Does cheap skin care mean nasty skin care?

A lot of people are under the misconception that "You get what you pay for". This is not always true. Especially when it comes to skincare. 

You're paying for the name with many high-priced skin care products. Not the contents. 

If you have a look at the contents on a lot of the high-profile skincare products, they are very similar to the contents of the cheaper natural products. These newer high-profile products contain chemically derived compounds that have not as yet had any long-term studies done on them. 

At Graceful Lilly Body Scrubs we prefer to stick with Mother Nature's ingredients as these products have been around since time began. And as yet, no long-term bad side effects are known from them. 

And this is why our products carry a guarantee with them. 

"Natural skincare is vastly superior to any other type of skincare because it respects your skin instead of trying to overpower it with chemicals. There’s no need to spend a fortune on synthetic skincare products. You can buy the most expensive skincare products available on the market, but that doesn’t mean they’re providing the best benefits for your skin.

We’ve all been taught to believe that more expensive is always better, and while that may be true for some things, it’s not always true in regard to skincare. Shortly, we’ll discuss five amazing reasons why natural skincare is better than alternative synthetic skincare products widely available on the market today.

But, before we get to those golden reasons, it would be wise to unpack a bit of context first.

What Are “Natural” Skin-Care Products?

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the use of natural skin-care products. These products are generally thought to be made without harsh chemicals, artificial additives, or fragrances. Sometimes, they can even be cheaper than their synthetic counterparts, especially if you purchase the necessary ingredients to make homemade all-natural skincare products yourself.

What makes these products genuinely “natural” is that they don’t contain any chemically sourced ingredients and instead derive ingredients from nature (plants, minerals, and so on).

What does the FDA say about using the word “natural” for skincare products?

Well, according to the FDA’s Small Businesses & Homemade Cosmetics: Fact Sheet (see section 7), they have not defined the term “natural” and have also not established a regulatory definition for the term in cosmetic labeling. Though they haven’t defined the terms to the degree that some may like, they do require that all claims on labels are truthful and not misleading.

So, if something claims to be natural, the FDA requires that statement to be truthful.

What About “Organic” Skincare Products?

In regards to “organic” skincare claims, there’s quite a bit of guidance in regard to labeling, ingredients, and more. Here are some general points:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the Natural Organic Program (NOP)
• The NOP defines the term organic and has a certification process for products that would seek to claim to be organic or for products that would claim they’re made with organic ingredients
• There are actually four kinds of organic labels, each with specific requirements. You can read more about that on the USDA’s website here: “Labeling Organic Products“

So, if something’s truly natural, no synthetic ingredients should be listed on the ingredient label. Also, for organic skincare products, there are requirements that must be satisfied in order to make the claim they’re organic and to carry one of the various organic labels.

Some common natural ingredients used in skin-care products include honey, olive oil, essential oils, aloe, herbs, coconut oil, various minerals, and the list goes on.

What You’re Really Getting When You Opt for ‘Natural’ Skincare

When you make the choice to go natural with your skincare, you’re getting a lot more than just a product that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals. Natural skincare is founded upon using ingredients that are beneficial for your skin rather than using chemicals that could potentially do harm.

Some of the natural ingredients used in natural skincare products have been used for thousands of years in a variety of cultures and geographical locations throughout the world. It’s well-known that the ancient Israelites used all kinds of natural organic ingredients, including frankincense and myrrh. Furthermore, the Egyptians used lavender, lily, chamomile, mint, rosemary, cedar, aloe, and more.

Again, natural products should be highly preferred over chemical-ridden products because your skin doesn’t need to be manipulated or overpowered by synthetic substances to maintain its health.

Some of the best ingredients for natural skincare include oils, skin butter, and balms. These can be used as moisturizers or even as makeup removers. Additionally, they can be used on their own to soothe and protect your skin.

Many of the ingredients in natural skincare products are even effective at fighting acne, helping with wrinkles, relieving eczema, and much more.

When you use natural ingredients in skincare, you’re using ingredients that you can find yourself. These are ingredients that you can safely touch and feel, things that can be found in nature, and things that have been used for thousands of years with proven results time and time again.

Is Switching to All-Natural Beauty Products Better for Your Skin?

