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Organic and Natural Body and Skin Care Products Including Cosmetics

Organic skin care and organic cosmetics come from sources that are derived naturally and contain no chemicals or man made substances that can adversely affect your health. Many people with sensitive skin move to organic skin care and cosmetic products, simply because it is the chemicals in the conventional make ups and skin care that are reacting with their skin. Our skin absorbs parts of nearly everything that touches it, and it is this absorption that has lead to negative health problems from the chemicals in the creams and lotions and other conventional make up products. Organic skin care and organic make up contains properties that will naturally improve your skin and protect it.

There are hundreds of organic skin care and organic cosmetic products out there and many of them can be found here in the organic skin care and cosmetics directory:

- Organic Bath Products and Toiletries
- Organic Body Care Products
- Chemical Free Perfumes
- Organic Cosmetics
- Organic Skin and Organic Hair Care
- Natural and Organic Dental Care
- Information on Chemical Free Personal Care
- Organic and Natural Feminine Products
- Organic Skin Care Gift Packs
- Organic Hair and Beauty Salons
- Natural Insect Repellent
- Organic Men's Skin Care
- Mother, Baby and Child Organic Skin Care Products
- Organic Hair Care
- Organic Skin Care
- Organic Shops
- Organic and Natural Sun Protection

Organic Skin Care

Are you passionate about the health of your skin? Are you passionate about the health of your body? Are you passionate about the health of your planet? Choosing certified organic skin care lets you answer YES! to each of these questions. Here’s why!

Healthy Skin – Most skin care products on the market today are made from ingredients that have no direct benefit to the skin. It’s true! Petrochemical by-products; synthetic fragrances; cheap chemical fillers and chemical preservatives are combined with the current most fashionable "sexy" ingredients - vitamin E oil, rose hip oil, glacial marine mud, silk amino acids etc - to produce products that allow you to believe you are looking after your skin. Are you really?

Since time immemorial people have applied plant extracts to their skin to soften, soothe, heal and nourish. Rich in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and emollients, nut, vegetable and flower extracts, as well as and clays and minerals, are wonderful sources of nutrition for the skin.

However, most skin care products on the market today contain only small amounts of natural ingredients. They might be called "natural", they might even be called "organic" but, in most cases, they will consist mainly of petrochemical derivatives that have been formulated so they feel good when applied to the skin. They’re a bit like fast food - a quick hit, then don’t think about it again until the next time!

Your skin has its own natural balancing and hydrating processes, although modern living means it needs support! Using products containing petrochemical by-products, synthetic fragrances and toxic preservatives is like a person living on fast food - you can manage it for a few years through your late teens and early twenties but, over the long term, your skin is going to suffer!

You can empower your skin by using genuine natural and organic skin care products made from ingredients that will support and complement your skin’s natural processes. This is your best anti-ageing de fence! Don’t be fooled by products that tell you they can do the anti-ageing for you - the simple truth is - they can’t!

Ultimately, skin care can’t perform miracles - it’s a lifestyle choice! Rest, exercise, good food, plenty of water and minimal exposure to the sun are the keys to healthy skin. Your skin care practices are the nutritional supplement you provide your skin to complement the healthy bountiful life you choose to live. Skin care is a gift you give your skin on a daily basis.

Healthy Body - When we eat food, we have a complex system of organs and processes that eliminate toxins and waste. The skin has no protective filtering processes and almost 80% of what is applied to it is absorbed directly into the blood stream. The blood stream travels through the body, visiting all the major organs on its journey, and along the way depositing the chemical compounds it has received via the skin. What a great reason to know exactly what you are applying!

According to the UK Environmental Working Group, the average person will expose themselves to a cocktail of over 130 different chemicals through the use of personal care products in a single day! And more than one third of the skin care products on the market today contain one or more ingredients listed by the World Health Organisation as potential carcinogens! Did you know this?

By way of example, the most commonly used preservatives in the personal care industry are a family of chemicals called parabens. The chemical compounds that form parabens are sometimes found by researchers in cancerous tumours and the only way they can have been introduced to the body is through the use of personal care products. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Healthy Planet - In this era of Global Warming and the increasing awareness and concern individuals and communities have for environmental issues, you can bet your bottom dollar that business is trying to make money out of it! The personal care industry is currently being flooded with products described as, and called, "natural" and "organic". What do these words really mean when they can be applied to any product? Unless you learn to read the labels and decipher the code - nothing! If you have the time and the inclination, this is easy enough to do. Don’t know what the name of an ingredient is? Google it!

Choosing "certified organic" skin and body care products can save you hours of research time. For a skin care product to be "certified" it must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic ingredients with the remaining 5% being approved GMO-free additives.

