Natural woman

Yes, we fret about lines and spots – but there’s an emerging anxiety about the health impact of what we put on our skin. Natural beauty guru Josephine Fairley shows you how to go natural

Not so long ago doctors used to maintain the skin was like a raincoat: impermeable, keeping everything out. But along came nicotine patches and HRT gels – both of which relied on our skin being able to absorb substances into our bodies – and that idea changed fast. There’s really no definitive figure for how much of the skincare, make-up, haircare and bodycare that we apply each day ends up in our bloodstream, but some of it definitely does, although probably not as much as the 60 per cent figure that’s often bandied about. But if you’re paying attention to what you put into your mouth – steering clear of E numbers, pesticides and so on – it doesn’t make sense to be slathering a sophisticated cocktail of synthetic petrochemically derived ingredients on your skin, day after day, night after night.
But it’s not as simple as it sounds. The words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ have been hijacked by marketeers, making it hard to figure out what’s pure, and what’s packed with chemicals but happens to have had a sprig of rosemary wafted in it for a minute. My first piece of advice is always to look for certifying symbols on packaging: the Soil Association, in particular, but also Ecocert and USDA. (Triumphantly, leading certifying bodies have recently agreed on a new organic standard – COSMOS – to be used Europe-wide, which will remove a lot of the confusion about different labels when it comes into play in 2010.) When it comes to ‘naturalness’, there’s an organisation called BDIH, which certifies lots of European brands, although they don’t guarantee organic origins. (I won’t list what BDIH is short for because the German name runs to around three lines!) These symbols are still your best clues to natural and organic authenticity – telling you that the beauty brands whose products they’re emblazoned on have jumped through considerable hoops to make sure their ingredients come from sustainable sources, and are free from chemical nasties.
But which chemicals should you be avoiding? Here are some that certainly have no place in ‘natural’ cosmetics. Will they affect your health? Frankly, the jury’s still out. Personally, I tend to avoid parabens, for instance, in skincare, haircare and bodycare – but if you do a spot-check of my make-up, you’ll still find that family of preservatives in my ‘slap’, because I’ve yet to find all-natural alternatives that perform as well. But so-called ‘natural’ products should certainly never contain the following:
Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea Widely used preservatives, the American Academy of Dermatology has found them to be a key cause of contact dermatitis.
Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is an antibacterial agent found in antimicrobial soaps, hand soaps and a surprising number of personal care products; not only does it have the potential to cause irritation or allergic reactions, but it has also been linked with nerve damage.
Mineral oil Listed as Paraffinum liquidum on European labels, petrolatum is basically the same thing. It’s cheap, it’s been plentiful – but now the world’s oil supply is peaking (or has peaked, depending on who you ask), all that’s changing. And some believe that precisely because mineral oil is a terrific ‘barrier’, it can tamper with the body’s own moisturising mechanism, ultimately leading to chapping and dryness – the very conditions it’s used to alleviate. Happily, nature offers glorious oils that do a great job of nourishing the skin and are produced in a sustainable way, including grapeseed, jojoba, coconut and olive oil.
Parabens These have been around since 1920 but are now the most highly contentious ingredients in the beauty world, with companies scrambling to emblazon their packaging with ‘paraben-free’. The US Food & Drug Administration points to a review of studies that says they are safe, and have very low irritancy potential, but other emerging studies suggest that they may mimic oestrogen in the body. Watch this space. But the really good news is many brands are finding alternatives to these preservatives; if you feel concerned, it’s easier than ever to avoid them.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) This is also hugely controversial. Ignore the ‘whispering campaign’ that has suggested it causes cancer, but do pay attention to the fact that SLS is highly drying and irritating to skin, potentially interferes with the skin’s barrier function and makes it easier for other ingredients to penetrate.
However, I do encounter women who are literally paranoid about what they’re putting on their skin, terrified to let a paraben anywhere near them, and that’s not healthy, either. Cosmetics are part of a bigger picture, with other factors influencing health, such as the amount of sleep you get, the food you eat – not just whether it’s organic, but how nutritious it is – whether you get enough exercise, your stress levels and, of course, genetic factors.
One of the eco steps that you can take is simply to cut down on the number of products you buy. In fact, in these make-do-and-mend times, concocting your own cosmetics is becoming very popular – and our fridges and kitchen cupboards offer up an amazing beauty bounty, when you know what to do. A few years ago I wrote a DIY beauty book called The Ultimate Natural Beauty Book (Kyle Cathie, £14.99), which is selling better now than it did when it was published because more and more women are realising that if they can melt chocolate or whizz up a salad dressing, they could be creating homemade, affordable beauty treats.
Nature really does have most beauty answers – as wise women knew long before pentapeptides were a twinkle in a lab technician’s eye!

