What Is Sustainable Skincare?
Defining sustainable skincare
Fundamentally, skincare is all about the health of our largest organ: our skin. We know that all-natural products are better for our bodies and the planet, and skincare should reflect that. Many of us don’t know what ingredients are found in the products we use on a daily basis. Even more of us probably have no idea what happens to the packaging after we use it, or whether the beauty companies we’re funding are committed to a healthy planet.
This month, Tracy Anderson is launching TA Beauty, a curated collection of all-natural skincare. TA Beauty is the fruit of Tracy’s passion for nature-driven wellness. Her approach to health has always been inspired by balance over perfection. Every product is kind to both the skin and the Earth, and designed to cultivate natural beauty. To celebrate this collaborative collection, we’re deep-diving into sustainable skincare.
Natural ingredients, from diet to skincare
Clean eating is all the rage nowadays. We prioritize what we’re putting in our mouths, striving to minimize processed foods full of additives and preservatives and focus on mainly plant-based foods from the ground. We try to avoid harmful ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, in our diets, so why would we wash our faces or moisturize our bodies with products that contain chemicals? Just as we nourish our bodies with vitamins and minerals, we should also use skincare products full of natural ingredients that keep our bodies functioning properly. The products we lather on our skin are just as important for our health as the food choices we make.
The health and wellness community has realized that a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be limited to only the food we’re consuming on a daily basis but also the products we apply directly to our skin every day. Since the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate the personal care and beauty industries, companies are free to create products with whatever ingredients they want. So, many conventional beauty products are full of preservatives, fragrances, stabilizers and other harmful ingredients that damage our skin and lead to a range of health issues. There are 82,000 ingredients in personal care products, and about 14,000 of them are pesticides, carcinogens or hormone disruptors.
Is the beauty industry toxic?
Beauty brands are becoming more aware of the issue with toxic skincare ingredients and the gap in the skincare market, so they’re starting to apply wellness to the products they manufacture. More and more brands are introducing organic skincare lines, and clean beauty products are making their way into shelves at Target, Sephora and department stores. But, because the FDA doesn’t regulate terms, such as “clean,” “organic,” and “cruelty-free,” what constitutes a clean product is mainly up to companies’ interpretation, which makes it difficult to define clean beauty items. Usually, clean beauty and skincare products refer to products that contain nutrient-dense, naturally-occurring ingredients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are sustainably and ethically sourced. These products are free of toxins and harsh chemicals, such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and triclosans, which can cause cancer, disrupt hormones, and irritate the skin.
Many beauty brands are recognizing the negative impact ordinary skincare products have on our health, so they’re replacing toxic ingredients with natural ones. Since conventional beauty products are often full of chemicals, synthetic and fillers, they take a toll on your skin, causing redness, acne, roughness, irritation, oily skin, or dryness. Skincare products with natural ingredients avoid harmful chemicals at all costs, so clean beauty products repair, rejuvenate, illuminate, hydrate and brighten your skin without that oily, heavy feel. Clean products support and strengthen your skin’s bacteria, which leads to a clear, smooth, radiant glow.
Discover our new Ageless Expression Balm, the latest organic face balm from Skin Sequence, a collection of healing balms by Tracy Anderson and Dr. Doug.
The Benefits of Organic Skincare
Not only do clean beauty products enhance your external appearance, but they also nourish your body on the inside. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so it absorbs more than 60 percent of the topicals you put on it. If you’re washing and moisturizing your face, arms and legs with hundreds of chemicals, you’re increasing your risk of health issues. The harmful chemicals and synthetic ingredients found in conventional skincare items threaten your health, well-being, and longevity by contributing to reproductive issues, allergies, and certain cancers. The organic and natural ingredients that comprise clean skincare products are healing and wholesome, so they enhance your health rather than weaken it.
Introducing Dr. Barbara Sturm x Tracy Post-Workout Skincare Kit, an all-natural post-workout 6-step skin regimen designed for movement.
Healthy Skin, Healthy Planet
While boosting your appearance and internal organs, clean products also keep the planet happy and healthy. The pesticides and chemicals commonly found in beauty products require a lot of energy to produce, and they increase our carbon footprint. On the other hand, organic products use sustainable manufacturing products and recyclable packaging, which both minimize our negative impact on the environment. They are full of non-GMO ingredients that are grown, raised, harvested, manufactured and preserved without any herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or antibiotics that damage the world around us.
There’s no question that clean beauty products are beneficial for your body and the planet, but with so many products on the market, it can be difficult to figure out which products are best. When buying clean lotions, moisturizers, face washes, body washes or makeup, look for products that have a clean beauty seal, such as “EWG Verified” or “Ecocert.” Before purchasing a beauty product, look on the back of the bottle and make sure the first ingredients listed are natural. Always buy local products with shorter shelf-lives because products that have been transported over long distances and last longer mean they’re full of additives and preservatives. Investing in your health means consuming nutritious meals with wholesome ingredients and repairing your body with clean, organic skin and beauty products. When you transition to clean skincare items, you’ll replenish your skin, restore your body’s health, and help save the planet.
MANDO by Tracy Anderson and Dr. Melanie Kingsley consists of skin-advancing moisturizing serum and face pads prescribed for every face.
