We’re calling out the worst ingredients for your skin, and giving you natural skin care alternatives!
Posted on November 8, 2018 Written by: 100% PURE®
If you could decide exactly what goes on your skin, what would you include? Sugar, (pumpkin) spice, and everything nice would be at the top of our list, but unfortunately product formulas just aren’t that simple. When we think about what common ingredients are in popular skin care items, it’s frustrating how many damaging ingredients have become normalized in the industry. You can avoid cheap fillers, harsh ingredients, toxicity, and synthetics with our lovely list of pure, cruelty-free, and natural skin care alternatives.
Top Offending Ingredients By Category -- and Their Natural Skin Care Alternatives
Cleansers
By now you’ve probably heard the term sulfate-free, even if you aren’t exactly sure what a sulfate is. Ever washed your face or your hair and felt that tight, uncomfortable squeaky-clean feeling? That’s thanks to sulfates. Sulfates, often referred to as SLS, are a chemical agent used in cleansers to create that bubbling effect. They can be really harsh and stripping on the skin, removing our natural protective oils and causing irritation. Instead of a foamy store-bought cleanser that causes irritation and aging, try a sulfate-free option that is better for the environment and has active nutrients for your skin.
Don’t let the oil in the formula alarm you – this cleanser uses oils including coconut and argan to soften the skin and create a smooth, creamy lather. Our saponified coconut oil in the formula is used in place of sulfates but still creates the rich, silky texture that we’re used to when cleansing our skin. Organic aloe juice soothes and hydrates while antibacterial honey neutralizes the skin. Brightening citrus peel and rosehip oil along with anti-aging organic green tea will have you looking radiant and refreshed.
Toners
When we invest in a product, we want it to last until we’ve used it up. The problem is that common products use parabens for preservatives. Parabens are known to mimic and disrupt normal hormone behavior in our bodies. This can lead to inconsistent bodily functions, reproductive issues and has also been linked to cancer. More traditional toners also use harsh, stripping ingredients such as alcohol, which can trigger more inflammation of mild or existing skin conditions.
Here’s a vegan toner option that’s way better for your skin and boosted with organic ingredients for the best effect. This toner has a simple list of ingredients meaning everything inside really packs a punch. Facial skin will adore the lightweight, silky aloe as it restores balance and calm to the skin. Anti-inflammatory lavender neutralizes sebum, soothes irritation and brings peace to the mind as healthy vegetable glycerin helps to hydrate and plump the skin.
Masks
Sheet masks are a way of life, and that means more often than not, they are a part of our beauty routine. While some cheap masks that you can find in discount aisles at any department store seem fun, but are really not doing anything positive for our skin. Packed with artificial ingredients and synthetic fragrances, they can leave your skin patchy, itchy, irritated and not at all beautified like we’d hope for.
Want the power of a sheet mask but with natural ingredients instead? Look to our Ginseng Collagen mask to provide those plumped skin results you are looking for. This mask contains powerhouse manuka honey. This will cleanse, soothe and hydrate the skin all at the same time. With skin firming royal jelly and red ginseng, this mask can leave you with younger looking and feeling skin. Add in brightening vitamin C and calming peony for fragrance, and you’ve found your favorite new fall sheet mask.
Moisturizers
Fragrances are one of the most common contributors to unruly skin, and most of us don’t even know it. Artificial and synthetic fragrances don’t belong on skin – they don’t do anything positive, either! Instead of artificial fragrances which can act as irritants on the skin, we use essential oils which drive the effectiveness of the product and give a pleasant, natural aroma.
Our 100% PURE Hydra Drench Cream is a vegan, natural moisturizer and feels like splashing water on your skin -- only it absorbs for the softest, smoothest texture. An elixir of organics chia seed gel, rose water and cactus extracts, are thin enough to quickly penetrate the skin for long lasting hydration. Hyaluronic acid, coconut oil and shea butter create a protective seal while honeysuckle, bergamot, vetiver and sage neutralize bacteria, smooth complexion and lend a light, fresh scent to this super moisturizing cream.
Serums
Is there ever a time that we want to say no to brightening? Trick question; no, there isn’t. Just like some of the other products we mentioned, common serums can contain parabens, synthetics, fragrances and toxic ingredients like petroleum derivatives. Because serum is one of the first ingredients to sink into our skin after cleansing, it needs to be as pure and wholesome as possible.
Enjoy active ingredients, vitamin C and kojic acid, to enliven and boost radiance in the skin. Maintain skin radiance and clarity with the antioxidant power of lemon juice and sake instead of phony fillers found in other serums. Often overpowered with a high water content, many serums show little to no results and the value of the product plummets. With a calming base of rose and aloe, this serum feels like a light satin coating of sunshine on the skin and every ingredient is working overtime to support your glowing, clear complexion.
Eye Creams
What’s the point of an eye cream that makes us look and feel worse than before putting it on? To us, eye creams with petroleum derivatives, fragrances, parabens and even formaldehyde belongs nowhere near the eye area, much less anywhere else on our skin. That’s why we created our Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream.
This eye cream is natural, vegan and cruelty-free. It helps boost elasticity in the skin for a tighter and brighter looking eye area. Rich toned fruits including pomegranate, acai, plum and goji berries contribute powerful anti-aging antioxidants and help with evened tone in the eye area. Fatty avocado butter and glycerin keep the eye area hydrated and flexible to avoid dry eyes and wrinkling. Enjoy a mild tightening and awakening effect from the coffee in this formula. How could an eye cream sound better than this?
- Tags: Skin Care, Susies Lab
We carefully hand-select products based on strict purity standards, and only recommend products we feel meet this criteria. 100% PURE™ may earn a small commission for products purchased through affiliate links.
The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.
