Debunking 4 Myths On Natural Skincare
By Marj O.
September 10, 2019
The skyrocketing boom of the natural beauty industry has been immensely influential to many women. With social media being a great source of beauty tips, it has also opened the doors for us to continuously explore skincare rituals with a more natural approach.
From high-end, caviar and gold-infused skincare lines to DIY fruit and veggie masks we do at home – the journey to finding the ultimate natural facial beauty routine is quite a vast road to take. But is everything we know about natural skincare really true? Well, we’re about to pull back the curtain on four myths about natural skincare right here.
1. Making a face mask out of nutritious food is just as effective as your pricey skincare set
“Why invest a hundred dollars for a whole line of skincare set when you can just blend them at home?”
You have probably heard this a thousand times from Youtubers and DIY beauty enthusiasts but as much as we hate to break the news to you, this statement isn’t something you should go by. Merely applying your blended face mask mixture directly onto your face won’t allow your skin to fully absorb everything. According to expert cosmetic chemists, skincare is more about extracting active ingredients from fruits, vegetables and other superfoods, rather than slathering it on wholly on your face.
The potency of these natural ingredients can come from unripe plants or not edible parts of the plant so there’s definitely a need to process these ingredients inside the laboratory to make a certain product effective. Of course, we’re not asking you to ditch DIY-ing your masks since these can totally help in soothing your skin. However, if you have more specific skin concerns such as aging or acne, its complications would require something more intensive.
2. Natural skincare means it must be safe
The word “natural” is a common sight on cosmetic labels as it seems to imply the idea that it’s generally “safe”. However, “natural” is a term that’s loosely regulated in the beauty industry. It usually only pertains to certain ingredients and not the product as a whole, so this does not guarantee anything in terms of safety. Even safe-sounding ingredients like lavender or sweet almond oil can cause a reaction if your skin cannot tolerate it. So, always conduct a patch test before trying on any new product.
3. Natural ingredients do not block the pores
This is another major natural skincare misconception as many people think that plant-based ingredients won’t block pores because they’re ‘all-natural’. This is quite a vague statement as pore blockage can be due to a lot of different elements.
In fact, there’s a long list of comedogenic natural oils that are known culprits in causing breakouts. Heavier oils like moringa and coconut oil, although very common in many skincare products, will likely block your pores due to its heavy texture.
4. Topical application of citrus fruits (Vitamin C-rich) can brighten the skin quickly
Citrus fruits such as lemons make an amazing source of Vitamin C. In recent years, it has gained a cult following in the beauty scene with some women using lemon juice as toners (ouch!). However, when it comes to skincare, L-ascorbic acid is the Vitamin C that is essential to skin brightening.
Using the juice of your favorite citrus fruit as the topical treatment doesn’t entirely do the trick as it is quite a bit more complicated than that. It might even be harmful to your skin! A lemon’s pH is a mouth-curling 2 and is lower than most skincare products.
Our skin doesn’t have the ability to sort out the nutrients it needs from all these fruits, so if you have concerns with dark spots or uneven complexion, it’s probably more effective if you just eat those lemons! The body breaks down all the essential vitamins from your fruits so that way, it efficiently delivers its nutrients to your skin.
Bottom line: Do your own research and listen to your skin
Taking care of your skin with a more natural approach is definitely better than settling for skincare products with harsh synthetic chemicals. But don’t be misled! Not everything that you read and watch about natural skincare is actually true, as some are just simply overstated.
It’s always important to do our own personal research to ensure that we are making the most out of our daily skincare routines, whether it’s natural, synthetic or a bit of both. We sure don’t want to fall into these misconceptions at the risk of compromising the health of our skin.
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