Neal’s Yard Remedies
This information has been taken from Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild and Organic - Why Choose Organic Skin Care?
“Organic skin care is big business. But because there’s no legal requirement for non-food items to abide by any given standards, you should be wary of any skincare that tries to pass itself off as organic. At Neal’s Yard Remedies, we’ve been organic for 25 years, but we’re very careful about the way we use the ‘o’ word because we don’t want to devalue it.
According to recent statistics from the US Food & Drug Administration an incredible 95% of what you put on your skin ends up in your body.
What’s in Skincare?
Toiletries are used to cleanse, protect or condition the skin. To help them work effectively, various manmade ingredients are added. Some are more acceptable than others but at Neal’s Yard Remedies, we favour totally natural products.
Detergents
Detergents are used in shampoos, shower gels and body washes, they lower the surface tension of water helping it interact with oil and grease, so impurities can be easily rinsed away. We never use petrochemicalbased detergents or sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which can strip away the skin’s natural protective oils, leaving it irritated. Instead, we combine specially chosen plant-based detergents which complement one another, to give an effective yet skin friendly cleansing action.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil (liquid paraffin) and petrolatum can’t be broken down by the skin. They can block pores and diminish the skin’s ability to function. We never use petroleum-based ingredients, choosing instead only wild, organic plant based oils, such as sunflower, jojoba and olive. Rich in vitamins, anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids they are easily and safely absorbed, assisting the skin’s natural functions and helping improve its condition.
Preservatives
We don’t tend to keep our toiletries in the fridge, which means they may need preservatives to keep them fresh. Often used to preserve conventional skincare, a cheap, widely used preservative called parabens can cause allergic reactions, has been reported to have an oestrogenic effect, and has been linked with breast cancer.
We never use parabens. Instead we prefer to use only wild, organic ingredients with preservative properties, such as rose or propolis extract. Sometimes, for a practical shelf life, we add small amounts of preservatives - but we make sure they’re safe and non-persistant in the environment. NYR packaging has protective properties, so we can cut back on preservatives. Our trademark blue bottles, for instance, were chosen because they block out 97% of UV light.
Silicones
Silicones are used to bring a silky feel to skin or hair, but can create a plastic-like wrap, disrupting the skin’s ability to release toxins, trapping irritants and blocking pores. They are also non-biodegradable. We don’t go near them.
Colourants
Synthetic colours can have harmful side effects and may irritate the skin. We never use them. If we want extra colour, we use only wild and organic ingredients like avocado or pumpkin seed oils for a vibrant green hue, or rosehip or calendula oils for golden orange.
Fragrances
The word “parfum” in an ingredient listing is a worry. It can signify over 150 different synthetic chemicals, a major cause of allergies. We fragrance our products only with organic plant essences. They not only smell wonderful but have therapeutic properties too.”