Sweet weekend - how to read skincare labels

Image

Making sense of labels on skincare when you're trying to 'clean up' your products can be totally confusing.
The majority of ingredients on many skincare products you'd find on your regular supermarket shelf are too difficult to even pronounce, let alone understand whether they're on the 'naughty' or 'nice' list.

Gorgeously Green recently discussed this very topic. And she has given some handy tips you can use when you're on your next product-shopping-spree:

• Always keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, beginning with the largest. On many products you will find the first ingredient is often something like water or oil. Fragrances and colours are usually last. 
• Keep an eye out for terms used such as 'hypoallergenic', 'allergy-tested' and 'safe for sensitive skin'. The FDA doesn't require manufacturers to validate these claims so they're pretty meaningless. 
• Other red flags to keep in mind are terms like 'Natural', 'Natural Ingredients', 'All-natural', 'Ultra-fine' or 'micro-fine'. Again, meaningless without certification.
• Look for products that are hand-poured, and made in small batches as they tend to be fresher, therefore containing more active ingredients.
• Keep a look out for products with one of the following third-party certifications: USDA, Soil Association (UK), ECOCERT (Europe), BDIH (Germany), AIAB (Italy).
• A few ingredients to always look out for and avoid when purchasing new products include: parabens, petrochemicals, SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), fragrance and talc.

Sure, there are plenty more nasties that you may find hiding in your skincare, but learning all the bad guys can be a little overwhelming.
My tip is try to stick to the basics, as mentioned above.
Another favourite trick I have noticed many skincare companies using is 'organic'. Many people believe that just because a product is stocked in your local health food store and it has 'organic' on it, means that it must be ok.
Well, think again!
There's really no hard and fast rules for the use of this one either. A product may use organic coconut oil for instance, and so with the use of this (along with a multitude of other not-so-organic ingredients), they decide to plant the word 'organic' in bold on the front of their packaging. I'm sure we've all fallen for that old trick before!

If you're interested in learning more about cleaning up your skincare then I'd highly recommend reading 'No More Dirty Looks - The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics', a book written by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt. These girls also write a fab blog that's worth checking out!