Is natural skin care really better then cosmetic skin care?

[Dynamo321]

I was introduced to a natural skincare company a little while ago. I have been impressed with some of their products and would like to know before I dig too deep if natural skin care products are really generally better then their cosmetic counterparts.

And while I am at it, have you heard of the company that I have tried and have any of your tried any of their other products. They seem to have a fairly diverse list but I have only been introduced to a short few of their products. I would love to hear your experiences.

Thank you.

Oh yes, the link:
skintreats.ca

[orangehrzn]

Some of the noncomedogenic oils are the best night moisturizers: avocado, borage, rosehip seed, jojoba etc. I buy mine from mountainroseherbs.com at very reasonable prices.

I would stick with those instead of buying 'natural cosmetics' cause they always put something and screw the whole thing up, natural or unnatural. Like for example they add essential oils for fragrance and doesn't matter how natural those are, they can be quite irritable. I've also tried 'natural shampoo' from Avalon organics and it makes my body skin flake. The 'unnatural' shampoos of Johnson for babies and St Ives beat the hell out of it in terms of non-irritation. It's just an example that a 'natural' product can be as irritable as the usual 'chemical' ones. So just because they took raw materials and mixed them with the usual crap or they added 'natural' fragrance oils doesn't mean it would be less irritable.

[Dynamo321]

Thank you so much for your great reply.

So what I understand from your post is that I should use trial and error when it comes to the products I prefer and don't necessarily worry if ingredients are natural or not because both may cause irritation. I hear as a general rule that cosmetic products are generally more damaging then natural ones. is this true? Or just a push to get people to buy their natural lines?

Are natural products as damaging as cosmetic products? Or in general is it a safe bet to try natural alternatives before trying cosmetic products? I have heard many bad things about cosmetic products and would like to further query your opinion.

Thank you again. I again look forward to your reply.

[Dynamo321]

oh yes, and what exactly is:
comedogenic

?

Thanks!

[orangehrzn]

If you need moisturizer, the best night moisturizers are some natural oils that don't break you out (that's what non comedogenic means). Cooking oils like Crisco are the best moisturizers, I'm not kidding.

The moisturizers created by the standard cosmetics industry, including glycerin or Hyaluronic acid are simply a joke compared to that. On the other hand the standard cosmetic industry has stuff that exfoliates the epidermis but is usually quite harsh - retin A, vit A, vit C, AHA, BHA etc. If your skin tolerates those, use them.

Another achievement of the standard cosmetics industry are the oil based non irritable cleansers - made of oils and emulsifiers. You will need a ZnO based sunscreen too. Those are still being perfected although there are some close to the ideal.

Apart from that, anything else belonging either to standard 'chemical' cosmetics or 'natural' lines is pretty much fragrant useless puffery.

[sdguy]

orangehrzn, can you recommend a few non-drying cleaners for the body? I picked up cetaphil for my face and that seems ok, but still using standard soap on my body and I'm realizing how drying it is.

[orangehrzn]

I highly recommend St Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter moisturizing body wash - awesome and non irritable I use it as shampoo too and it doesn't leave my face dry and red. It is even better than Johnson baby shampoos in terms of non-irritability. That is a prime example of 'chemical' cosmetics that contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate but due to good formulation is just excellent and non irritable. This particular wash seems to be available only online.

I've also tried St Ives Fresh H2O Moisturizing Body Wash which is is available at Walgreens, very cheap and very non-drying and non-irritable like the previous one. I would go with the previous one though if your skin is extra sensitive/dry/flaking because it contains oatmeal which is quite soothing. In general I suspect all washes in the 'Moisturizing body wash' line of St. Ives are pretty cheap, good and deliver what is advertised.

My skin feels clean smooth and doesn't flake with those.

[sdguy]

Great, thanks! I'll give them a try.