Natural cosmetics are ineffective, have a short shelf life, or cause skin impurities. These are just some of the prejudices against organic cosmetics. Yet, it's usually not the natural ingredients that trigger reactions or allergies, and not everything that's supposed to work can actually be absorbed by the skin. I've put the biggest myths about natural cosmetics to a fact-check.
Is it truly "natural" if it says "natural" on the label?
Unfortunately, there's a lot of greenwashing, and many brands try to give their products a green image. Descriptions like "inspired by nature" or "close to nature" are the first warning signs, because not every green package contains natural cosmetics. Often, only individual ingredients are of natural origin, and microplastics, artificial fragrances, preservatives, and much more can be found in the products. If you want honest natural cosmetics with exclusively natural ingredients for your skin, you can trust the Demeter seal. It is considered the strictest seal worldwide and guarantees 100% organic active ingredients – without critical chemicals.
Is natural cosmetics less effective than conventional products?
That's not true and depends entirely on the product. While many natural cosmetic products are full of valuable ingredients, the concentration of active ingredients in conventional cosmetics is often low. Furthermore, not everything that's in cosmetics can actually be absorbed by the skin. Mineral oil-free and silicone-free natural cosmetics are not only better tolerated, but the ingredients they contain can also be better absorbed by the skin. Besides the active ingredients in natural care, regularity and consistency in application are also crucial for the result.
Do natural cosmetics have a short shelf life and should they be stored in the refrigerator?
Generally, natural cosmetic products in sealed condition are relatively insensitive at room temperature, but should be used within 4-6 months after first opening. In my opinion, however, this is not a negative, but a quality feature. Because the longer a product lasts, the more strongly it is preserved. Just like with food, quality often suffers from shelf life, for example, with long-life milk, which has hardly any nutritional value anymore. Accordingly, a long shelf life rather indicates aggressive preservatives, which you don't really want on your skin.
Are natural cosmetics not suitable for allergy sufferers?
Besides the quality of the ingredients, the biggest advantage of honest natural cosmetics is the short ingredient lists. If you consider that in the morning, with brushing teeth, shower gel, deodorant, face cream, and perfume, you already come into contact with at least five (but probably more) products, you realize how quickly this escalates. Many people already react sensitively to this overstimulation or, in extreme cases, even allergically. By avoiding artificial fragrances and cheap fillers like microplastics or silicones, my dieNikolai care products, for example, have only four to ten ingredients, which makes them well-suited even for sensitive skin.
Can skin impurities arise when switching to natural cosmetics?
That's right, when switching to natural cosmetics, you should give your skin some time, and impurities can occur (but don't have to). Often, it goes through a veritable detoxification process and also has to learn to work on its own again. After four to six weeks at the latest, the skin will have gotten used to it and will then need much less care than before.
Can't everything be replaced by nature?
Similar to nutrition, every apple that replaces a chocolate bar is valuable - and the same applies to cosmetics. Anyone who comes into contact with 5-10 cosmetic products daily exposes their body to up to 300 chemicals day after day just from cosmetics, including microplastics and ingredients suspected of having negative effects (but not yet banned). Over the years, this can have a negative impact not only on the body but also on the environment. Accordingly, it is advisable to gradually switch to organic cosmetics and to constantly discover new products along the way.
