IN THE world of beauty today, the word 'natural' has become a catchphrase that many cosmetics companies have latched onto, all in a bid to appeal to increasingly health-conscious consumers. But the reality is that only a handful of these labels are as natural as they claim to be and to find one that is all natural is nearly (but not entirely) impossible.
'Natural skincare should be skincare that utilises as many safe ingredients derived from nature as possible, for example; aloe for soothing, green tea extract for antimicrobial action, etc,' explains Calvin Chan from Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic.
'It is unfortunate however, that many 'natural' skincare labels contain natural ingredients but also common chemical preservatives and texture enhancers, as well as perfumes and dyes that are known to be irritating or harmful.
'If you have a penchant for natural products, choose a product from a brand that you trust (so that the labelling will at least be trustworthy) with active ingredients that has a proven track record with your skin, and look for claims that the product is free of ingredients like parabens, sulphates, pthalates or perfume.'
Indeed, as Chee Mei Lin, general manager of Eco Chic Pte Ltd that distributes the all-natural New Zealand skincare label Living Nature, points out, despite a growing demand for natural skincare products in Singapore, 'in reality only a handful of the consumers actually know that their supposedly natural products actually contain some very harmful ingredients'.
She concludes: 'We usually advise our customers to bring their existing skincare products in so we can educate them on how to read the ingredient labels and how to identify the natural ingredients and chemical ingredients in the list.'
To make things easier for the health conscious, we sieve through the myriad labels on the market to find the most natural products available.
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