A quick guide to natural skincare products
By Carla Snuggs
If it seems like there are more and more companies offering all-natural skincare products it is probably because there are. The demand for all-natural skincare is skyrocketing thanks to a growing knowledge of the ingredients found in synthetic products. People are coming to realize that plant-based skincare is a better choice.
With the rising popularity of all-natural skincare comes a body of knowledge that people using the products should be familiar with. For example, what constitutes an all-natural product? What kinds of ingredients are used, and from where are they sourced? These questions are just two of many users of natural skincare products should be asking and seeking answers to.
Poéthique founder Gayatri Pradhan is a big believer in natural skincare. She founded her company on a philosophy of combining natural ingredients with the vast wealth of beauty wisdom to create a product line she fully believes in. Pradhan offers three things she believes everyone needs to know about natural skin care products:
1. 100% Natural Is Important
For marketing and labeling purposes, the term 'natural' may not mean what customers think it means. Therefore, it is imperative to closely read labels and pay attention to ingredients. A 100% natural product, like Poéthique's Radiance Boosting Serum, uses only plant-based materials. No sulfates, parabens, silicones, PEGS, or synthetic dyes and fragrances are used.
Some people are okay with synthetic ingredients in their skincare products. That's fine. But if you want a product that is completely natural, you have to pay attention to what's in it. Otherwise, you might think you are buying all-natural when the product you have chosen is anything but.
2. Natural Products Have a Limited Shelf Life
A question that Poéthique fields regularly is one having to do with shelf life. Customers want to know how long Poéthique products will last before they should be disposed of. According to the company's website, unopened products have an average shelf life of about 12 months. The company strongly recommends consumers completely use products within 3 to 6 months of opening.
Shelf life boils down to the use of synthetic preservatives. Because a truly natural product does not utilize such preservatives, there is a definite shelf life that needs to be observed. All-natural products do not last forever.
3. Discoloration Is Not Always a Problem
Lastly, Pradhan reminds her customers that discoloration is not always a problem when it comes to plant-based skincare products. Botanical oils and extracts react to environmental exposure in different ways. Sometimes that reaction involves discoloration. Natural products can change color slightly after exposure to light, temperature fluctuations, and air.
Pradhan said that two things to be careful about are foul odors and deep yellow discolorations. Both are signs that a product has gone bad and should be discarded. To avoid these kinds of reactions, natural skincare products should be stored away from direct sunlight and in a cool, dry place.
Working with Nature
There are many reasons consumers might choose to use natural skincare products rather than their synthetic counterparts. Skincare companies have just as many reasons for producing the products they sell. For Pradhan and Poéthique, it is really about working with nature rather than against it.
Part of the Poéthique philosophy is the realization that nature has been designed to function in its own unique way. When allowed to run its course, nature does a very good job of repairing damage caused by environmental exposure and age. Natural skincare products are intended to work with nature by enhancing its self-healing properties with the use of natural ingredients that are known to be effective.
