Where Can I Find All-Natural Ingredients?

Q: I am always looking for an effective skin care that is natural, without all the cancer causing ingredients etc.



No SLS, propylene glycol.



Could you tell me what to look for?



Such as effective, maybe even name brands to look at?

Thank you,

Shirley

A: How do you define “natural”? Many natural ingredients are allergenic to a significant number of people. Some natural ingredients have estrogenic effects like soy extract. Some brands which make all-natural claims contain lab-developed compounds like parabens as preservatives.



Incidentally, lab-synthesized compounds were often developed specifically to perform the tasks of previously-used natural ingredients that had troublesome side effects. If you have concerns about or allergies to specific ingredients, you really need to check ingredient labels.



Before you decide to boycott an ingredient because you’ve heard it is a carcinogen, check with reputable sources like Medline, a searchable database of life sciences and biomedical information Compiled by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



You may find cause for concern or you may discover, as I have (read on), that the carcinogenic claims were originally made by start-up companies trying to scare consumers away from reputable cosmetic lines. What a sleazy way to win new customers.



Read more about ingredient safety here.

[This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician.]

Tags: ingredient safety, sodium laurel sulfate, propylene glycol