Beauty Myths BUSTED!

By Nicole Edwards

Sifting through the sheer amount of information out there about beauty products & their ingredients can be quite overwhelming, even for the most dedicated. We’ve cut through all the nonsense and have busted some of the biggest beauty myths! Get ready for it… Here they are:

MYTH #1: Makeup causes breakouts on acne prone skin.

FACT: Although makeup is not known to cause acne, care should certainly be taken as to which product you use.

Using the wrong makeup or cream could potentially irritate your acne or even accentuate the pimples you’re trying so hard to hide. When you use the right makeup with the right choice of skincare products, the results can be great. Use a Mineral Powder that is effective in healing and concealing acne prone skin. Acne should be treated like a wound and this will help to avoid scarring. Mixing a mineral power with a repair cream or oil to make a liquid formula, that contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory herbs can ensure that it is a great combination for wound healing.

MYTH #2: Aloe Vera Gel is natural and healthy for my skin. 

FACT: Most Aloe Vera Gel or Juice (including ORGANIC) is preserved with huge amounts of synthetics.

This is due to high water content and contains gums to fill it out. This results in a very diluted form of ALOE and the customer is NOT aware of the content of synthetics.The gums and preservatives are INCIDENTAL ingredients and are not required to be declared on the label. What you see on the label is: “Aloe Vera Gel/Juice Aloe Vera Leaf Gel, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice” etc (used in many “natural/organic” skincare products). There is another option! Pure, organic aloe vera concentrate in a powder form which has been sun dried and contains all of its potent actives at 200 times the concentration of aloe gel. This DOES NOT contain any chemical preservatives or fillers. HOWEVER… the purer powder form costs $400/kg compared to $20/kg for aloe gel…so you can see why companies use the cheap & nasty alternative!

MYTH #3: As long as it says ‘sustainable palm oil’ it’s not harming orangutans.

FACT : Manufacturers may claim to be using sustainable palm oil because they are members of, or supplied by members of, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. However, this in itself is no guarantee as members only need commit to “working towards” producing a sustainable product.

Did you know that owners of Palm Plantations sit on the board of the Round Table for Sustainable Palm oil?  Something to consider when looking at “sustainable” Palm Oil or Glycerine. Check out: www.friendsoftheearth.com

Orangutans are still slaughtered even if the palm is grown as a sustainable crop – i.e on old rubber plantations etc. Glycerine is a BYPRODUCT of palm and is often used in skin care because it is so cheap as a binder/filler. Most commercial Glycerine is sourced from INDONESIA.

Tell us what you think by commenting below and feel free to suggest some myths to bust!