This VS That: Skin Edition

Most of us are aiming to make “healthier” choices beyond what is in on our plate and in our fridges. The Global Health & Wellness Food Market estimated $95.56 billion in 2020, reached approximately $104.27 billion in 2021, and projected to reach $162.09 billion by 2026. It is a trend that doesn’t appear to be losing any momentum. There are Pros and Cons of course, the Pro I’m focusing on is the demand is from us, the consumers, for more. We hold more power than most realize! Buying POWER!

With this demand and growth comes the overwhelming amount of marketing for health wellness products and food. All intended to catch your attention and offer solutions to what aligns with your health goals or concerns.

It says “Natural”, must be Healthy right?

As we cruise down the aisles or scroll online, at some point we are entranced by some form of marketing. Many brands take advantage and project “healthy” options that are misleading. Due to the lack of regulations when using certain words, names of ingredients and actual ingredients creates a sea of opportunity for profit without having to be truly good for our health.

A good example of this are the terms Natural vs. Organic Foods. Are they the same thing? Nope.

• Organic foods are ALWAYS third-party certified to comply with strict, far-ranging USDA organic regulations. “Natural” foods are NOT.
• Many products that claim to be “natural” contain GMOs and artificial ingredients (no gracias)!
• Many products may say Organic but they are not Certified Organic, look for the USDA Certified Organic Seal.
• If personal health, the environment, and a sustainability are things you care about, look for the USDA Organic Seal.

It is Up To You

Food facilities do not have to obtain any type of certification or approval before distributing in the U.S. Facilities are required to register with the FDA. Being registered does not indicate FDA approval of the facility or the products.

Barely touching the first layer of this rabbit hole in the regulated and unregulated food industry is enough reason why a long time ago I started asking more questions and researching what all these terms, certifications, chemicals and ingredient names mean.

Nobody forces us to buy anything, yet make choices we assume are good for us. These choices are regulated to be “safe” yet can still impact our health negatively. Perhaps not immediately or in a month but down the road these ae some of common issues:

• hormonal imbalances (impacts skin, fatigue, issues with procreation, PCOS)
• disrupt your insulin levels (weight gain, prediabetes, diabetes, makes it harder to lose weight)
• contribute to food addiction (it is a real thing-look it up)
• disrupt gut health microbiome (immune system, IBS, leaky gut)
• contribute to you mental health (depression, anxiety, ADHD)

If the food industry is like this, what do think the other industries such as beauty, fragrances and cosmetics are regulated?

On the daily most of use a wide range of products from our head down to our toes to take on the day.

Did you know that our skin is the largest organ of our body? One of the main functions of the skin is protection. Protecting the body from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature. It is permeable barrier where products can penetrate through into our bloodstream and organs.

Why is it important to look into cleaner skincare options? As I mentioned before the FDA does not regulate as much as we think they do. The FDA allows cancer causing chemicals including parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, lead and more to be used in products we use daily. Even if in small amounts it adds up over time.

Clean Beauty Misconceptions

1. Only sold in speciality stores. FALSE: you can find options online, even Amazon, almost any health based grocer, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and even Costco, Target, Sephora.
2. Super expensive. FALSE: price ranges just like everything else, some products that take it to the next level where everything is certified organic, 100% plant based, packaging is compostable, ink used on packaging is plant based and containers are glass will definitely kick up the price.
3. Products don’t perform the same. FALSE/TRUE: it depends on the product and it honestly isn’t a fair comparison since one product contains chemicals and the other doesn’t. Example: non-toxic make-up has come a long way with their pigments for liquid foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadows and nail polishes.

Swap Suggestions

I specifically chose “THIS” verses “THAT” products from Target to show that alternative options truly are readily available. I have personally used all the “THAT” suggestions as well as constantly trying new options I come across since the quality keeps improving.

There are countless options and some will be “cleaner” than others. You decide what matters most to you. Perhaps it is vegan, cruelty free, petroleum free, paraben free, formaldehyde free, certified organic or fragrance free matters most. Keep asking the questions, keep being curious at finding and trying new alternates.

Lotion

THAT brands- Alba Botanica, She Moisture, (not shown) Avalon Organics, Dr. Bronners, Juice Beauty, Hempz

Deodorant

THAT brands- Type A, Schmidt’s, (not shown) Native, Tom’s of Maine, Weleda, Kosas

Nail Polish

THAT brands- TenOverTen, Ella + Mila, (not shown) Olive & June, Zoya, Cote, 10 Free Chemistry

The Choice is Yours

We ALWAYS have a choice. We control what we buy and why we buy. We either care, don’t care, don’t know what we don’t know or indifferent. There are profit margins behind every product and as the consumer evaluate what matters to you, do the research, compare products, and educated decisions that are right for you and your family.