Following our article on skincare routine 1O1, we decided to go more into the green/organic trend and talked with Pick_the_raspeberries. In this article, we will show you that you do not need to push yourself and have a full “green” skincare routine.
Here is the result of our interview:
What are your most important products that you use for your skincare?
“Most important steps in skincare are effective cleansing, moisturising and SPF. Anything else is great to have but in reality an extra.”
A lot of beauty gurus show a routine of more than 10 products per routine and this is unnecessary. We do not have the time and money to buy that many products and take care of our skin like that. However, some of them are a must. Like Pick_the_raspberries said: first begin with a small routine with cleanser, moisturiser and SPF. When those three products work for you, then you can add serums or else depending on your needs.
Some of your favourite products (natural, organic and/or sustainable) and their pros/cons?
“I think the simplest product work best for me. I love using pure rosehip oil as a moisturising agent or a blend of different oils to remove my makeup. Effective skincare doesn’t have to be complicated and expensive.”
Do you have a full organic/green skincare routine? If you do not, why?
“I don’t and there is a mix of reasons. For one there is a lot of talk about natural/organic skincare bringing the best for everyone and I agree with that to a certain extent. We should try and incorporate as much as we are comfortable with but I also believe not all that is natural is good. – rewrite. There are plenty of products that were all-natural and didn’t agree with me. In the time when I was on a path to go all-natural, I quickly realised that my skincare became very rich in nourishing oils and essential oils and it was simply too much for me.
Essential oils are often used in natural products but they can be too harsh for the skin of many people. Also there is a lot of grey area on what natural actually means. It’s a term that is not regulated by the industry and this is where so-called “greenwashing” comes in the picture.
When it comes to sustainability that is also tricky. For example, when you don’t live in a big city getting sustainable hair care is close to impossible. Those “bring your bottle and pay per litre or grams” are still too far and few between. While I would love to switch to all the sustainable options for my haircare it would mean that I would have to drive 1-1.5 hours to get to the nearest shop that allows me to do that. That’s a huge time investment and where is the sustainability when you burn so much fuel to do that? This also, in essence, adds to the cost of the product too. This is another sticky point. The cost. To switch all my care into sustainable options the costs, unfortunately, go up substantially and I do make certain compromises.”
Green or organic beauty is something we should all look into however we have to be careful on the products and our skin. In fact, a lot of organic products can be rash for your skin.
Here are natural ingredients you should avoid:
- natural fragrance
- mix and essential oils
- denatured alcohol: this will have a positive short term impact on acne however they can quickly dry and provoke rashes on your skin.
There are a lot of other ingredients you need to be careful with. The best way is to always first test on a small part of your skin and then do a one month test to see if this product fits you on the long run.
As for the sustainable part you need to be careful with the sourcing of the brand. A lot of brand wants to use natural ingredients at the lowest price leading to forced or child labour.
How do you choose your favourite products?
“I do avoid calling products my favourites, and even more so, the often mentioned “holy grails”. I think it’s a myth that was popularized to encourage sales. The truth is that no product is going to cure your skin overnight or stop you from ever breaking out altogether. But some products work better than others and this is my incentive to go back to a product. Did it work? well then it does have a chance to get re-purchased.”
Give time for your skin to adapt itself to a product. A one month test is necessary to assess a product.
One natural product you were disappointed about?
“I’m sure there were plenty of products I can’t remember, the thing is they didn’t work for me but I’m sure they worked for others. I don’t want this to be used to criticise brands as this most likely my personal reaction to these products. Some that hit my memory are:
A. Vogel Arnica gel – meant for muscle and joints pain relief and remedy for bruising. The ingredients list was very natural and was meant to work miracles. I am an enthusiast volleyball player and spend (before COVID-19) sometimes several hours a week on court. This means that micro-injuries, bruises and sore muscles are a permanent part of my sports life. The gel did nothing except for my clothes to stick to me like crazy 🙂
Ecolab Iris toner – I heard great reviews and ingredients list was very natural but caused my skin to break out terribly. “
To conclude:
NO, you do not need to only use “green” or “organic” skincare. You need to use the products that work for you. If you cannot find any organic product that works for you look for the sustainable part of the company: is the container reusable, is it recyclable, what is the sustainability commitment of the company?
I hope this article helped you! do not forget to go follow us and Pick_the_raspberries. Let us know some of your favorite products!
