If we want to care for our skin as well as our looks, there’s a number of steps we can take to protect ourselves.

Make sure the product is certified. Because natural and organic skincare has become so popular, a number of companies have jumped on the bandwagon and adopted marketing techniques designed to convince us that their product is made from natural sources. Unfortunately, this is often not true. Just because a product has a natural sounding name, or contains a natural ingredient, it doesn’t mean it is wholly natural and good for you. In the absence of government regulation to stop this unscrupulous practice, the only way to be sure you’re getting what you want is to look for products that are certified organic or as made from organic.

Don't forget your sunscreen! Choose your sunscreen wisely. Applying sunscreen has become second nature to almost all of us. Trouble is, we’ve become so intent on avoiding sun damage that we haven’t really stopped to question what’s in the sunscreen we’re applying to our skin. The answer, in most cases, is nothing good. Many conventional sunscreens include chemicals like benzophenone and PABA which are known endocrine disruptors and which have been linked to cancer.29 They are also designed to absorb easily, meaning they quickly get into our bloodstream, where they can have toxic effects. It’s strongly recommended that you seek out natural sunscreen alternatives instead.

CO2 extracts Think supercritical. Although organic cosmetics are undoubtedly a better choice than conventional cosmetics, they’re not all born equal. One reason for this is the quality and variety of ingredients used, whilst it can also help to consider how the various oils and nutrients derived from these ingredients have been extracted. Whilst most extraction methods rely on chemical solvents or alcohol, there’s a new, revolutionary extraction technique that some companies are turning to, called supercritical extraction. The magic of supercritical extraction is that it captures the maximum nutritional and beauty benefits of the whole plant – literally thousands of important compounds – and not just isolated chemical constituents. Not only that, but supercritical extracts per weight of herbs are between 100–250 times more concentrated, as well as being ultimately more pure and ‘whole’, than traditional herbal extracts used in most skincare today. If you get the chance, take the time to look around for products that use supercritical extracts. Your skin will love you for it!

This blog post was written for educational purposes only. It is not designed to diagnose, treat or cure. For individual health concerns World Organics recommends that you consult with a relevant health professional.