If you are one of the million + viewers of The Story of Cosmetics, you no doubt were a little disconcerted to find out so many synthetic and chemical additives make their way into common skin care products.
Some of the worst offenders are preservatives like parabens or formaldehyde derivatives – they prolong the shelf life of products but can accumulate in our bodies and reach potentially harmful levels. Other ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum and fillers don’t in fact hydrate the skin all that much – but act more like cling film that clogs pores and can lead to breakouts or irritation. Not to mention harsh surfactants disrupt skin’s pH and strip its protective acid mantle…
So what can we do to reduce the 100 or more different synthetic chemicals in our daily skin care routine?
