Many of you that read this page are savvy, eco-conscious consumers.  You care for your community and your environment.  You’ve most likely made steps to alter your impact on the planet.  You’ve probably taken steps to make your home and your surroundings a healthier place.  Most of  you have also improved your lifestyle by switching to organic foods.  But have you taken a look at your skin and body care recently?  If you have, this is a wonderful addition to one of the things you can do to create a healthier you--and a healthier environment.  Below, we take a closer look at what to look for (and what to watch out for!) in various skin care products.

1.  One of the best things you can do is read ingredient labels.  Products such as mineral oil, and pariffinum liquidium are petroleum based, and are used as inexpensive fillers in many skin care products.  These ingredients create an impermeable barrier on the skin, basically not allowing the pores to breathe, contributing to clogging on the outer layer of skin.  Remember, anything petroleum based is also tapping into our oil resources, so by avoiding these, you are also doing the environment a HUGE favor!  Alternative ingredients to look for are jojoba oil, (matches the closest to human sebum), green tea (an excellent anti-inflammatory), and hylaronic acid (an excellent hydrator).

2.  Physical sunscreen vs. chemical sunscreen.  Often many of us as consumers are confused by this.  Truly, what is the difference between the two?  The biggest difference is that chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays by means of potentially harmful and highly irritating chemicals.  Physical sunscreens block UV rays from your skin, by creating a layer of protection.  The general rule of thumb:  if you can’t pronounce what’s in it, it is most likely a chemical sunscreen.  Physical sunscreens should ONLY contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as their active ingredients.

Ingredients such as Octyl-dimethyl-PABA, and Butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane are most definitely chemical and should be avoided.  You’ll also want to look for UVA/UVB protection, as UVA rays are the rays that break down collagen and prematurely AGE you, while UVB rays are the rays that BURN you.  Both contribute to all forms of skin cancer, which is why it is so important to wear sunscreen all year round!

3.  Preservatives.  The biggest difference between natural, organic skin care and conventional skin care is what preserves products.  There is a fine line between such a lack of  preservatives that products become easily contaminated and have a shortened shelf life, and on the flip side, there are preservatives that create irritation, inflammation, and potentially carcinogenic.  Natural preservatives such as colloidal silver, have anti-bacterial properties that protect from contamination, without being synthetically derived. One of the most common preservatives in many skin care products is the group of preservatives known as parabens (Methlyl, Ethyl, Butyl, and Propylparabens).  Parabens are hormonal disruptors, tricking the body into elevating estrogen levels, and decreasing other hormone levels.  This hormonal disruption has been linked to breast cancer in women, and reproductive issues in both men and women.  Remember:  your skin  is your largest organ, and will absorb everything applied to it!  Within twenty minutes ingredients are passed into your bloodstream.  Avoiding paraben preservatives is just one more small step you can take to enhance your health and well-being.

4.  Antioxidants & Anti-Aging.  There are three types of aging: Intrinsic (what happens inside the body--such as genetics and hormones), Extrinsic (how you’ve cared for yourself through the years), and Environmental (specifically, climate and sun exposure).  While we can’t do much about Intrinsic aging, the good news is we have many powerful weapons to fight the other two factors.  While most of us don’t want to look eighteen again, we do want to preserve what we have and look good for our age.  In regards to skin care, we want to prevent before we have to try and cure.  Two powerful antioxidants that help fight aging are L- Ascorbic acid (the best source of Vitamin C) and Peptides (proteins that stimulate collagen).  Both help prevent free radicals from aging the skin (due largely in part to environmental aging).  Of course, sunscreen plays a huge role in preventing premature aging, so it is important to apply this daily.

The bottom line to remember is that quality is more important than quantity. It is better to have a simple skin care routine with quality ingredients, than a complicated routine that lacks results. More than ever, we have the power to educate ourselves. By taking the time to become ingredient savvy, you can take one more small step to caring for yourself and the environment around you!

Holly Potter, Licensed Esthetician & Licensed Massage Therapist, has bring practicing skin care since 2002, and is a graduate of The Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. She is a Certified Reiki Practitioner, and is also certified through the Upledger Institute in CranioSacral Therapy. Holly specializes in holistic, paraben-free skin care and facials, and her goal is to provide a soothing, relaxing treatment that is results-oriented as well as educational for her clients. Holly invites you to try a complimentary consultations for your unique skin care needs and looks forward to meeting you.

Enjoy a Hylunia Customized Facial, Chocolate Tamarind Herbal Facial, or Vitamin C Peel. Holly offers Waxing Services for all areas. Holly provides Ayurvedic Warm Stone Massage, Reiki Treatments, CranioSacral Therapy, and Herbal Body Balancing Wraps.

Holly is available Monday through Saturday. Call today to set up your appointment:  860-536-3880, Stonington Natural Health Center, Your Place for Health & Healing, at Quiambaug Cove, 107 Wilcox Road, Suite 103, Stonington, Connecticut. 

Click here to visit the Stonington natural Health Center website for more information.