As Nutritional Therapists, we really do believe that we are what we eat and absorb. And that includes what we put on our skin. The average woman will apply hundreds of chemicals to her skin every day and a proportion of those chemicals will be absorbed into our bodies.
Avoiding the nasties
It’s difficult to wade through the information about what to avoid and this changes on a daily basis as new products are introduced. As a general rule, try to keep your skincare products as natural as possible. Avoid the obvious, like parabens, PEG compounds, triclosan and sodium laureth sulfate. Find more information on the EWG website.
Good enough to eat….
There are lots of great Irish skincare companies producing effective natural skincare products. Some of our favourites include Kinvara Skincare, Bia Beauty and Modern Botany. It’s also easy to make your own natural skincare products at home. We don’t profess to be experts in this area, but even we can whip up a natural moisturiser, like this super simple coconut body butter moisturiser. Use your favourite essential oil to ‘flavour’ it (ours include peppermint, lime and ginger and lavender) and remember that a little goes a long way. For more tips on keeping your skin looking it’s best this summer watch Heather on TV3.
Safe sunshine
We should all be trying to get a little safe sun this summer to support vitamin D levels. Read more about getting the right amount of vitamin D here. But remember that you don’t need to tan to do this and should avoid burning at all costs. Protect your sun with a good quality sun screen, but chose wisely. Sunscreens regularly top the list of skincare products with the most ‘nasties’. We recommend visiting your local health food store or checking out the most effective natural sunscreens from Organic Authority.
PS we don’t have any commercial links with the brands we have recommended above. We just love them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-_nfuTY37k&feature=youtu.be
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/#.WzdqFtVKios
http://www.organicauthority.com/31-best-natural-sunscreens-of-2017
