The New Year Skin Detox

It’s 2019, baby! Time for healthy, happy skin. There’s no time like the present to take advantage of the “out with the old, in with the new” mindset. Today, we are going to apply this to our skincare products.

If you’re like me, you may be a hoarder of all things skincare. Anything that looks pretty or smells great is something that I will instantly throw into my cart at checkout. But for 2019, my resolution is to refrain from buying things because of their scent or visual appearance. Instead, I am going to focus on what’s inside the pretty smelling bottle.

As I rummage through my medicine cabinet and bottom drawers of the bathroom, I notice that many of the products I am still actively using have expired. Yikes! The danger with expired skincare products isn’t just lack of effectiveness, but also irritation and bacterial infections. Toss those out asap!

Secondly, I am going to take a deeper look into the actual ingredients in each bottle. Remember, marketing claims can be misleading, and just because they say ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ doesn’t mean there aren’t any harmful ingredients mixed in.

Another great reason? Animals. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to help animals! Many products still sold today test on animals. While it may not always say on the packaging, it’s best to go online and do your research.

Here’s a list of a few of the most common ingredients that just gotta go this year!

1. Parabens – methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, heptylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, and benzylparaben.
2. Sodium laureth sulphate (SLeS) and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) – sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate.
3. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) – PEG eg PEG-100 Stearate or Polysorbate (ex. Polysorbate 20).
4. Mineral Oil – paraffinum liquidum, paraffinum, cera microcristallina, petrolatum, mineral oil, or paraffin waxes.
5. Animal-derived ingredients – beeswax, cera alba, cera bellina, lanolin, lanolin alcohol, lanolin wax, lanolin cera, or laneth.
6. Synthetic fragrance – fragrance or parfum.
7. Formaldehyde releasers – imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quarternium-15.
8. Silicone – Dimethicone, Methicone, Trimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Amodimethicone, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, or Dimethiconol.

Remember, even if products say ‘organic’ or ‘natural’, it’s important to triple check the ingredients list and research the company before using. Start 2019 off right, with a medicine cabinet full of clean skincare!

For more information on why these ingredients are so harmful for you, please visit our friends at The School of Natural Skincare.

Want something all natural, hand-made and amazing for your skincare? Try Baraka Shea Butter You can use it as is (order it here), make your own DIY products with it (see recipes here) or look for some of the amazing products that people make with Baraka Shea Butter here.

This blog post was written by Sonia Chopra.