20 Apr Feature article submission: Natural is the new black

Natural is the new black

First worn by Cleopatra before 51 BC Egypt, make-up made of nature’s own products is coming back. Against common beliefs, natural beauty doesn’t mean being bare faced without any make-up. It’s about cosmetic products made of natural ingredients. I got the opportunity to interview experts working for big natural brands and ask some questions to find out what natural cosmetics are all about.

What is a natural product?

“Natural product is a product where there is no synthetics at all “, Iisa Rombout, a trainee manager from LUSH handmade cosmetics clarifies, “Some of the products we sell are 100% natural without synthetics. They’re always hand made and all our ingredients are from fair trades.” According to LUSH it is extremely important to keep touch with the suppliers who provide the ingredients to products. That’s how they can be sure they are fully animal testing free.

LUSH is campaigning against animal testing.

“In LUSH we never use animal tested products”, she explains, confirming that there’s no single product in LUSH franchise that is tested or made by using animals, “It is just animal rights. Plus they are not accurate enough. Genetics between human and animals are too different to get clear results.”

Many big beauty brands check their suppliers for animal testing and child labor, supporting their rights. For example the Body Shop uses fair trades to get their ingredients. They’re also campaigning strictly against animal testing. “We use synthetic materials in our makeup brushes instead of animal hair. It makes the finished look as beautiful without being animal hair, Edna Abreu, a make-up expert from the Body Shop elaborates. She certifies that natural products are known about their green and pure backgrounds, “It is just more ethical. Natural cosmetics are very conscious about both well being of skin and environment. We like to keep it as natural as possible with natural ingredients like minerals and oils.”

Is natural healthier?

“We believe that natural is always better”, Rombout explains.

Drugstore products can possess ingredients harmful to skin. In a worst case, non-natural cosmetics can have long-term effects that can harm the skin and make it more irritable, cause allergies, hyper pigmentation and dizziness (Fairley, 2001).  “People are more aware of the ingredients now. We know what works because we’ve used them for centuries and we want to know what we use, “, she notes, “We want the chemicals out of our bodies. Natural products don’t have as much chemicals. Using them is how we can tell what goes in and comes out of our bodies.”

Mineral foundation is one of the most popular natural cosmetics.

Beautiful skin is all about making good choices. “People are more conscious about their skin than never before. They don’t just want to paint the skin. They want to treat it as well, ” Abreu explains.

Mineral make-up is one of the treats. It is made of big range of minerals and doesn’t have any preservatives, paragons, synthetic colors or fragrance (Stacey, Fairley 2014). “It’s healthy for your skin. There is no chemicals, no parabens and there are natural fibers to prove your skin. It doesn’t harm skin in any matter, ” Ismat Saalim, a freelance make-up artist from cover fx. praises.

What is used in organic and natural cosmetics?

Mineral make-up is big at the moment with a reason. While it’s mostly an organic product it’s also an ethical choice.

“It makes a difference for vegans,” Saalim explains, “Mineral makeup is made of all natural ingredients like salts rocks, leaves, vitamins and leaf and root extracts. They make it better than other makeups.”

Every ingredient matters in natural cosmetics. “Normal, drugstore make-up and skincare care mostly about the coloring that matches the skin and makes it look good. It can be really drying to the skin,” Abreu explains, “Natural products on the other hand are moisturizing and they treat as well as cover. For example we have one ingredient, Marula oil that we use in all our body shop makeups. It moisturizes and helps the skin, keeping the make-up stay longer.”

Natural and organic skincare is earning its place in spotlight. Skincare is not rocket science, it’s just a matter of finding the right natural product what gives knowledge what actually goes in to your body. “Skin is the priority,” Abreu confirms, “It should be treated with care.”