7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Completely Trust The “Au Naturale” Beauty Trend
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
The trend of going “Au Naturale” sounds great in theory but when it comes to actually practicing it, it is tougher than one may expect. Products that claim to be organic are usually priced much higher than your regular store-bought products. If you order personalized products, the costs may rise even more. The “No-poo” rule for example also means your hair will be unnecessarily greasy for a long duration of time. Sometimes with internet fads, we discover that the fad does more harm than good, and some can even be downright fatal (as with the case of the Keto diet) (1). Hence, it is best to take certain things advised by the beauty community with a grain of salt. The “au naturale” trend is one of them. Here’s why:
1. Nothing Is Truly “Chemical-free”
Everything is a chemical. Even water. So shampoos that advertise as chemical-free are just doing so in order to hook your attention. Most hair care experts advise that you read the label at the back and go through the ingredients properly before deciding to buy a hair care product. Rather than trusting a chemical-free tag at the front of the packaging, check the label at the back.
2. Organic Products Have a Shorter Shelf Life
Most organic and all natural products have a short lifespan of three to four months. Since these products lack any preservatives you will have to use them up within the expiry period and also keep restocking more regularly than you would with regular products. Be careful not to use water-based natural products after their expiry date as they can develop mold and yeast.
3. Unprocessed Natural Products Can Be Quite Harmful
Whenever an ingredient is manufactured and formulated in a laboratory, they are manipulated in a certain way where only the good components are picked up. The rest of the natural properties that are of no use are filtered out. Aloe vera in fact is known to contain carcinogenic properties and it is best to avoid applying it directly from the plant. This is why it is a better idea to buy ingredients that are processed sometimes (2).
4. Physical Exfoliation Can Cause More Damage To Your Skin
Exfoliating your skin is a very important part of your skincare regime and you need to make sure that you incorporate it at least once to twice a week. Sugar, one of the most common ingredients used in organic exfoliation products, is a lot harsher on your skin than you would think. Although it is advisable to use natural skincare ingredients, in the case of exfoliation, using sugar and other natural ingredients can cause minor tears in your skin and even scrape it. Instead, it’s a smarter idea to invest in a gentle chemical exfoliator product.
5. There Is A High Risk Of Allergies
If you’re someone who has really sensitive skin then it isn’t a good idea to switch to natural products without doing a skincare patch test first. Many natural products contain ingredients like rosemary, anything citrus based, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. Many of these ingredients are highly acidic and if you have sensitive skin, it’s a better idea to purchase products that are specifically designed for your skin type.
6. Not All Parabens Are Bad
One common way in which companies that rave about natural ingredients trick you into buying natural products is by telling you that all parabens are bad. However, some parabens are naturally present in fruits like strawberries, olives, and blueberries. It is important to note that parabens and preservatives in these products don’t necessarily cause harm to you. As long as the parabens and preservatives present in the product make up less than 0.1% of the ingredients in terms of concentration.
7. Artificial Formulas Are More Stable
Synthetic oils, stabilizers, synthetic antioxidants, and silicones are ingredients that have been tried and tested for years and years. These increase the stability of an artificially created formula and make sure that their odor, color, and appearance don’t change too much over time. If you find a product that seems to work for your skin or hair, it’s a better idea to stick to the product rather than experiment with something new and natural.
Another benefit of using an artificial or lab-produced product is that it has less impact on the environment. Natural ingredients need to be harvested and leave a bigger carbon footprint than ones created in a lab. Thus, “identical to nature” products are a better alternative if you’re concerned about the environment. As advised by most skincare experts, it’s better to pay attention to the back of labels rather than skimming through or picking products with fancy and pretty packaging. Do tell us if any of these tips were helpful to you in the comment section below.
