SUPER NATURAL – WHY CLEAN BEAUTY IS BETTER BEAUTY

By Melissa Nkomo, founder of Kunye Complexion Co.

“The act of putting what the earth has grown on our skin is one of the most powerful ways to heal, nourish and transform it”
— Gregory Landsman

Clean or conventional, when it comes to skincare, we’re all looking for the same thing – products that deliver real results. But so often we reach for our beauty counter favorites without a clue about the ingredients in them. Having the ability to choose what you put on your skin is one of the most empowering ways to achieve a healthy, glowing complexion. And, with all the time and energy we put into caring for our bodies on the inside, considering what we put on the outside only makes sense.

The truth is, clean beauty products are to skin what a healthy diet and regular exercise are to the body. And just like the organic food we eat, using products free of toxic ingredients benefits your skin, your body, and the planet long term.

A clean beauty ritual (or any beauty ritual for that matter) should be less like a religion and more like a relationship. And just like any great relationship, it requires understanding, authenticity, and at times, a little more effort than we’d like. But at the end of the day, the long-term benefits, far outweigh the short-term challenges when it comes to switching to a cleaner regime.

A great place to start is by understanding your skin, our bodies largest organ. It performs essential duties like regulating your body temperature, protecting your vital organs from exposure, flushing toxins from the body and converting sunlight into vitamin D.

What beauty advertisers doesn’t want you to know is just how smart your skin truly is. And though our intentions are well and good, a lot of the things we do to ‘care’ for our skin, actually interrupts its natural ability to do what it does best – cleanse, exfoliate, repair and protect.

Ingredients like plant oils and nut butter, essential oils and natural earth clays are all completely harmless and highly effective. They are also elements that our skin recognizes and utilizes for nutrients.

Take face oils for example – they are 100% plant oils (usually from seeds and nuts like avocado, macadamia, or jojoba) used to moisturize the skin. The oils are excellent at hydrating, but also contain vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals that feed the skin, in a similar way those very same nutrients feed our bodies. Since the oils are natural, unlike mineral oil made from petroleum, they easily sink into the skin without harm.

In comparison, standard creams and lotions are a combination of oil and water. Since oil and water don’t naturally mix; the formula also requires the use of emulsifiers to create that creamy texture and preservatives to prolong shelf life. In addition to this, most companies will add an “active” component which further dilutes the naturally active benefits of the plant oils in the formula. These emulsifiers, lab-created actives, and preservatives are often the ingredients that irritate and cause harm to the skin, the body, and the planet.

Clean beauty products are consciously (and often sustainably) created and produced without any proven or suspected toxic ingredients. They include ingredients ethically sourced and made with the health of our bodies and the environment in mind.

Mother Muse Read: Natural skin care you need here