How to Shop for Natural Skincare Products
When I first started switching my skincare products over to more natural ones, I found it extremely overwhelming. I didn’t understand what to look for and there was (and still is) always conflicting information out there. Then if I wouldn’t see results, it became so frustrating that I would just want to give up and go back to my old products. Which is the opposite of what I set out to do.
My quest for good quality, sustainable, natural skincare products is never-ending and I am always learning. However, I want to share a few easy tips that I have picked up along the way for when you shop natural. The best thing to do is break it down and focus on a few things at a time so you aren’t getting overwhelmed by everything. But at the same time, you don’t want to get swayed by marketing. Because oftentimes, the way products are marketed is misleading and it’s disheartening when you find out that something in your product may be causing issues or may not be as natural as you thought it was. These tips are especially helpful if you are shopping in a place like Winners, where they have a “natural” section, but figuring out what to buy is no small feat. Overwhelming doesn’t even begin to describe what it’s like trying to pick out a good product when there are so many things coming at you at once.
So here are some basic tips to get you started on your natural skincare journey:
how many ingredients are there?
The first thing I like to do is turn the product around and check out the ingredients. How long is the list? Is it short and sweet with only a few ingredients? Or is the ingredient list taking up most of the label? The more ingredients there are, the more “dilute” the active ingredients will be and the more likely it is that there are things like fillers and unnecessary toxic ingredients in there. The shorter the list, the better it is.
Can you pronounce most of the ingredients?
Most natural products won’t use ingredients you have never heard of. Even if there are things like herbs in there (whose latin names can be hard to pronounce), they will put the common name of the herb in brackets next to it. If you have some recognition of the ingredients, then great. But if you are really struggling to pronounce the ingredients and there are a lot of unknowns in there, then it’s likely better to stay away. Yes, you can always google some of them if there are a couple you are wondering about because even some complicated names are natural components. But if the majority of ingredients seem complex, then leave it.
look for the marketed ingredient in the ingredient list
Often natural products will have some sort of marketing on the front label. It will either say something like “contains collagen for stronger hair” or “contains Vitamin C for skin health” or something along those lines. When there is a specific ingredient marketed on the front, then you need to check the back list for that ingredient. If this product is marketing vitamin C, then it sure as heck needs to have it in proper amounts in the bottle. Where on the list is vitamin C? Is it the last ingredient or is it close to the beginning? Ingredients in higher amounts will be near the beginning of the list and ingredients in smaller amounts will be near the end of the list. Certain ingredients are included at different points during processing due to necessity and how these components are extracted, however, if the main marketed ingredient is at the end of the list it’s usually because it’s cheaper to develop it that way (using minimal amounts) while still having something easy to market. And you likely will see very little benefit from that ingredient. If it is listed beginning-mid of the list, then you know it is more likely to do what it says it will do on the front.
Look for a “free of” list
Nowadays, more people are aware of what they are purchasing and what goes into their products. So companies naturally have to keep up. A lot of these companies will now intentionally leave out particular ingredients known to cause harm/reactions in the body. Some examples are sulfates/SLS, parabens, phthalates, talc, etc. and they will put a list of those ingredients that aren’t included right on the product. This is nice to see, but of course, has to be taken with a grain of salt and in conjunction with the other tips in this post. Some companies simply find new ways to include these ingredients in their products anyway, but the “free of” list is a good start.
Beware of green washing
A lot of companies know what to use to get people’s attention. “Natural” is one of the most commonly used words in this area. Beware of words like that. Often, products with less marketing on their labels end up being much cleaner. Don’t fall for the words on the front. Inspect the ingredients yourself because that is the truth of the product.
consider sustainable packaging and processing
To take things one step further, you may want to consider looking at products and companies that believe in sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging/production. So, look for things like glass packaging instead of plastic (including labels!). Another thing to consider is cruelty-free products. Cruelty-free is not the same as vegan. Vegan products do not contain any ingredients derived from animals, but they can still be tested on animals. Cruelty-free (or leaping bunny certified) will not be tested on animals. Shopping small and local is also another way to make sustainable choices and often smaller, local businesses don’t have the ability or desire to add a ton of chemicals in their products anyway.
for more…
If you are wanting to go more in-depth, then consider installing a couple of apps on your phone to help you with your purchasing decisions. The two I like are EWG and Think Dirty. You can scan barcodes in stores or look up products in the app and see how they are rated based on their ingredients and the potential “harm” they may cause. Another option is to individually look up ingredients in the apps so you can learn what they are specifically and then decide if you want to purchase products that contain them.
Take it one step at a time when you are switching over your products. It’s tempting to just start from scratch and throw everything out and replace them, but it’s vital to take your time researching and introduce one product at a time so you can see how your skin responds. Even natural products can cause issues for the skin because everyone is different. And something I try to remember myself is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. You can have a mix of natural and not-so-natural products in your cupboards. That’s totally ok. You have to do what works for you and what you have capacity for. Currently, I don’t have any desire to switch over my makeup to natural ones. And I’ve made peace with that right now because it’s not worth the hassle. Maybe one day that will change, but for now I am happy focusing on skincare and doing what I can when I feel I can handle it. And I can only encourage you do the same.
If you enjoyed this post and want more like this, let me know below!
xo.
Peep my current skincare products :)