The natural skin care industry is one of the fastest growing markets in beauty.

What is natural skin care?

The term "natural skin care" can mean different things.
The "natural" label isn’t regulated across the industry.
This means each company can choose what "natural" means for themselves.
As well, some natural ingredients, like essential oils, can cause irritation to the skin.

 

Benefits of natural skin care.

According to a study, botanical products can be a rich source of:
1. vitamins;
2. antioxidants;
3. essential oils;
4. hydrocolloids;
5. proteins;
6. terpenoids;
7. bioactive compounds.

 

For oily skin
A natural skin care routine for oily skin may help reduce oiliness without the use of expensive skin care regimens.

 

For dry skin
There isn't much that's more frustrating than itchy skin.
A natural skin care routine for dry skin may help reduce the effects of heat, hot showers, arid climates, and harsh soaps.

 

For acne prone skin

A natural skin care routine for acne has many benefits, like saving money by avoiding expensive acne solutions.

It can also help prevent undesirable side effects, such as dryness, redness, and irritation.

For sensitive skin

A natural skin care routine for sensitive skin may help rebuild a healthy skin barrier by avoiding products with irritating ingredients.
A study examined the risk of skin sensitivity associated with products containing fragrances.

For Black skin

Black skin contains more melanin than lighter skin.

A few conditions that people with Black skin may experience more often include:
1. acne;
2. eczema;
3. seborrheic dermatitis;
4. contact dermatitis;
5. eczema.

 

The natural skin routines linked above can assist with a number of these skin conditions.

What is the product derived from?

In other words, what's in it, and where does it come from?
Is it a natural source, like plants, animals, minerals, and marine sources?
Or is it derived from petrochemicals?

 

Naturally occurring.
This means that ingredients are used in their natural, unprocessed state.
Examples of naturally occurring ingredients include raw honey and crushed flowers.

 

Nature identical.
This means that ingredients are produced in a lab and are chemically identical to those that occur in nature.
An example is sorbic acid.
Originally derived from rowan berries, sorbic acid is now commonly included as a nature identical ingredient.

 

 

Synthetic.
This term sits on the far end of the spectrum and includes ingredients that were created and processed in a lab.

An example of this is parabens, which are common beauty preservatives.

 

How is it processed?

Just because ingredients are derived naturally, it doesn't mean they're processed naturally.
Ingredients can be processed physically or chemically.
Processed physically means the molecular composition or structure stays the same.
Processed chemically means the molecular composition or structure changes.

 

Examples of naturally derived but physically processed ingredients include raw, unrefined oils and butters.
These are processed through means like cold pressing or filtration.