What should you look for when choosing genuine natural skin care

We recently commissioned some market research to find out what people look for when they choose natural skin care. One discovery (that shocked us here at HO) was that people DON'T look for certifications to verify the authenticity if the natural and organic claim, and instead just look for the word "natural" somewhere on the packaging.

If you see the word ‘natural’ on a skin care or beauty product, you would assume that the ingredients in there are natural...WRONG! Many of us in the natural beauty industry know how misleading this can be. Did you know that a skin care product can have the words ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ on the packaging even if only 1% of the ingredients it contains are natural and organic? This means that 99% of the ingredients are not natural at all, and the product is mainly made up of synthetic ‘nasties’! It's a sneaky tactic, and people genuinely wanting to turn to natural due to skin conditions and lifestyle changes should beware.



TRESemme NATURALS markets itself as "natural" and contains "lower sulphates"

which means it still includes chemicals

So here is a quick guide that shows you what certifications to look for when choosing your natural products. The main genuine certifications are: NaTrue, BDIH, EcoCert and Soil Association.

NaTrue, BDIH and Ecocert are international certifications used around the world, they not only verify that the item is natural and organic, but also that the product (and the ingredients it contains) is not tested on animals. Soil Association is a UK based certification. These are the logo’s to look out for:

All of these certifications guarantee that your chosen skin care or beauty product will only contain natural and organic ingredients and NO harmful chemicals.

Certifications will always be printed on the product if they are genuine



Aqueous Creams make eczema worse

I was reading an article online the other week and found it really interesting! As you may be aware but skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea and psoriasis etc is on the rise in the UK. Many people that go and visit their GP are prescribed rich emollient creams such as Aqueous Cream BP, but research has found that this cream can make the condition worse and doesn't help your skin at all.

Although aqueous cream has been prescribed for millions of sufferers from childhood, it is the first time research has been carried out on the ingredient "SLS".

In a study by Bath University researchers, aqueous cream reduced the thickness of healthy skin in volunteers by more than 10% in just four weeks and water loss was increased. SLS is a detergent used to mix oils into water-based moisturisation creams to give a nice creamy texture. It’s also used widely in shower gels and other cosmetics. So to use this cream on eczemous skin, which is already thin and vulnerable to irritation, is likely to make the condition even worse.

Many people have been educated to believe that these creams are helping the skin, but when you think about it, these products are jam-packed full of nasty chemical ingredients so it's no wonder that it doesn't work alongside your skin. Look at the link below for further information:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1321559/Moisturiser-aqueous-cream-BP-cream-make-eczema-worse.html

Always opt for a natural option (certified natural) as these products guarantee no SLS/ petrochemicals or any nasty chemicals for that matter. The lavera Neutral range won The Natural Health Award in 2010 for "Best Eczema Range", so we know that natural is always best.

Jayne

lavera MY AGE Restoring Day Cream and Regenerating Night Cream

Each week one of us at lavera will review certain products and give you our honest opinions. We believe that the best way to know more about a product is to find out what other people really think.

This week Jayne Roberts will be the first on our review panel. Jayne deals with the Finance and Accounts within Pravera Ltd (UK distributor for lavera) She is 30 years old, a vegetarian and a complete shopaholic! What Jayne had to say about lavera's MY AGE Day and Night Cream:

"I love to try out any new natural skincare lines so I was happy to review the lavera MY AGE range!

The Hype
An organic anti-ageing skincare line that really works!

The Facts
The MY AGE Restorative Day Cream & Regenerating Night Cream did work perfectly on my skin! The day cream absorbed almost instantly, evening out my skin tone and leaving it with a lovely glow. Even several hours after application my t-zone was still shine free!

The Regenerating Night Cream is an absolutely amazing product! It's not like a cream, but more like a creamy balm. From the minute I applied it my skin was left feeling softer and looking fresher and better than it has done in a long, long time.

After using these products for a number of weeks I did find that they helped reduce my fine lines (I'm lucky enough to not have many wrinkles...yet) So I would recommend these products for anyone looking for an organic anti-ageing alternative. And with competitive prices starting from £11.90, it's a beauty all-rounder!"