used. While these natural ingredients may be a better choice make sure to read the rest of the ingredients to make sure it is truly natural. Some of these ingredients sound like a good thing but unless a product has a history of effectiveness it is hard to tell if there is a real benefit.

Check out the pages below for more information on finding the best natural skin care.

Preganancy Skin Care

Your skin may have special needs when you are pregnant that may bring new challenges for healthy skin. This is a particularly important time to pay attention to the products you use. Natural or organic products or skin care recipes you make on your own make pregnancy skin care safe and effective for a mom-to-be while protecting your growing baby.

Baby Skin Care

Natural ingredients are wonderful to use on a baby. Doesn't it make sense to keep chemical exposure to a minimum. It's up to you to be informed so you can make the best and safest choices. See baby skin care to learn more.

Natural Sunscreen

Even some products like sunscreen which typically use chemical ingredients to protect us from UV rays can be made more naturally. Titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, are two natural ingredients being used successfully in natural sunscreen.

Dead Sea Products

Many different kinds of natural ingredients are being found to be good for our skin and are being used skin care. Some of these are based on ingredients that have been used successfully for hundreds years like Dead Sea products made with Dead Sea minerals. They have been found to provide many benefits for healthy skin care.

African Shea Butter

African shea butter products have become very popular for skin care lately. They have been used for many years by women needing to protect their skin from the harsh elements. This wonderfully moisturizing and healing butter is found in many products.

Not all shea butter is equal. It helps if you know what to look for when buying shea products. That way you will not only see the greatest benefits when using this butter but if you choose fair trade shea butter your purchase will help women in Africa. Check out African shea butter for more information and where to shop.

Make Your Own Skin Care Products

Perhaps the best way to have pure and natural skin care is to make your own. It can be as simple as using a few ingredients found in your kitchen and with minimal effort you can make some of our own products. It's fun and easy.

There are many fine books with recipes for simple inexpensive creams, masks and more. Some of these rely on everyday ingredients or if your up for more of a challenge, you can buy the very same ingredients found in commercial products like almond oil, jojoba oil, essential oils or shea butter.

A great resource for someone looking to make their own skin care products is Mountain Rose Herbs. Here you can purchase bulk ingredients like butters, carrier oils, herbs, essential oils, clays and salts along with jars, bottles and utensils for preparation. You can make skin care products that rival some of the finest you can buy. It's such a great way to control the ingredients in your products and save money too. They also carry some very nice natural skin care products.

Care to try your hand at making natural handmade soaps? Clearly written and easy to follow step-by-step instructions and recipes can be found at Soap Making Essentials. Using your own natural ingredients along with soap making ingredients and without expensive equipment you can enjoy creating safe, natural, beautiful soaps for your whole family.

Use Ingredients From Your Kitchen

Simple ingredients right from your refrigerator or pantry can be used to make your own natural skin care products. For more information and some recipes to get you started check out homemade exfoliant and homemade face masks

It may not be possible to eliminate chemicals completely but it is possible to minimize exposure. Your health is worth becoming informed about truly natural skin care. Choosing natural skin care products not only benefits you but as an added bonus is better for the environment.

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I have compiled a list of companies who have pledged to be cruelty free and have signed the Compact For Safe Cosmetics. Get your list for free when you sign up to receive my newsletter Better Choices.