With its roots in the environment, natural beauty has garnered a huge fanbase of beauty aficionados in recent years. In fact, the natural and organic cosmetics market made a staggering £221 million in revenue last year, demonstrating its widespread appeal to skincare shoppers who want to revolve their skincare routines around natural ingredients and their plant-based finished products. Industry insights from Statista 2021 reveal that “the global market for natural cosmetics has seen consistent growth over the last ten years, and is set to continue to soar in the next decade,”.
Social media influencers are going all natural to help their skin look better, eco-friendly shoppers are opting for natural products to help the planet, and beauty-conscious consumers are looking for the best way to use natural products to keep their skin feeling healthy and them feeling happy.
But the problem is, ‘natural’ isn’t exactly an official term. There’s no single definition to it, which means figuring out what is actually natural and what isn’t can feel like a minefield. So today we answer the important questions: What is natural skincare? Are natural skincare products good for the skin? And can natural skincare help some of the more stubborn skin problems?
What is Natural Skincare?
The word ‘natural’ can mean a lot of different things. But in the world of skincare, it means your skincare products, like lotions, serums, creams and cleansers, are made from ingredients available in nature, with as little processed ingredients as possible. This doesn’t mean it’s ‘chemical free’, since everything in the world is made from chemicals—but it does mean that all of the ingredients are natural, and not ‘man-made’ compounds.
It can get a little confusing in some places, because there are certain natural chemicals—like citric acid— that can be ‘lab synthesised’ to be identical to nature, without draining the natural resources of the world. Modern consumers are more savvy than ever, and they want skincare products that not only work, but are cleaner, more sustainable and ethical as well. Luckily, truly natural skincare ticks all of these boxes.
Why Did I Choose Natural Skincare?
For me, Skinfood was always going to be a natural brand. Since I was a little girl I’ve always had a connection with nature, and I’m grateful to live in a place where I can go on long walks, taking photos of scenery, plants, insects and animals along the way.
As I grew up, I started to realise the impact nature can have on our lives, and I became fascinated by the type of support nature can offer humans in terms of our wellbeing and health. I dove headfirst into the research, and I learned so much about the amazing benefits of natural ingredients, eventually training as a cosmetic scientist.
Through careful study, I learned about how botanical products can be a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, essential oils, hydrocolloids, proteins, terpenoids and other bioactive compounds—all while being safe and cheaper than synthetic alternatives. I wanted to share the bounty of plants and fruits with other people in my own skincare line, so that they could see the amazing results.
One of the things you might not think about when you hear natural skincare is the benefits it can bring to your physical and mental health—not just your skin. You see, your skin health, self-esteem and confidence are all intrinsically linked, so taking care of one can naturally improve the others.
If you’ve ever had skin issues then you know how self-conscious they can make you—and I myself struggled with hormonal acne as the result of severe stress and anxiety. The chemical imbalance this caused in my skin was huge, and that’s part of the reason I started to look into how I could fix it naturally.
Finally, I was drawn to the fact that natural skincare is better for the environment, and my conscience, than more synthetic-heavy products. By making better choices we can make a real and significant impact on the planet, and by supporting businesses with good ethics, customers receive better service and better products.
That’s why I also get involved with community initiatives that preserve, protect and respect the resources the natural world provides us with. Because I truly believe that together, we can make a difference.
Are Natural Skincare Products Really Better?
You’ve probably heard us rave about natural skincare for quite a while now. But what’s so amazing about it? Simple. Our bodies are natural things, and they recognise other natural chemical structures when they come into contact with them.
So when you use natural chemicals in skincare, your body is able to identify them and absorb them for healthy use. The compounds in nature can be broken down by our bodies much more easily, and so our bodies will draw on them first for everyday cellular functions when needed. They are also much less harmful to the environment, so any product that’s washed away is less likely to cause harm.
With synthetic chemicals and compounds, our bodies struggle to recognise them, and because they are unfamiliar, the body doesn’t know how to use them and will often store them, reject them as waste, or trigger an allergic reaction. Synthetic compounds aren’t as easy for the body to use, and they can also be harmful to soil and waterways when disposed of. So really, choosing natural skincare was the only option for me.
The Best Natural Skincare Products
Natural skincare for acne
Acne affects around 85% of young adults, making it one of the most common skin conditions in the world. It happens when your pores become blocked by oil, bacteria, dead skin cells and dirt. Acne tends to be much worse than a single spot, and it can be incredibly painful and difficult to live with. Harsh chemicals and fragrances can make acne worse, so natural skincare is a great alternative.
Any product with ingredients like tea tree oil, witch hazel, grapefruit oil and aloe vera will be soothing and help clear up acne.
Our purifying witch hazel toner is a great choice for acne-prone skin.
Natural skincare for oily skin
Oily skin is generally caused by an overproduction of sebum from the glands just under the skin's surface, called your sebaceous glands. Sebum itself isn’t a bad thing (it’s what keeps your hair shiny and healthy), but too much of it can clog your pores and cause spots and acne. So you want ingredients that can cleanse, clear and tighten your pores, like antioxidants, salicylic acid and ellagic acid—all of which you can find in
our radiance boosting cleanser.
Natural skincare for dry skin
Everyone has suffered with a bit of dry skin from time to time, but sometimes it’s worse than others. Most of the time it’s caused by environmental factors – everything from hot showers to harsh soaps, but it can be genetic too. So you want skincare heavy in moisturising ingredients, like coconut oil and shea butter. Antioxidants can also help minimise the damage from dry skin and support your body in making healthy cells, many of which can be found in natural ingredients.
Our fabulous frankincense renewal cream is wonderfully nourishing for dry skin.
Why Skinfood?
Skinfood strives to source ingredients from a smaller number of trusted suppliers that it has good working relationships with and who can provide us with the relevant documentation and certifications for the provenance of their ingredients. Skinfood is currently working through the COSMOS certification process, which requires the sourcing of ingredients to be stringently monitored and documented. It's a lengthy and comprehensive certification scheme, which means that customers can trust the products that carry this mark.
If you’re looking for a reason to try out natural skincare products, I hope you’ve found a few! Skinfood is all about unleashing the power of plants, fruits, vegetables and the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and antibacterial compounds they contain, and bringing them to you in skincare. Each product was designed by myself as a cosmetic scientist, to work in tandem with a healthy diet and lifestyle to boost the skin's defences and help you feel your best.
