Toxins In Skin Care

Gone are the days when we would put anything onto our face without checking the ingredients for harmful chemicals. Nowadays, it takes more than good looking packaging or a big name brand to make us part with our hard earned case.

Avoid Putting Toxins Onto Your Skin

As studies now confirm that we absorb toxins through our skin, choosing to put only natural ingredients onto your face and body, will not only benefit you from the outside, but on the inside too

Imagine how many chemicals would be absorbed by your skin if you were to follow a skin care routine, using products that contain chemical fragrance, colour, thickener etc. It makes sense to choose natural and organic ingredients in your food, so why not do the same for your skin?

Check The Ingredients

There are a lot of ‘Natural’ and ‘organic’ labels around that contain a minute percentage of natural or organic ingredients and unfortunately there is currently no legislation governing these terms on skin care products.

Where possible, Sweet Willow uses only organic ingredients and we always include what percentage of the product is organic. So you know exactly what you are putting onto – and into – your skin

Ingredients To Avoid

Parabens

Well known, thanks to a lot of adverse publicity, parabens are widely used as preservatives and can affect oestrogen levels. Methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben being the most common

Phthalates

Phthalates are chemicals and have been banned from many countries as they have been detected in blood, amniotic fluid human breast

Sunscreens

Chemicals such as Benzophenone-3, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, are used in cosmetics to protect against sun and environmental damage. However, some UV filters can have unpleasant side effects and have have been detected in breast milk, indicating that the developing fetus and newborns may be exposed to these substances.

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are usually better in terms of safety, however it is important they are coated with safe chemicals as to reduce photoactivity otherwise

Synthetic Colourant and Fragrance

Synthetic colourants and fragrances are often used to make a product look more appealing however, the colours often used are derived from coal tar, which is a by product of petroleum. Synthetic fragrances need not be included on the ingredients list – other than to be listed as `parfum` and so it is impossible to know which substance is in the product we are using. Some synthetics can cause skin sensitivity, migraines and dermatitis

Hydroquinone

Skin lightening and age spots are big business and Hydroquinone is used primarily for its  reputation as a whitening agent, although it has been linked to several health concerns. Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production of melanin pigments, thus increaing the skin’s exposure to UVA and UVB rays and all of the associated risks