When school kids begin learning about human anatomy, teachers always ask a trick question. Which is the largest organ in the body? Naturally, students answer heart, lungs or the stomach. However, the largest organ in the body is actually your skin. Your skin regulates you internally, provides sensation and aids in excretion, but its primary function is to act as a barrier of protection. Everybody wants to look great, but we shouldn’t sacrifice the main purpose of our skin for our vanity.

When asked about keeping a healthy lifestyle, the first thing that comes to mind is the food they eat and the exercise they may not be getting. Those concerns are absolutely the basic factors that everybody needs to consider for a healthy body. Our number one advice to anybody looking to reduce dark spots or lines around their eyes is to rest more, hydrate more and reduce stress! We think that is great advice that can improve all aspects of one’s body and life. But the next step is to critically examine not just what we put in our bodies but on our bodies too.

The boom in the beauty industry reflects the old as time legend, the search for the fountain of youth. Today the miracles of modern science can nip and tuck some pretty amazing (and sometime horrific) results. There are chemical peels and injections that quite effectively achieve miraculous results.

There are many topical skin products that seem to be quite effective, but every consumer today should be looking to avoid ingredients found in these products. Ingredients like parabens and phthalates are known to cause internal health complications. Every consumer should also look to see if there are other harsh chemicals like AHA’s. These can peel outer skin layers causing long-term skin damage. Even safe ingredients such as alcohol can irritate sensitive skin. Any one concerned with long-term results should always be aware of the effectiveness AND safety.

Hopefully if you’re reading this, you already are convinced that natural lifestyle choices are the best for your skin. But we also invite caution and skepticism since the natural industry, like the food industry, can be confusing with terminology and lack of regulated standards.

Additionally, we all want safe ingredients, but let’s not also forget about effective regimens. Applying olive oil to your face is probably safe, but also probably produces limited results. Some ingredients may be natural in its origin such as minerals and oils, but can actually cause damage to your skin, while other natural or organic formulations may have the right ingredients, but the formulation must be mixed constantly, smells like a chemistry experiment, don’t last any longer than the strawberries in your refrigerator and ultimately do not penetrate your skin layer to work. 

We think that botanical or herbal-based ingredients are the best sources for your skin. The antioxidants and vitamins in plants and fruits that your body needs to function are also the best source of ingredients for your skin. So before you try a new product with an ingredient that you shouldn’t eat, research the natural and organic marketing terms and associations. Choose products that provide a balance of safety and  efficacy, and find a regimen that is simple and fits your lifestyle and hopefully that’s a step towards more beautiful skin and a more beautiful you.