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The Pros and Cons of Natural Skincare
More and more people are switching to natural skincare, believing this to be the best way forward for their skin. These all-natural products claim to provide the same benefits as synthetic skincare, leading many to think that there’s no downside involved when it comes to swapping to these formulas.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Although natural skincare offers some advantages, it can come with some significant disadvantages too. If you’ve been thinking about jumping onto the all-natural bandwagon, it’s important to fully educate yourself before you do so. After all, you don’t want your skin to end up suffering as a result of an impulsive decision.
So, without further ado, read on as OROGOLD talks you through the main pros and cons of natural skincare.
Pro: No Harmful Chemicals or Preservatives
One of the biggest benefits that comes from using natural skincare products is that you’ll be saving your skin from exposure to harmful chemicals and preservatives. This is what has put many people off synthetic skincare – over the years, a number of those commonly used preservatives have been proven to be harmful to not just the skin, but the body too.
Natural skincare products use natural preservatives, although these are usually not quite as effective as synthetic preservatives (more on this later!). However, they are less likely to cause problems with your skin, which is why many people are opting for them.
Pro: A Great Source of Antioxidants
Just about every natural ingredient out there is a fantastic source of antioxidants. If you opt for a skincare product that’s made solely from natural ingredients, then this means that you’ll be giving your skin a fantastic array of antioxidants. With antioxidants proven to neutralize the visible effects of free radical damage, meaning the appearance of wrinkles, discoloration, and more, having a skincare routine that’s jam-packed with antioxidants will really benefit your skin.
With that said, it’s worth keeping in mind that many skincare products that wouldn’t be classed as all-natural offer a high antioxidant content too. The OROGOLD 24K Nano Hydra Silk Mask is a great example. The superfruit extracts that you’ll find in this formula are loaded with potent phytochemicals that your skin will love. You’d also struggle to find some of these rarer ingredients in all-natural products, with everything from noni and Maqui to goji and pomegranate making an appearance.
Pro: Biodegradable and Less Environmental Pollution
More and more people are trying to make eco-friendly choices with their purchases. This makes all-natural skincare even more attractive. When a product is comprised solely of natural ingredients, then this means that the product itself is biodegradable. It won’t cause the same amount of environmental pollution as some synthetic ingredients do.
However, make sure that this applies to the product’s packaging too. Just because a formula is biodegradable and eco-friendly doesn’t mean that its packaging is. If this is something that’s important to you, make sure that the packaging falls in line with your values as well.
Con: Irritation and Contact Dermatitis
As we mentioned above, the fact that natural skincare products aren’t bursting with harmful chemicals and preservatives is a big draw for many. However, don’t automatically assume that these products are going to be better for your skin.
Instead, one study found that nearly every single all-natural product out there contains ingredients that can trigger contact dermatitis. From essential oils to herbal extracts, just because an ingredient is natural doesn’t mean that it’s going to be compatible with your skin. 94% of the time, you could still end up dealing with irritation, discomfort, and redness. These are likely to be the very issues that you were trying to avoid by going with natural skincare in the first place!
Synthetic skincare gets around this by including ingredients that counter the feeling of irritation. Take the OROGOLD 24K Advanced Facial Mask, for example. It contains a long list of natural ingredients, including sage and ivy. These ingredients offer huge benefits but could potentially irritate the skin. To prevent this, the product also features several complexion-soothing ingredients, including aloe vera, vitamin E, and glycerin. This way, your skin is able to benefit from the properties of the active botanicals without having to deal with any of the downsides.
Con: Short Shelf Life
We’ve already talked about how the lack of harmful preservatives in natural skincare products can be beneficial. However, there’s a downside to this too…
Preservatives are used for a reason. They prevent microbial growth, which would cause that product to spoil. Without these preservatives, natural products have a much shorter shelf life. Even if you store your natural products in the fridge, they could end up deteriorating in a matter of weeks.
Not only does this mean that your skin won’t be benefiting from your skincare efforts, but it could also be putting your skin at risk of damage. Using skincare products that are full of bacteria will only leave your face prone to inflammation, infections, and more.
The good news is that there’s a middle ground; products that contain preservatives that aren’t harmful, just like those used in OROGOLD products.
