What is "Clean" Skin Care?

     There is a rapidly growing trend in skin care and in how the general population decides on what to use for their skin, based on the ingredients used. We are seeing more and more, a general increase in skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and skin sensitivities to different foods and skin care products. As sad as this is, there is a reason for these issues. There is also a solution. 

      While most actual skin conditions stem from deeper issues, usually in the gut, those that are caused by skin care products are easily remedied. Even conditions like eczema can be relieved (not cured) with skin care products. Understanding what is in those products before buying them is key to making the right choices and not wasting your money, your time or your comfort on the wrong products. Harsh chemicals may give you immediate relief. They may take an itch away or soothe a burn immediately. They may make a room smell so much better or make your table shine like never before. You just don’t know how your body is going to handle the chemicals until after you have used them. Sometimes this is not until after you have used them for a long period of time, thinking it is not a problem.  

       As awareness about harmful chemicals that have been allowed to infiltrate our skin care products spreads, more and more consumers are looking for healthier options. So, what does “clean” mean, when it comes to skin care? 

      In researching where to start with our ideas about creating skin care products, we came across several industry definitions of “clean”. None of them really hit the nail on the head, so we went back to basics (a theme we have adopted for all our products). A good, old-fashioned dictionary was consulted to find the perfect definition: “free from foreign or extraneous matter”. With this in mind, you can take into consideration those specific ingredients that effectively do what you are looking for (such as exfoliating or moisturizing) and toss out everything else, including any pesticides or preservatives used in creating the ingredients for that product. THAT would be a clean product. Here is a glossary of some common natural ingredients that you could look for in skin care products. 

      If you go and look at the ingredients to your favorite lotion and look at the first one listed, I can tell you what it will be: water. What does water do for your skin in a lotion? Take a look at the other ingredients. Are there any you are unfamiliar with? Look them up and see what their purpose is in a lotion. Then ask yourself, “Is this necessary to moisturize the skin?” To save you some of the trouble, here is a great glossary for several common ingredients, including a lot of the chemicals you may find in your skin care products. 

      There is actually an app you can download (Think Dirty) to give you a score for most commercial products, including skin care and cleaning products, based on how clean or “dirty” they are. Here’s the link for the app. You won’t find our products there as we are not a commercial brand. 

      Those products that are 50% water will evaporate into the air as soon as you rub it onto your skin, making you think it is being absorbed. The skin does not absorb water, so this isn’t really doing your skin a favor. Though most products do have a few ingredients that help the skin (aloe, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc.), when you put everything else in the same bottle, it is not a clean product. This isn’t to say that you won’t see an effect from these products. You will. You will also end up using it up much faster than you would if the only ingredients in there were the ones that your skin uses to nourish itself.

      THIS is the basis of Maddie’s Essentials. We aim to use the fewest, most potent, organic ingredients in each of our products to give you the best quality in skin care. Clean, organic skin care that actually makes a difference is something we strive for, always. While we don’t have a complete skin care line right now, we definitely have more products we are working on. If there is a particular product you are looking for and we don’t currently have, feel free to shoot us an email and suggest it! We love hearing from our customers and take your suggestions to heart. 

      I hope this has been a bit informative and helpful in making better choices for your skin care needs!