Are you confused by the many products describing themselves as clean beauty or green beauty? While
we love products that are as natural as possible, there is no guarantee that these products are better for
your skin. Of course, not testing on animals is important and unfortunately many beauty corporations
still utilize animal testing, which is cruel, unnecessary and not scientifically valid.
However, many natural ingredients are toxic or just not effective. A particularly offensive ingredient is
coconut oil. While natural, it is a cheap, highly refined tropical oil that is guaranteed to clog your pores, if
you are acne prone. It is highly comedogenic, i.e. pore clogging. Also, the molecular structure is so large
that it doesn’t penetrate the skin’s surface. It just sits on the surface, causing a greasy mess.
Unfortunately, it’s a darling of the clean beauty industry. Honest, Burt’s Bees and RMS are just a few of
the clean beauty lines that formulate with this nasty ingredient. Alternatively, look for organic, natural
oils with an affinity for your skin like jojoba oil, which most closely mimics your skin’s natural sebum.
Also good are hemp seed oil, argan oil, sea buckthorn oil and rose hips oil. A little goes a long way. Just
add a couple of drops to your moisturizer or serum. Remember, you may need a hydrator in addition to
the oil, as you could be dehydrated( lacking water)in addition to being dry( lacking oil or sebum.) Most
conventional moisturizers are formulated with hydrators, oils and an occlusive ingredient to seal the
ingredients in.
Ask your esthetician to diagnose your skin condition and your skin type for best results.
While drinking water is always a good idea, very little water gets to the last millimeter of your skin.
A better internal approach is to supplement with essential fatty acids, like Omega 3,6,9.
In summary, most dryness and dehydration can be resolved with the proper guidance from your
esthetician and the correct products.
Carmel Buckley