THE MOST FREQUENT ASKED QUESTIONS

A: In short, NO. 

In fact, science has proven that ingredients derived from the mother earth can provide the same benefits as synthetic ingredients, and very often, without causing the side effects the later do to our skin.

Thanks to technology advancements, we can now look at natural skincare from a scientific point of view to discover the true amazing benefits some natural ingredients, like bakuchiol and aloe vera, provide to our skin health, hence understand why they have been used in some cultures for skincare for centuries.

A: Technically there is no legal definition for “natural skincare”.  But in general, it implies that the product is formulated with ingredients derived from nature, such as plant-base ingredients, or minerals used in sunscreen.

Very often, natural skincare brands are also cruelty free and pay more attention to sustainability which are better for animals and the environment.

A: Not necessarily. Therefore, always READ THE INGREDIENT LIST which should be the first thing you do when you look at a product. Clean skincare/beauty means there is no questionable or harmful ingredient in a product that is unsafe to use for our health or for the environment. However, in some brands who claim themselves as natural, you could still find nasty ingredients in their products. So again, READ THE INGREDIENT LIST!!!

A: First of all, look at the ingredients to make sure they target your skin concerns. For example, if you are interested in a natural product that claims to depuff your undereye bag and it contains coffee bean extract or green tea extract then it will probably work because both ingredients contain caffeine which is able to reduce undereye bag. 

Second, look at the concentration because it matters when it comes to effectiveness. The ingredients are listed from the highest amount to lowest amount in descending order in the ingredient list. So, if the coffee bean extract is listed at the bottom, its dosage amount is probably too low to be effective, vice versa.

A: There are 2 definitions to bio-active ingredients. First, natural derived ingredients (or cosmeceuticals) whichhave the properties that can change through the functions and processes of our skin cells. Second, natural ingredients that deliver the benefits the product claims.

In simple terms, bio-actives are the ingredients or cosmeceuticals that get the job done. 

A: Apart from efficacy, natural skincare is usually less irritative to our skin. However, if you have sensitive skin, you should still always start a new product with a patch test because even the most natural skincare product can be sensitive to someone.

Also, natural skincare contains less side effect as their synthetic counterparts do. For instance, Bakuchiol do not cause photosensitivity as retinol does; also, natural derived vitamin c is often more stable to synthetic vitamin c.

They are kinder to animals and environment too because they typically do not do animal testing and they do no harm to the environment when come into contact because they are natural.

You must have heard of some natural ingredients like “green tea”, “rosehip”, “coconut oil”, “aloe vera” and “avocado oil” which their efficacies are proven and are very commonly used even in traditional skincare brands. For examples, “green tea” is rich in plant polyphenol, not only a good antioxidant, but also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains caffeine which helps reduce puffiness and therefore a popular ingredient in eye creams for this reason. “Rosehip”, on the other hand, is often used in face oils. It contains essential fatty acids and is a good source of vitamins A, C and E. It is helpful at soothing dry, flaky skin, relieving oxidative stress and restoring the skin barrier.