Whenever you venture into the field of natural cosmetic products, keep in mind that the term all-natural can be a little misleading. For instance, many people have no idea that there really is no such thing as an all-natural cosmetic product. Personal care and cosmetic products being sold in any kind of retail capacity, are industry regulated to have a one to two year shelf-life and must contain some chemical stabilizer and chemical preservatives, otherwise these products would be separated and contaminated within weeks of sitting on a store shelf.
In the consumer’s world natural means safer, greener and better for both you and the environment. However, this belief may not be entirely grounded in reality and the fact remains that products labeled natural and all natural, have been a growing force behind a major trend of marketing both cosmetics and personal care products over the past several years. With such a growing number of products in the natural arena it is quite amazing that there are still little to no regulations that govern the use of the word natural.
As consumers, we must be the ones that govern and review these products for their purity, efficacy and safety. For instance, in my practice I am often asked about the ingredients of many of these natural products and if you can make any of these preparations at home. As much as it may seem like a simple thing to make a natural personal care product at home, a large amount of thought and hygienic preparation needs to be addressed first. For instance, let’s say you wanted to make an avocado mask.
It seems fairly simple to just go out to the store and grab an avocado, mash it up in a bowl and put in on your face. This would seem to most people as an all-natural mask. What could be more natural than a pure vegetable right from the store to your skin? Not so fast. You must first consider where you purchased your avocado. Was it from an organic source or a general grocery store? If it wasn’t organic, you would have purchased a product that contained pesticides and those pesticides could now be ending up on your face. Next, what kind of cutting board did you use to cut your item? If it was the same one you used to cut your meats and other vegetable items you’ll create cross contamination. If it was a wooden cutting board the damage is almost immediate and it may potentially cause you a dermal rash.
This example was not meant to discourage you from making your own all natural personal care products at home. It actually can be quite a nice experience to find different skin care recipes and make them at home. It is intended to make you more aware of the marketing buzzwords, which can sometimes be very misleading. Carol L. Donnelly is a Licensed Esthetician who specializes in medical esthetic skincare. Dermal Solutions is located at 28073 Smyth Drive in Valencia.
For more information or a free private consultation, please call 661-295-0027.