WHAT MAKES A GOOD NATURAL SKIN CARE ROUTINE?

A good natural skin care routine has two key components—it uses natural products and it works well for your skin. That’s pretty much it! As you can probably tell from that description, building your own natural skin care routine is a very personal process. Your product lineup will depend on your skin type, your daily habits, your skin goals, your budget, and a number of other factors that only you can determine.

ARE NATURAL SKIN CARE PRODUCTS BETTER THAN OTHERS?

The answer here is complicated. First, let’s talk about the difference between “organic” products and “natural” products. For a product to be labeled as organic, it has to meet specific criteria with the USDA about ingredient makeups and sourcing. For a product to be labeled as natural, the criteria are more lenient. However, there are many loopholes, still. It’s best to check the ingredient list yourself to look out for potential harmful additives or preservatives. Get to know the brand and their sourcing practices, their ethics and how they formulate. Not all Organic labels mean that the formulation and sourcing practices are necessarily is up to par.

Again, you’re left with a very personal decision about what you want out of your skin care products. The argument for natural or organic products in general is that our skin is very sensitive, and our body can absorb many of the ingredients in topical solutions through the skin. The closer you can get to an all-natural solution, the better for your skin’s health and your overall health. It’s up to you to decide where you fall on that spectrum, but here are our tips for adopting a natural skin care routine if you decide to go that route.

HOW TO START A NATURAL SKIN CARE ROUTINE

First, it’s a good idea to learn the ingredients you’re going to want to avoid in your product search. While some natural products are labeled as such, others aren’t, and it’s often easiest to familiarize yourself with a few basic ingredients to avoid.

Here are a few things you’ll want to look out for if you’re aiming for all-natural products:

• Parabens (methylparaben, isopropylparaben, etc.)
• Phthalates (DEHP, DEP, DBP, etc.)
• Formaldehyde
• Mineral oil
• Toluene
• Aluminum
• Oxybenzone

This isn’t a comprehensive list, so as you begin learning about common skincare ingredients, it’s a good idea to take a look at the list and do a quick search for anything you’ve never heard of before. In many cases, the ingredient will be safe and it’ll just have a strange scientific name, but in some cases, you’ll find another ingredient you’d rather avoid. Then, you’ll know to look out for it in the future. A great resource to learn about ingredients and their possible risks is through the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Next, if you identified any staples in your current skin care routine that don’t make the “natural” cut, look for alternatives that do. Pro tip: Everything in the Lilly B shop is guaranteed non-toxic and sustainable, so you can find all kinds of products that fit right into your routine! Our mission is to provide clean beauty products you’ll love, and we don’t sell anything that contains the ingredients you see in the list above.

Lastly, be open to swapping things out over time. Try slowly introducing new products one or two at a time so that it’s easy to notice if your skin is reacting badly to a new product. If something doesn’t work, keep trying until you find something that does. Especially consider seasonal changes and how your skin reacts to weather conditions.

Congratulations on taking the first step towards natural skin care—we hope you find the perfect new routine for your skin!