Natural ingredients - good or bad?
For many with allergies and very sensitive skin, it is difficult to know what you can put on your skin without getting a reaction. Especially when it comes to make-up, it can be difficult, as there are often pigments and perfumes in it, which can provoke a reaction. Therefore, there is often a tendency to go for "natural" or organic products, in order to avoid too many chemical substances. Many products also have claims such as "natural ingredients", but this does not mean that they are allergy-friendly. On the contrary!
What are "natural ingredients"?
Natural ingredients are often oils or extracts from plants. This can be pigments, fragrances or oils. You probably know a lot of skincare with plants such as lemon, mint, rose and geranium, which can also be really delicious in food or on the living room table – just not on your skin! These substances can cause allergic reactions and are actually not as good for the skin as they sound. With natural ingredients, you have less control and may experience a higher risk of "contamination". It is because it is more difficult to control the ingredients in the same way as you can in synthetic substances that are made in a laboratory. Most allergic reactions occur to "natural ingredients" and not synthetic chemicals. You can therefore not always count on "natural products" being good for the skin, as it simply means that the ingredients have been extracted from a natural source. In that process, you actually had less control over exactly which substances are in it. Organic does not equate to a skin-friendly product either. Although the idea of fewer chemicals makes good sense, also in cosmetics, it simply means that the raw materials are organically grown. This has no bearing on how good it is for the skin, as it is again about the composition of ingredients. Therefore, it is a claim that is irrelevant in relation to whether you can tolerate the product.
What to choose?
First, you must avoid perfume and essential oils. When you have a contact allergy and you have to choose cosmetics and other products, the most important thing is to look for the "Allergy Certified" label. The label means that skilled toxicologists have gone through all the ingredients and raw materials, and have approved that there are no allergenic substances in them. In this way, you have the greatest certainty that your products do not contain allergenic substances.