Indeed, our opinion is that natural skincare products are often better for your skin under normal circumstances. This is, of course, debated among dermatologists, skincare companies, and consumers alike. One of the arguments that are often presented for products containing synthetic chemicals is that they are more effective.

It’s true that some synthetic ingredients may be more effective, though that’s just not good enough. In our cookie-cutter society of quick fixes for profit, effectiveness isn’t the only consideration. Also, effectiveness can be measured in many ways in a variety of circumstances.

For example, diet pills, emotion-enhancing drugs, or performance-enhancing drugs may indeed be quite effective, though effectiveness alone isn’t the point. In regards to traditional skincare, what is in those synthetic cocktails, exactly, and are they healthy as well?

How about side effects or chemical load over time? While there is a place for synthetic compounds in medicine, OTC medications, and so on, I’ll take something that’s fifty percent effective yet all-natural over an ingredients list that sounds like a list for motor oil any day.

All kinds of natural ingredients are quite effective and have been proven to be so, as stated earlier. So, the effectiveness argument simply doesn’t stand.

5 Reasons to Switch: The Benefits of Natural Skincare Products

1.) They’re Better for the Environment

Natural products are better for the environment because they don’t use harmful chemicals, thus reducing the amount of chemical waste you produce. All of the chemicals on the ingredient label will end up going down the drain.

Why put chemicals on your skin only to wash them down the drain? Wouldn’t it be better for the environment to wash plant ingredients and other natural ingredients down the drain?

2.) They’re More Gentle

Natural skincare ingredients are oftentimes far gentler for the skin than chemical ingredients. Whether we’re talking peroxides, alcohols, sulfates, acids, antibiotics like Triclosan, or a number of other ingredients, it’s well-known that many of those ingredients are oftentimes far too concentrated to be used regularly, leading to peeling and other skin reactions.

To be fair, natural skincare products can also cause reactions, though that’s rare overall. For people with allergies, sensitive skin, or skin diseases like eczema, it’s best to try natural skincare products in moderation to see how the skin reacts.

3.) Peace of Mind

When you make the switch to natural skincare products or your own homemade skincare products, you can rest at ease knowing that you can literally go out and find the ingredients you’re putting on your skin.

Does your homemade body wash contain rose water? You can make your own rose water from fresh roses at home. Does your sunburn ointment contain aloe vera? Well, we all know what aloe plants look like. You can grow your own and create your own sunburn ointment.

It’s comforting to know what we put into our bodies when we eat, and it’s also comforting to know what we’re putting onto our skin, too, especially since some studies show an average 64% absorption skin rate for solvents.

Skin absorption rates can vary depending on what’s being applied, though rest assured, chemicals can and will be absorbed by the skin, your body’s largest organ.

4.) Your Nose Will Thank You

There is simply no equal when it comes to the kinds of amazing scents and fragrances that can be created with natural botanical skincare ingredients. With the widespread availability of any number of high-quality natural skincare products, essential oils, blends, and floral waters like rose water, it’s so easy to customize your skincare routine to absolutely whatever scents are your favorites.

5.) They Reduce Synthetic Chemical Exposure

While proponents of synthetic skincare products may claim effectiveness and safety as major features of those products, there’s no debate over the fact that their effectiveness, to a large degree, comes from compounds made in labs. Those compounds are formulated in specific concentrations for their intended use case, capitalizing on maximum effectiveness.

While many ingredients used in traditional skincare products are touted to be safe, one ultimately must decide whether one will trust those claims of safety or not.

Either way, one unavoidable truth is that synthetic skincare products contain chemicals and compounds most not often found in nature, and those chemicals are being applied to the largest organ of the body. This same organ will definitely absorb at least some percentage of those chemicals into the bloodstream, as noted earlier.

Recent findings from a 2022 report from Zero Mercury Group showed dangerously high levels of mercury found in some skin creams sold online. It’s our opinion that if we need to decide between constant chemical exposure on a daily basis or exposure to compounds that are found in nature from responsibly using natural products, we’ll choose the latter.

While many consider the former option settled in many ways, there’s still a huge question mark, in our opinion, as to the safety and long-term chemical exposure to many synthetic skincare ingredients." https://enticinglysimple.com/why-natural-skincare-is-better/