Know the Ingredients in Cosmetics

People are keen on pursuing the natural ingredients for cosmetics. The slogan “less is more” is also popular. But are the cosmetics brands provide to their customers the natural and non sensitive cosmetics as described in their advertisements? Do you want to know the truth behind the cosmetics and your money? Are the products that claim to be organic, fragrance and alcohol free good to you?

It is so common to notice that the cosmetic brands use natural ingredients as their selling point. When it says natural, it usually means organic. There is no specific regulation or standard for the use of the word organic or natural in the cosmetic industry. Of course, it is not monitored by the FDA. There is nothing to prove whether natural cosmetics or chemical cosmetics are more effective. But one thing that we can be sure is that the natural nature is probably lost with other preservatives and stabilizers added to the cosmetics.

In addition, the safety level of the natural ingredients is a question. But, you may say they are relatively safer than the chemical ones. There are some natural ingredients such as mint and rosemary that can be irritating. Some people are allergic to lemon and lavender. As the natural ingredients are with larger molecular size, they are less likely to penetrate into the skin. Therefore, their effect may be similar to placing fresh vegetables onto your face.

You may notice a lot of brands saying their products are non-irritating and therefore suitable for sensitive skin. In fact, there is no regulations or standards that can define the meaning of non-irritating. In other words, every brand can say that its product is non-irritating. But, it is the fact that you discover many people (skin) are irritated by the non-irritating cosmetics.

Alcohol is a common solvent to use in cosmetics. As alcohol can be irritating and cause skin dryness, many brands disclose to you that they are alcohol free. In fact, alcohol is not that bad, especially certain type of alcohol like spermol and stearyl alcohol. Alcohol can help the removal of dead skin or cuticle. If you find alcohol in the end of the ingredient list (usually list by amount), you may not need to worry as the amount is not significant.

Finally, it comes to the fragrance free. For most of the products for sensitive skin, you may find they always mention fragrance free. Do just solely rely on such advertisement. You may need to take a look at the ingredient list. Though many products do not contain chemical fragrance, they use the extracts from fragrant plants as substitutes. The bad news is that such extracts may also cause irritation and allergy to skin.