Who doesn’t love a good facemask and beauty pamper routine. Maybe you’re more of a slap on the moisturiser kind of gal (or guy). For some, our skincare rituals are an unavoidable component of our self care regimes. For others, it’s more a case of the essentials. You do you. However extravagant your beauty rituals are, it’s important to consider – are all beauty products created equal? And could some be causing more harm than good?
We are lucky to live in a world where we have so much choice. There are just about as many options of what beauty products to put on our skin than there are foods to eat! Entire stores and companies dedicate themselves to providing the lotions and potions, we can have almost anything we want. We can choose our perfect potion from the scent, the texture, the claimed benefits, the brand, you name it – we’ve got options. However – perhaps the most important thing to consider is the ingredients list. What is actually in it? Are those chemicals with 22 letters actually good for our skin or are we best to go for something more natural?
There’s a saying we often go back to when it comes to selecting products and that’s: “nature does it best.” We believe it’s highly important to be aware of what we’re putting on our bodies and the potential impact this has on our health and wellbeing. Natural products are not only often more gentle on our skin, but they also don’t mess with our hormones. One of the most prominent interferences to our hormones are what we call endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals which are similar to our hormones in chemical structure, but not the same. They can mimic or interfere with our own hormones which may eventually lead to health problems over time. Endocrine disruptors can be found in things like plastic containers, food packaging, cleaning products, pesticides and beauty products. Being the largest organ in the body and a major site of absorption, do we really want to be smearing these hormone disruptors all over our bodies?
The good news is that many companies have done the hard work for us. There is a growing range of brands which maintain strict standards of ingredients and will not allow anything unnatural or potentially harmful be included in their products. They are dedicated in providing the high standard of beauty products we are used to, without the nasties.
Here are two of our favourites New Zealand companies who are leading the way in natural beauty products:
A little family owned business based in Palmerston North. The Herb Farm was created by herbalist, Lynn Kirkland in 1993. Her humble beginnings of making products for her friends and family quickly grew with the demand for natural products that worked. Today The Herb Farm has an on-site processing plant, large herb garden, cafe and function centre. Their products remain formulated by Lynn and crafted with love.
A pioneer in New Zealand natural skincare, Living Nature was founded in 1987 by Suzanne Hall who began using the healing properties of native plants to treat her own skin conditions. Based in KeriKeri, New Zealand, Living Nature highlights the magic of our native plants as key ingredients in their certified natural skincare products.
Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for educational purposes only. Please do not use this information to diagnose or treat any health concerns you may have. This information is not intended to replace the advice given to you by a qualified health professional. Get in contact with a Tonic Health consultant or a relevant health professional if you need guidance on your individual health journey.