Con: Missing Out on Potent and Proven Synthetic Ingredients
Many people who choose natural skincare automatically assume that all synthetic ingredients are bad or harmful in some way. However, this isn’t the case at all. Instead, many of the most powerful and effective skincare ingredients out there are synthetically produced and have been proven to be completely safe and non-toxic to the skin.
Take sodium hyaluronate, for example. You’ll find it in the OROGOLD 24K Rose Gold Radiant Silk Cream. It’s a form of hyaluronic acid, which the body produces naturally. It’s one of the best humectants around, meaning that it binds itself to moisture. This is fantastic for hydrating the skin. While there are a few good natural humectants available, it’s unlikely that you’ll find one that’s as effective as sodium hyaluronate!
Peptides are another superstar that you’d be missing out on if you avoided all synthetic ingredients. Again, peptides are naturally produced in the body. The peptides used in skincare products are created to mimic those natural peptides in every way. This is how they’re able to help with everything from the appearance of wrinkles to skin barrier function. The incredible results that peptides provide are why we’ve used multiple peptides in the 24K Anti-Aging Eye Serum. More peptides mean better results!
Con: A Potentially Higher Environmental Impact
In some ways, natural products are more eco-friendly. After all, they’re natural!
However, when it comes to the overall impact that a product has on the environment, synthetic products often end up being kinder. Many natural ingredients aren’t harvested in a sustainable way, which threatens their future. Some may also be grown in unsustainable ways. Not only could this affect the quality of the ingredient, but this damages the surrounding ecosystem too.
Lab-produced ingredients usually have a much lower environmental footprint. Multiple ingredients can be produced in the same place in a way that doesn’t harm the environment and doesn’t require any air miles. Even better, they can be made in a way that mimics their natural counterparts. This means that you’d be getting the same benefits without contributing to environmental destruction.
Con: Less Consistency
Not only is replicating natural ingredients in a lab often friendlier to the environment, but it also provides consistency in the products that they’re used in. This is difficult to achieve with all-natural skincare products. The nutrient profile of a plant varies throughout its lifecycle, with everything from the weather to its growing environment influencing this. If you were to produce a formula and then try to replicate it a few months later, you could end up with two products that have very different nutrient levels.
When it comes to lab-produced skincare, consistency is prioritized. After all, if you’ve come to depend on a certain skincare product, you’ll want to see the same results the next time you buy that same product. If you’ve noticed that the natural products you’re using seem to be inconsistent in how they help your skin, this could be why.
Con: A Poorly Regulated Market
Last but not least, let’s talk about regulations in the world of skincare. This is an area that has always been lacking, with regulatory bodies only recently starting to play catch-up. Unfortunately, with natural skincare being a relatively new mainstream market, regulations surrounding these products are even more lax.
Take the term ‘natural’. What does that mean to you? It’s likely that if a product markets itself as being natural, then you would take this as a sign that all of its ingredients have come directly from nature.
However, this is often not the case. ‘Natural’ is a term that isn’t regulated by the FDA, meaning that anyone can use it. A product that contains one natural ingredient among a long list of harmful chemicals could still promote itself as being natural. It’s a very subjective gray area that has caused many to be misled.
‘Organic’ and ‘clean’ are two other terms that are commonly tossed around. Again, there are no regulations on using these words to describe skincare products. A brand may advertise its product as being organic even if it only contains one organic ingredient among a long list of potentially harmful compounds. When it comes to ‘clean’, this is based purely on opinion. What’s ‘clean’ to one skincare brand may not be clean to you. This is why there’s so much ambiguity when it comes to natural skincare products.
Is Natural Skincare Better?
As you can see, natural skincare comes with more cons than pros. This may very well change in the future when there are more regulations surrounding the concept. However, for now, shunning lab-produced ingredients in favor of less-effective natural alternatives could end up being detrimental to your skin.
The best way forward would be to find skincare products that combine the best of both worlds. Look for formulas that include plenty of natural ingredients, along with non-toxic preservatives and a few cutting-edge lab-produced compounds. Bringing together science and nature in a safe and effective way is what ultimately provides the best results, and this is exactly what we strive to do here at OROGOLD.
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