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No question in skin care polarizes as much as which ingredients are best: natural or synthetic? We try to answer them!
Many people firmly believe that the best way to maintain healthy skin care is to only use products with natural or certified organic ingredients. It should be noted that seals of approval alone are not enough to assess whether the ingredients for skin care are really good, healthy and effective.
It is certainly true that there are a variety of natural ingredients that work well. However, there are just as many that are not good for the skin - these are just as regularly used in various skin care products. Some natural ingredients that are widely used by industry can have negative effects on the skin in addition to positive effects. These include, for example, ingredients such as hazelnut, lemon, peppermint, alcohol, lavender, thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree oil or other oils that contain good active ingredients but can also cause skin problems. On the other hand, there are a multitude of synthetic ingredients that are extremely good for the skin and for which it is no all-natural alternatives gives.
It's all in the mix
"In order to achieve optimal results for radiant skin, a healthy and balanced mix of natural and synthetic components is necessary - because both natural and synthetic ingredients have their advantages and disadvantages for the skin," says Paula's Choice - Founder Paula Begoun.
Deep cleansing with synthetic ingredients
Natural ingredients work on the top layer of the skin, but they are not able to penetrate the protective skin barrier and thus penetrate into the deeper skin layers. The synthetic ingredients are more successful in deep cleansing thanks to their effective texture, so they can help regenerate cell activity and protect the skin from damage.
On the other hand, some of the natural ingredients in cosmetics and skin care products can cause severe allergic reactions and irritation and make the skin overly sensitive. Irritation or inflammation can be responsible for destroying the skin's own collagen and disrupting the skin's self-healing process. The skin becomes unbalanced and loses its natural resistance to negative external influences.
Therefore, the following natural ingredients should be avoided (unless you are sure whether you can tolerate them):
Allspice, almond, angelica, arnica, lemon balm, balsam, basil, bergamot, cinnamon, citrus fruits, clove, clover blossom, coriander, cottonseed oil, cypress, fennel, pine needle, geranium oil, grapefruit, nuts, horsetail, lavender oil, lemon, lemongrass, Marjoram, oak bark, papaya, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, thyme, witch hazel, wintergreen and ylang-ylang.
You don't need to worry about the following natural ingredients:
Aloe, amino acids, argan oil, bisabolols, rapeseed oil, carnauba wax, ceramides, chamomile, clay, cocoa, coconut oil, grapes, green tea, honey, hyaluronic acid, liquorice, meadow foam oil, mica, oats, olive oil, omega fatty acids, pomegranate, rice bran oil, rose hip oil, Safflower oil, seaweed, shea butter, soy, sunflower oil, turmeric and willow herb.
