The Good VS Ugly Ingredients in Natural Skin Care Products

Natural skin care may sound like it's good for your skin, but it really depends on the ingredients and your specific skin needs. Instead of buying skin care products based on what the label says, you need to learn to separate the good from ugly natural skin care products ingredients.

We live in a green-conscious world and the word natural in anything sounds good. This has been a great marketing tool for skin care and cosmetics companies who want to sell products. They add numerous plant ingredients, including extracts and essential oils, hoping this will ring loudly with potential buying consumers who are looking for "natural skin care".

Now that we know natural skin care or cosmetics may only have marketing benefits, let's see if there are natural ingredients that are really good for you.

Beneficial Ingredients in Natural Skin Care Products

Shea butter

Shea butter has long been known as a great anti-aging moisturizer. It hydrates without clogging pores, and keeps your skin smooth and healthy.

Vitamins

Vitamins such as antioxidant vitamins C, A and E do have benefits for your skin. Although there are many kinds of vitamins, antioxidants offer the best skin care benefits. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that antioxidants can reduce the harmful effects of free radicals, which are molecules that injure the skin's cells and cause inflammation and premature aging.

Soy oil

Soy oil derived from soybeans are a great source of isoflavones, which can help to increase skin thickness and help with production of collagen, for preventing premature aging of the skin.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a natural chemical that we all produce in our body. It's been shown to aid in healing wounds, and beneficial in natural skin care as an anti-aging moisturizer.

Alpha hydroxy acid

Alpha hydroxy acid are derived from fruit and often added to natural skin care to exfoliate and promote collagen formation.

Negatives of Natural Skin Care Products

• Since they're marketed as "natural" many brands charge more for these natural skin care products.
• Plants have side affects and can actually cause sensitive skin irritation.
• You may have an allergic reaction to a plant ingredient and not know it. Many assume natural skin care products will not cause allergic reactions, which of course is not so.
• Some natural oils may clog pores or cause breakouts.
• Preservative or pesticides may have been used to process the natural ingredient. It's easier to grow mold on a natural ingredient, which is why strong preservatives are often needed to prevent bacteria or mold to grow in a product.

How to Choose Your Skin Care and Cosmetics

• First look for skin type match with yours. For example, if you have acne prone skin, choose an oil-free facial lotion.
• Look for plant free unless it's one of the ingredients listed above, or as few plants as possible. The ones with a potpourri of plants may be a problem.
• Instead of buying a lot of skin care products from one brand, choose one and test it on the inside of your arm. Wait 24 hours to see if any negative reactions occur.