Plant Based Skin Care Products And Cosmetics
The rise of plant based skincare brands is alive and well. In fact, the green beauty market is growing at an unbelievable pace - currently forecasted to be worth well over $48 billion by the year 2025.
As demand for plant based skin care products continues to grow, the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon grows too. Everybody from plant based cosmetics brands to conventional cosmetics brands will soon be touting their own versions of green beauty.
Is it greenwashing?
Are brands jumping in for the easy profits?
Or do they stand behind what they’re selling and are actually trying to do something good?
The beauty industry is barely regulated, and all products are certainly not created equal, so it’s going to be up to consumers to look out for themselves and their own health.
Our skin is our largest organ. What we put on it plays a big role in our overall health and well-being. It’s important to seek out products that are clean and healthy for your body. This is where reading labels, understanding ingredients, and doing as much research as possible to know what’s inside the plant based beauty products your purchasing and using on your skin is so important.
Just because a brand is selling plant based facial products doesn’t mean those products contain the purest ingredients you can buy. The fact is that many plant based products contain the very same harsh chemicals that many conventional brands do. In our opinion, this is not pure plant skin care.
In order to insure you’re getting the purest of plant based products, you might want to consider going a step further than “plant based”.
We recommend looking for vegan friendly skin care. Not all products made with plant based ingredients are vegan. Vegan body care products mean they’re made with zero animal derived ingredients. For example, you might see a product advertised as the best plant based lotion, but it could also contain beeswax, lanolin, keratin and more. These are highly processed ingredients and the best vegan lotion would not contain any of these.
Raw vegan skin care goes even another step further. Raw vegan means a product doesn’t contain any vegan ingredient that has been processed, cooked or altered from its natural state. Basically, raw vegan enthusiasts believe ingredients lose their nutrients and enzymes if they are altered in any way. So that’s another thing to consider.
Our advice is that whether you’re looking at plant based, vegan or raw vegan products, we believe the best thing is to avoid any ingredients that are connected with research that indicates harm to your overall well-being.
Here are a few questions about common synthetics that have raised concern over the years. There are many more out there but as we mentioned earlier, our goal is to create awareness so you can look for yourself and make informed choices for you and your families when it comes to professional and safe skin care products that actually work.
What are Parabens?
Parabens are synthetic preservatives that are used in beauty products to prolong the shelf life of a product. The danger of parabens is a topic of debate even though studies have discovered they can disrupt the function of hormones in reproductive system functioning, reproductive development, fertility and birth outcomes.
Why would you risk putting anything on your body that is “debated”? Our thoughts on parabens are to play it safe. That said, we think the best paraben free body moisturizer is any paraben free body moisturizer.
What are Phthalates?
Phthalates are a major component in plastics and are often used to keep products pliable. Coined as “endocrine disruptors”, studies have identified their effects on reproductive development. Phthalates are often used in fragrances and are therefore not listed as an ingredient. Why? Because beauty brands don’t have to reveal what’s in a fragrance as it is considered a “trade secret”.
We think there are a lot of loose ends like this when it comes to regulation in the beauty industry. That said, we like supporting the brands that are informative, transparent and aren’t trying to hide anything.
What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a foaming agent found in many beauty products including body wash, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. SLS is introduced during the manufacturing process as a cleaning and emulsifying agent. In concentrations more than 2% studies have shown SLS are irritants to the eyes, skin and more.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is an example of another ingredient that has inconclusive test results. One source will say they’re safe. Another will say they’re dangerous. Our opinion on all that is to listen to your body. If your body becomes “irritated” by the products you are using then there’s your answer.
If one was informed and had the choice, why would they choose a conventional face lotion over the best paraben free face lotion? Or ideally the best paraben and phthalate free lotion?
Many consumers may not have a choice. Especially in smaller and harder to reach markets. But the more we support brands that are trying to uphold safer and healthier standards - the more accessible those products will become - and that will bring choice to everyone.
We believe that the best plant based skin care products are those created by the brands who stand behind everything they do. Brands that are meticulous about all that goes into their products - from ingredients to packaging. It all matters.
As more and more plant based skincare brands enter the market and the green beauty movement continues to grow – we hope plant based skin care brands prioritize quality, transparency and responsibility over keeping up with trends or chasing easy money.
And if we as consumers demand it, they’ll have no choice but to deliver.
Nucifera is 100% vegan and we think it’s one of the best vegan skin products out there. But don’t just take our word for it. We wouldn't be anywhere without the amazing support and feedback we get from our community. Here’s a few words from one of our most recent fans. Thank you! We appreciate and love you all!
“This is my absolute favorite skin care product ever! Over the past year or so I have been trying to replace my regular skin care products with non-toxic natural skin care products. I have had a difficult time finding something that I love. Once I tried Nucifera I was hooked! I love it first and foremost most because I know it’s so good for my skin. It’s all natural and has minimal ingredients. I also love the way it smells and feels on my skin. I feel like I’m glowing, in a non-greasy way, and that my skin feels soft and wonderful. This also has become my new go-to gift for my close friends and family. They have all loved it as well.”
- Brent A