Natural skin care products can be just as good in terms of the ingredients used, but the methods of producing those ingredients creates distinctive qualitative differences. Conventional (non certified organic) ingredients tend to be over-refined as this extends their shelf life whereas certified organic ingredients aren’t, which means they retain more of their health benefiting properties for the skin. A great example of this is hazelnut oil, the conventional version of which is pale yellow and fairly odourless, whereas the organic version is amber coloured and smells deliciously of roasted hazelnuts.

There are many skin care products on the market today called "organic", which creates much confusion. Products may list organic ingredients in the contents but how do you know this is true? Organic ingredients are much more expensive then conventional ones and we all know that "organic" is the latest marketing buzzword. The cosmetic and personal care industry is highly under-regulated and really - any company can list any ingredients - no-one oversees it!

"Certified Organic" means that the manufacturer is subjected to twice yearly audits, one unannounced, and every organic ingredient that enters the plant must match up with every organic product that leaves the plant. Labels, manufacturing processes, cleaning processes and even cleaning products must be approved by the certifying agency. Failure to comply means the suspension of the certification, heavy fines and the immediate withdrawal from the marketplace of all products bearing the certifying agency’s logo. Certification is no small undertaking!

"Certified Organic" also means that the products are made from ingredients that are sustainably farmed without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. A certified organic personal care industry also creates essential value-adding opportunities for farmers who are working hard to harmoniously co-exist with the environment.

Expect to pay more for certified organic personal care products but what you are choosing is healthy skin, a healthy body and a healthy planet!

Skin Care Body Care Earth Care

Elemental Certified Organic Skin Care

www.elemental.com.au

info@elemental.com.au

08 9840 9600

10 Reasons To Go "All Natural"

The term “natural” is somewhat misleading with regard to use in cosmetics. In Australia and the US manufacturers can add 5% of a natural ingredient to a synthetic and call a product natural. This is generally regarded as "green washing" and such products aren’t considered natural at all. So what do you look for to get the REAL benefits from truly natural products?

1. Truly natural products contain no synthetic ingredients such as artificial colours or fragrances. Artificial fragrances are amongst the most irritating ingredient in skin care with the ability to cause or significantly contribute to irritating skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, rashes and hives. You will notice the difference in your skin when you avoid such ingredients.

2. Natural products contain no potentially harmful ingredients such as petrochemicals, mineral oils, sodium lauryl sulphate and propolene glycol. According to Skin Deep, an Environmental Working Group in the US, many of the synthetic ingredients used (in the US and Australia) in everyday skin care are potentially toxic to humans.

3. Natural skin care is formulated to support the healthy functioning of our skin from within and without. Humans absorb up to 60% of any substance applied to our skin. It has been calculated that the average women can absorb up to 2kg of different chemicals through their skin each year. By using natural products you ensure that what you are absorbing is benefiting your skin and body, promoting radiance and health.

4. Our bodies have to break down, detoxify and excrete any substance we put on them. This puts an extra burden of toxicity on the body and is of particular concern for young babies and children whose organs of elimination are not fully developed. Reduce your toxic burden by using whole, unrefined natural products.

5. Natural skin & body care products contain nutrients, including naturally occurring antioxidants, amino acids, botanical extracts, pure essential oils and essential fatty acids in their holistic form which is more compatible with our skin and bodies. This includes nutrients such as grape seed (rich in phytochemicals that support the skin), rose hip oil (rich in vitamin C), carrot oil (rich in vitamin A), pumpkin seed oil (rich in zinc), olive oil (rich in squalene) to name but a few. These ingredients promote healthy skin by nourishing from the outside in.

6. Natural cosmetics are more active. Excluding water, they often contain up to 95% active ingredients rather than 5% active ingredients in a 95% inert (non-active) base, as in many of everyday personal care products and cosmetics. You will notice a difference when you use natural products.

7. Wholly natural products are not tested on animals.

8. Many of the suppliers of natural skin care are local and cottage industries. Buying these products supports sustainable manufacturing processes, the ability to maintain quality control by hand making small quantities in order to provide fresh product, small business enterprise and local communities.

9. Natural products are environmentally friendly. Recent studies have shown that the chemicals and toxins found in most skin care products have a harmful effect on the environment as well as taking longer to break down than whole, unrefined ingredients.

10. Value for money. Natural products are often cheaper than synthetic products as they don’t have to compete in the hyped brand focused market. You are also paying for active rather than inert ingredients. When considering the benefits available form natural skin care, the value of natural products outweighs anything else on the market.

For more information about natural and organic skin care products contact Ananda at http://www.vitalenatural.com.au or at info@vitalenatural.com.au

Ananda Mahony ND has been involved in the natural skin care industry for many years. This article outlines the benefits of natural skin care over their synthetic counterparts. Please include this credit if you use this article.

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