Recent studies show that the skin absorbs up to 60% of the chemicals in products. This means the ingredients you put on your skin can come into direct contact with your bloodstream. Simply put, what we put on our skin should be as clean as what we eat, but most people are unaware of the situation. You would think that the FDA would regulate ingredients for skin care but in the US there is very little regulation. The US has banned only 11 chemicals from use while in comparison, the EU has banned over 1,300 chemicals for use in cosmetics and skincare. It’s up to each of use to protect ourselves and chose the best ingredients in our skincare products.
What does organic really mean? Organic is defined as living matter that is produced or involved in production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents. Chemically, when you use key organic ingredients on your skin they can more easily and effectively be absorbed into your body without harm.
Now that you understand the harm of using unnatural, unclean or toxic ingredients on your skin let’s get into how you can find the best organic skin care ingredients. First, you need to be aware of the scientific benefit of each organic ingredient. The second step is to mix the perfect combination and ratio of each ingredient so that you can get the optimal overall results. Here are some examples of organic ingredients and their benefits. We are sharing these from SHINE Organic Brightening Facial Oil.
Pomegranate Seed Oil Known as the “fruit of the gods”, pomegranate seed oil is perfect for reducing dark spots and signs of aging. High in Vitamin C, this oil protects from oxidative damage while reducing the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles by boosting collagen production naturally.
Argan OilBesides being a great moisturizer, argan oil is packed with EFAs and antioxidants polyphenols, for hydrated, younger-looking skin.
Jojoba OilBesides being packed with hydrating EFAs, Jojoba oil mimics the skin’s natural sebum (oil), making it a great candidate for regulating skin oil production while increasing the penetration of all the other active ingredients.
Sunflower OilVery high in Oleic Acid (Omega 9) and Vitamin E, sunflower oil protects the skin from oxidative damage (skins of aging) while keeping the skin’s moisture in tact.
Licorice Root ExtractGlabridin, a potent alternative to hydroqui none, fades hyperpigmentation with ease. Licorice root is one of the most researched effective and natural compounds for reducing hyperpigmentation in the skin.
Lemon Peel OilNatural sources of Vitamin C from lemon peel brightens skin, protects against aging, and stimulates new cell growth.
Bearberry ExtractNatural arbutin from bearberry extract naturally lightens hyperpigmentation in the skin, including dark spots from sun damage, age, acne or even scars. Arbutin works by blocking tyrosinase–the enzymes in melanocytes that cause darkening. Plus, it’s even more effective than kojic acid.
Elderberry ExtractPacked with vitamins A & C, anthocyanins & flavanoids, elderberry firms and improves skin’s elasticity, smoothing fine lines and assuaging wrinkles.
Grapefruit Seed ExtractPacked with phytonutrient lycopene and Vitamins C, B5 & B9, antioxidant Grapefruit seed oil protects from oxidative damage by fighting free radicals, while brightening. It’s also an anti-microbial, keeping your face oil safe from microorganisms.
Jasmine Oil Acting as a powerful emollient, jasmine prevents skin from losing its moisture and calms inflammation while providing a delicate scent.
For more sophisticated organic skin care, items are created by considering a healing carrier oil along with additional organic ingredients so that you get multiple benefits all at once.
As an example, we prefer to use squalane as the natural carrier of many ingredients because it is known to help the active ingredients penetrate deeper and faster into the skin for better anti-aging results. The example below highlights the carrier oil and ingredients in our anti-aging organic Rewind Toning Oil.
What exactly is Squalane carrying?
Honeysuckle flower extract is a powerful source of anti-oxidant flavanoids and saponins, making it a good anti-ager. It’s an anti-oxidant, so it helps reduce free radicals and the aging skin damage that comes with free radicals.
Honeysuckle extract also contains a form of salicylic acid (p-hydroxy benzoic acid of the salicylic class), which you might know from acne treatments. Salicylic acid–also known as a BHA–is a chemical exfoliator that helps prevent pores from getting clogged by correcting the abnormal shedding of cells. It has aspirin-like properties (because aspirin is made from salicylic acid), giving it anti-inflammatory properties. It can improve skin thickness, barrier functions and collagen production — that’s all good news for your skin. An added benefit is that natural honeysuckle has a sweet pleasing scent which makes the use of REWIND even more wondrous.
The next ingredient, lavender flower extract, reduces redness and inflammation – both of which will make your skin look old and over-worked.
Then sage leaf and spearmint leaf extracts join the formulation. Both are high in rosmarinic acid (much more so than rosemary itself), which is a great regulator for melanin —meaning it helps keep your skin tone even and keeps dark and damaged spots at bay (while fading the ones you already have). This is especially true when using spearmint leaf and sage at the same time – which we do in REWIND.
Rosmarinic acid in spearmint leaf also helps alleviate signs of oxidative stress, and is strongly antioxidant. Overall, the carvones in spearmint leaves help reduce stress in the body, even when applied topically. Using spearmint leaf extract is just a great way to tell your body and skin to calm down.
Finally, the terpenes in spearmint leaf extract are penetration enhancers, like jojoba oil and squalane, so you don’t have to worry about the active ingredients in this formulation making it deep into your skin! Seriously, that’s a big issue that us beauty bloggers look at when weighing skincare products: Will the active ingredients in this formulation even be able to penetrate the skin? So no worries, REWIND will.
Rose damascena, extracted with pomegranated seed oil, round out the formulation. Rose damascena has been used for centuries in the Middle East for it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, antitussive, hypnotic, antidiabetic, and relaxant effects. For REWIND, we just care about the first two things–reducing inflammation and protecting skin from oxidative damage due to sun exposure, pollution and other environmental factors.
Additionally, rose is high in natural skin brightener and toner, vitamin C. The reason we extract our roses in pomegranate seed oil, was to get the highest vitamin C content, bringing the brightening aspect into the formulation, alongside the melanin regulating effects that rosmarinic acid in spearmint and sage bring. The outlined example you’ve been reading about is for REWIND Organic Toning Oil.
In summary, your skin absorbs the ingredients you place on it. So much like choosing organic foods, organic skin care can help you to be healthier. Look for brands that have organic ingredients and are transparent relative to labeling. A credible brand will also share the benefits of the ingredients so that you understand why and how the product works.
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