All-natural beauty products (with a built-in herbal component) stimulate blood circulation, strengthen skin metabolism, promote elasticity, regenerate, revive, rejuvenate, give airiness and supply the skin with food and oxygen. They’re a great alternative for those who wish to avoid consuming products that contain other components that are not of natural origin.
One of their best features must also be that they are individual, therefore made exclusively for you and the needs of your skin, and not like regular beauty products you buy off the shelf.
As such, they do not contain preservatives, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, volume fillers, or any petroleum derivatives (paraffin, petroleum jelly, silicones)… only completely natural non-toxic substances, making them even safe for eating! And in that case, it would be much healthier for the body than the majority of food from supermarkets.
But, natural skin care products are free from preservatives. For this reason, you need to know a thing or two about preserving them, and this goes especially for those who have decided to make them their selves. This is why we have decided to share with you some ideas about how to do this. Continue reading our article and find out…
1. Cleanliness
One of the best ways to preserve products that are chemical-free is to make sure the containers you keep inside have been cleaned well. In the best case scenario, you sterilize them before filling them with the product. If you cannot do this, then plain soap and hot water will do the trick, regardless of whether they are just bought or not.
You can also use white vinegar just for extra safety. Once you apply it, let the container dry completely before you use it.
Your kitchen hygiene tools, like the dishwasher, can also do a great job. Rub the container well, before usage, especially if you have been re-using some from before.
2. Distilled water
When you are making products that include water, do your best to avoid regular ones, but instead go for distilled water. Regular water can include contaminants that will make the product go to waste quickly. However, boiling the water and letting it cool completely until you use it will also do the trick, at times when you run out of distilled one.
3. Keeping the products refrigerated
A fridge is a great solution for extending the life of natural beauty products. Additionally, the raw ingredients you use when making natural products yourself will be kept fresh longer.
4. Antioxidants
Did you know that antioxidants can actually extend the shelf life of natural products? They are often used as purists, but they have a practical role in slowing the oxidation of certain ingredients as well. It is what happens when exposure to air starts compromising crucial ingredients in the product. If you use vitamin E oil, for example, you’ll have a healthy and natural stabilizer inside a product that will extend its life.
5. Alcohol
Natural ingredients can also affect, or in other words, inhibit the growth of bacteria. That is why it is recommended you use alcohol, to preserve the product and add botanical goodness. It doesn’t have to be some specific type of alcohol, normal one will also work wonders. However, be careful when mixing it with other ingredients, since it doesn’t mix well with certain fats.
6. Packaging
And we’ve come to the final most important factor in preserving natural beauty products – it’s storage. As you want to avoid light coming inside the package, since it speeds up the deterioration process, it is best to use dark-colored jars. Temperature fluctuations are also a risk, so be sure to store them in a fridge if possible, as we recommended earlier.
Why are completely natural beauty products a good choice?
The advantage of natural cosmetics over commercial products is that they use natural, skin-like ingredients. They will nourish the skin, and the changes will be quickly visible.
Also because every ethical person who makes natural cosmetics (and especially if he also deals with some form of therapeutic work) will insist on the highest quality essential oils and not “cats in a bag”. What kind of oils are these? The answer is very simple and there is no “silting”: it means that the oils are chemo-typed.
Chemotype is the exact chemical definition of a certain plant variety, behind it is a detailed chemical laboratory analysis and a list of the entire exact composition of that plant (so it is a GC analysis and certificates).
Chemotype is a very serious matter and the effect of plant chemistry on the human body strictly depends on it. Most of the oils used in the regular industry do not have them.
They have been made through an artificial process, through which most of them have never seen a plant at all. If we did an analysis, perhaps large quantities of these mass products would not meet the quality of the name they are given on the label.
Essential oils nourish and regenerate the skin, act as an antibacterial, reduce wrinkles, raise the tone and increase tissue quality.
Petroleum derivatives used in shelf-bought products can only fully penetrate the first few layers of the skin because they are not related to lipids (molecules of human fat). The function they perform is more of a mechanical protection of the skin, which they slightly layer and close so that it is difficult for anything to get into it through those few layers (in this way, the skin cannot be nourished, nor can it breathe, so it becomes lifeless and gray).
Synthetic fragrances, volume fillers, color fillers, and various chemical emulsifiers have the role of pleasing the nose and the eye, but in addition, they can cause allergies, and settle on the liver, because they are not natural substances that the liver can break down.
Therefore, even if it is a hassle to preserve them sometimes, natural products are a lot safer to use.
