More and more is being said about natural cosmetics, and more and more brands are appearing. Who can you trust? Is everything that claims to be "natural cosmetics" really so? Unfortunately, we have to tell you it's not. The fact that it has become fashionable has led many companies, some of them with a long history, to use this slogan, which does a lot of damage to us, and especially to colleagues who, like us, are small and want to offer truly natural beauty products.
When are we talking about natural cosmetics?
Well, when most of the ingredients in its formula are of natural origin, they can be natural plant-based or obtained from animals, but without strange processes or those that are harmful to nature. There could also be components of mineral origin. I think with this basic outline you will understand it perfectly:
Are there truly products that claim to be natural cosmetics but are not?
Many. Sometimes, they take advantage of the consumer's lack of knowledge to introduce truly toxic substances into our bodies. Furthermore, the consequences of using these components on our bodies are medium to long-term, so we often don't give it the importance it deserves. For this reason, the other day I wanted to test certain products that claim to be natural cosmetics, which supposedly, when you buy them, you achieve a healthy lifestyle. I'll show them to you, and please forgive me for not wanting to reveal the brands. In fact, the goal of this post is not to tear down the work done by other brands; our aim is for consumers to have more tools to know if what they consume is beneficial for their health or, on the contrary, will prevent them from having a healthy life.
Let's start with this one. It's a shower gel, and this is the label I photographed. It's sold as a gel made with argan oil, which is great for moisturizing the skin. In fact, argan is present in its composition, and we know this thanks to "Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil," but as you'll notice, it contains "Parfum" instead of an essential oil, which would be natural, and now I'm going to break down some of the worst components I find in this formula.
- Methylparaben and Propylparaben: Full-fledged parabens, a bad preservative, and I'll tell you why: they can cause hormonal disorders related to estrogen behavior. Their use could favor the growth of tumors associated with these levels, such as breast cancer.
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate: In a shower gel, it can cause allergic reactions and has a particularity: it "traps" heavy metal particles and helps them penetrate our body.
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine: Its use is linked to allergic dermatitis and skin irritation.
- PEG-7: It's not toxic as such, but it contributes to eliminating the skin's natural protective factor, leaving the immune system more exposed.
- Polyquaternium: Compound containing acrylamide. They use it because they say it leaves the skin softer. They don't mention that it can be linked to cancer. Read here.
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone: Can cause allergies.
- Yellow 5 (CI 19140): It's a yellow dye. When tested on animals, they noticed its ability to cause cancer.
- Yellow 6 (CI 15985): Orange dye. The same as the previous one, they found it caused cancer in animals.
After this analysis, do you feel like getting in the shower with that?
Well, I sincerely hope not. We shouldn't just accept "we have to die of something." I believe the message could be "we can do something to change this society," "I have alternatives when shopping."
Do you feel like washing your face with aloe vera?
In principle, anyone would say yes. If it contains aloe vera, what harmful aspect could it contain? Below is the photo of this tonic, whose brand I will also not reveal, that contains:
- Polysorbate 20: Not one of the most toxic, but it is an ingredient treated with ethylene oxide and can be contaminated by a potent carcinogen such as 1,4-dioxane.
- Parfum: This also occurred in the previous example. They are believed to be dangerous because they can cause disorders in the reproductive and endocrine systems. Every time we use it on the skin, it can cause allergies, headaches, dizziness, coughing, dark spots on the skin... (another gem!)
And this is a shampoo for washing hair.... Although I'll tell you, as in the previous cases, what we found without repeating those components that appear in the composition repeatedly in both the previous toner and the shower gel. As you can see on the label, it contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Parfum, and Fragrance.
- PPG-5-CETETH-20 and PEG-55: They contribute to eliminating the skin's natural protective factor, and the system becomes more vulnerable.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES, AND THAT'S REAL NATURAL COSMETICS
And fortunately, we can live with different alternatives. It's true that having a 100% healthy lifestyle is extremely difficult, but to the extent possible, we can try. For this reason, in a few weeks, Maminat shower gels will be ready, which, through simple formulas, are very nourishing and completely natural. That's why, from our website, we wanted to be an "online natural cosmetics store" with natural shampoos and facial creams.
At least let's try to live healthily and try to make these prices accessible to almost everyone.