Natural Skin Care

The Truth About Natural Skin Care
Products and Sensitive Skin

Why do some natural skin care products cause inflammation and allergic reactions for those of us who have sensitive skin? Do natural products really help sensitive skin?

For those of us who have sensitive skin, our bodies are reacting with inflammation to the substances we are putting on our skin.

We learn through sometimes painful experience, that we need to be more careful about what we put on our bodies.

Those of us with sensitive skin may find that we have bad reactions to skin care products with toxic ingredients, but we may also find our skin breaking out from using natural skin care products too! Why is this?

Our bodies actually absorb many of the ingredients we put onto our skin. If you are not sure about this, you can try my famous 'garlic experiment' to illustrate.

I had an earache once and was out of my herbal eardrops, and I heard that putting a clove of garlic, gently in the ear canal, would help. ( You need to have a large enough piece that it won't get stuck in your inner ear!)

Well my earache went away, but within a half an hour my breath was, well, VERY garlicky! I could even taste the garlic which was emanating from my entire body!

Because our bodies absorb our cosmetics and skin creams, we want to use pure, clean ingredients that will support our health rather than cause irritation.

Sensitive skin is easily irritated by all kinds of things, not only toxic ingredients but also natural ones! Why is this?

One of the huge problems we face in dealing with sensitive skin is that many cosmetic and skin care ingredients have been demonstrated by research to be irritating or even downright harmful to health! In the United States there is no legal standard for organic or natural personal care products.

Many skin care and personal care products contain artificial fragrance which is considered a trade secret and therefore is not required to be disclosed on ingredient lists.

These fragrances contain many synthetic chemical compounds which can cause allergies, sensitivities, and in some cases have even been shown to be toxic to the brain. That is just one example. For more information please visit our Safe Cosmetics section.

Although there is more publicity now about the harmful toxins in most skin care and personal care products, there is another, little known source of irritation and inflammation for sensitive skin from a source you'd never believe.

Your natural skincare products!!

Why is this? The reason is that many herbs, essential oils and botanical ingredients have potent medicinal properties.

These healing properties can be useful if we are sick, but they may also cause irritation or other kinds of imbalance to our sensitive bodies.

If we are already taking herbs or medicines for health purposes, the botanicals in our skin care could cause cross reactions.

For some people with sensitive skin, herbs, essential oils and botanical ingredients can cause allergic reactions.

For example, green tea is a commonly used ingredient in many organic skin care products. Green tea is an amazing gift from Mother Nature that has a huge list of medicinal and healing properties.

Green tea is a stimulant, an antioxidant, has anti-viral properties, is a digestive aid, a diuretic, an expectorant, an analgesic (helps to relieve pain), is astringent, caridiotonic (good for the heart), a nervine (good for the nervous system), and more.

Whew! It sounds great, doesn't it!

I adore green tea, I used to love to drink it, but recently I find it gives me a headache. I also discovered when I use skin care products with green tea, my skin breaks out!

There are foods and herbs that contain natural anti-inflammatories called salicylates. This is the same substance found in aspirin.

Some people have a sensitivity to salicylates and to aspirin and they experience a whole host of allergic symptoms anytime they are exposed to them.

Salicylates are contained in many foods, personal care products, and medicines. Like any potent natural substance, when you have sensitive skin it is wise to use moderation, and to get your natural salicylates from your food, rather than from your personal care products.

I personally choose to use salicylate free products for my skin care, personal care and dental care whenever I can, to help reduce stress on my body and to minimize allergic reactions.

Salicylate sensitivity is not yet well known, but is another concern when using natural skin care products that you may not have considered.

Also, think about this. Most natural substances spoil easily and can go rancid at room temperature in just a few days.!

Companies that use botanicals, herbs and natural products in their skin care products must use preservatives in order to keep them from spoiling.

These are not required to be listed on the label as long as the plant has been soaked in the preservative and not added separately.

Right now there is no FDA labeling regulation for disclosing all the ingredients used in personal care and cosmetic products.

Some of the best, truly all natural skin care treatments out there consist of ingredients you can find in your kitchen!

Though a little less convenient that simply opening a jar, these kinds of natural skincare treatments are inexpensive and can provide healthy an natural support to sensitive skin.

Even better, you can make them up fresh so you don't need preservatives.

Oatmeal, yogurt, salt, coconut oil, vinegar, lemon, and even chocolate and coffee offer many healing benefits for skin.

You can get some great ideas for creating your own natural skin care recipes here at our Skin Care Tips section.

Natural skin care is not just for your face! By taking care of your whole body, your natural inner beauty and radiance will shine through! To learn more about whole body natural health, please visit Natural Healing Health.

Unfortunately most of the hypoallergenic products I've researched that are botnical free, carry other kinds of ingredients that are hazardous such Propylene Glycol, mineral oil, petroleum products, Ceteareth, BHT, Polyethylene and more.

So far I've only found one company that makes safe hypoallergenic products without botanicals AND without toxic ingredients.

To learn more about natural skin care for sensitive skin, please request our free eBook How to Clear ANY Skin Problem Naturally, WITHOUT Expensive Creams or Endless Doctor Visits.

This course will show you how to discover whether your skin care and personal care products are chemically safe, and how to rejuvenate your skin and repair skin damage using holistic and natural methods.

Related Articles

Salicylate Free Products
Paraben Free Products
Hypoallergenic Products
Natural Beauty Secrets