Changing your bathroom cabinet from well known trusted brands to fewer and a more natural range can be daunting. What to remove, what to replace and where to buy? Here are 3 tips on where to start.
Quality ingredients are key
When you start shopping for natural skincare, you may suffer from sticker shock, as the price is seemingly higher than what you are used to paying for the non-natural equivalent. But consider this – what you’re getting with natural products is 100% pure and wholesome, without the nasties that usually come with mass-market products. Ingredients such as artificial colours and fragrances, alcohol, stabilisers and more make a frequent appearance in commercial skincare products – usually, because they help the product look and feel nice (without doing anything else) while giving brands a big chunk of profit. None of these should be present in natural skincare products.
When using all natural products, it’s important to remember that what you get is only as good as what you put in. This means buying the best quality ingredients you can. It does not usually mean buying the most expensive product however – rather, it is about reading the ingredients list to check that the product contains only natural ingredients. A quick way to check is to look out for ingredients you can easily pronounce. Most ingredients with a scientific-sounding name are usually chemicals but a quick Google search should be able to verify this.
Only buy what you need
Resist the temptation to stock up on natural products. Unlike their commercial counterparts, natural products usually come with little or no preservatives. This means that they may not last as long – though this depends on the product itself. A good rule of thumb would be to buy only what you need and to regularly check the quality to make sure they have not gone off.
A quick sniff or visual test should be able to tell you if something isn’t right – if it smells funny, looks funny or feels funny, you’re better off getting it replaced. Continuing to use rancid products aren’t a good idea, as it can cause infections or trigger allergic reactions. Storing your products in a cool and dry place away from direct heat or sunlight can help prolong shelf life.
Buy from trusted suppliers
It seems like everyone is getting into the natural skincare business these days. And while there are many amazing brands out there offering great products, there are also those who take advantage of a growing trend to make a quick buck without offering quality in return. So it’s worth doing your research and going with your gut feel when shopping around for natural skincare products.
Stores or brands that are passionate about green beauty will tend to offer a decent variety of products that are curated for their skin-loving attributes. They should be well versed in skincare and can easily explain the difference between natural and non-natural products. Ingredients list should also be clearly visible on every product they stock, as ingredients are at the very core of natural products. Checking out a brand’s website can also give you some insights into how serious they are about green beauty. So take your time to shop around and ask as many questions as you want!
Want to get all my advice in person? Check out this video, where I tell you all about how to go about shopping for natural skincare.