Essential oils capture the curative power of individual plants and turbo-charge them by concentrating the active ingredients. You can dilute them in base oils, such as sweet almond oil, grapeseed and avocado oil, to create some of the simplest yet most effective skin treatments. (And yes, you can even use them on oily skins. Grapeseed oil, for instance, sinks right into even the shiniest face and can help to regulate sebum production.) Oils don’t need preservatives because bacteria can’t breed in oil, and many essential oils, like frankincense and lavender, have a natural antimicrobial action.
It’s best to apply facial and body oils last thing at night, so they can work their magic while you slumber. Experiment with different base oils. Next it’s time to add the essential oils. ‘Start with three drops,’ suggests Germaine Rich, a leading aromatherapist who’s worked with Aromatherapy Associates and Micheline Arcier (Madame Arcier pioneered aromatherapy to the UK.) ‘Then move up to nine drops when you’re familiar and comfortable with the oils’ effect.’ Here are some to try:
Frankincense is an excellent skin tonic, especially valuable for mature, wrinkled skin and useful for healing wounds. (It works on the emotions, too, helping to banish negativity.) It was used in mummification – surely anything that can preserve skin for 3,000 years is pretty impressive!
Geranium brightens dull skin, and is uplifting for the spirits.
Neroli speeds up cell replacement, so is extremely useful for rejuvenation, and in the treatment of scars and stretch marks.
Patchouli is great for ‘turkey neck’ or on scar tissue, as it also helps cell renewal.Mood-wise, it’s an excellent tonic for exhaustion, insomnia and depression.
Rose is particularly beneficial for sensitive, highly coloured or mature skins, as well as being spiritually uplifting and protecting.
Sandalwood is a soothing, lubricating oil ideal for sensitive, dry and neglected skins – it’s good for anxiety, too.
From oils, it’s easy to move on to scrubs and then masks. When you set out to ‘green’ your beauty regime, you’ll almost certainly discover that less really is more. Fewer products mean fewer chemicals. More natural goodness from pure ingredients equals more botanical benefits for skin. Better products mean fewer thrown in the bin because you’ve realised they simply don’t do the job.
In other words, one less thing to worry about. Which, come to think of it, has got to be good for frown-lines. And probably spots, too…

Try this natural spot treatments – they’re good enough to eat!

Apple zit blaster

This is just the thing if you feel a pimple forming, and couldn’t be simpler. Pour boiling water over a slice of apple and wait for a few minutes until it becomes soft. Remove it from the water, wait until it’s just warm, then place it on the pimple and leave in place for 20 minutes. Then peel off and sweep the area lightly with a moistened cotton wool pad.

Tomato blackhead buster
The fruit acids in tomato are great for getting rid of blackheads and will brighten dull skin by gently loosening surface cells. Slice a tomato thickly but include some thin or shaped slices that will make it possible to cover your nose with the tomato. Lie down and apply the slices; leave on for 10–15 minutes then rinse well with warm water. Pat dry but don’t apply moisturiser to the nose zone or other affected areas, as you’ll block the pores again.

Words: Josephine Fairley