A Good-Natured Relationship with Your Skincare
Do you find yourself always dating the wrong skincare? You know it's wrong for you because it tells you it's ‘clean’ and ‘natural’, but without the receipts to back it up.
Here are the 4 signs that you may be in a toxic ‘clean beauty’ relationship:
- Your brand never follows through on its promises. It claimed that if you purchased it, things would change, but you knew in your gut that they wouldn’t—your skin is still sensitive and irritated.
- You are paying 200% more than what you should – and you find yourself justifying the relationship because of the pretty packaging and prestige price tag.
- Your skin is telling you something is wrong. Even though you keep telling yourself you met the love of your life, your skin is clearly communicating you have not.
- You don’t see any difference but you can’t walk away. And because of all of the marketing hype, you’re struggling to let go.
If you identified with any of these, it’s time to break out (of the relationship, that is). You’re not alone—we've all been there. We hold onto things that aren’t necessarily working for us just so we don’t have to go through the process of finding something new.
Before you can achieve healthy skin, you have to have a healthy relationship with your skincare. After all, you can’t take control if you don’t know how ‘clean’ your products really are—especially when there is no legal definition of the term ‘clean’. Plus the fact that brands can make organic claims yet contain ingredients that are not allowed in Certified Organic products. This is why a “clean, natural, or organic” declaration on a beauty product without the certification to back it up can get very vague and deceptive.
The reality is that when you are in a toxic relationship with a product that uses marketing hype or misinformation to claim to be clean or green or natural or organic, you can’t fully realize it until you start doing your own research. Independent consumer and health non-profit organizations like Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, The National Organic Program, and the Environmental Working Group are good places to start. But the best way to determine whether your products are truly clean is to look for the USDA or NSF Certified Organic seal. These seals can only appear on products that meet strict and regulated organic standards set by the National Organic Program that ensure safety, transparency, and environmental accountability.
Recovering from a breakup is not easy, but just remember that it's not you, it's them. Be strong and don’t give into greenwashing. Do your research and be suspicious of brands that talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. A trusting, nourishing, long-term relationship always begins with honesty.
Questions? Comments? Or just curious about clean cosmetic chemistry? Send an email to our Clean Chemist at cleanchemist@nourishorganic.com!