Since the arrival of applications like Yuka, we have gotten into the habit of scanning the compositions of our products, and obviously beauty treatments include this. A hard blow for so-called chemical cosmetics which pay a high price with poor ratings on these platforms, in favor of so-called natural products which continue to increase their sympathy capital. The reason ? They are considered more effective and less dangerous. But this conclusion is not so simple. HAS 20 minutesAudrey aka Dermato Dreydermatologist and author of the book, Make peace with your skinexplained why.
“Natural products are not necessarily better for the skin”
The shortcut seems obvious, and yet, a natural product does not systematically equate to a healthier, safer, or more effective product. This is in fact what the dermatologist says: “Products of natural origin are not necessarily better for the skin”. What matters is not so much the origin of the ingredient but rather the effectiveness of the active ingredients at the biological level on the cells. “From the moment it is an ingredient that does not belong to the human body, the skin will recognize it as foreign,” explains the dermatologist.
In this sense, a so-called chemical product (even if the word is scary) is not “more dangerous”, affirms the professional. This term is mainly used because of the manufacturing process. Indeed, a chemical product comes from chemistry (synthetic ingredients). As for the natural product, it will come from natural resources (plant, mineral or animal origins). Which will not prevent it from being chemically modified in order to be more stable or better preserved, for example.
“In fact, natural does not mean without danger, nor does it mean that it can be used without precaution,” insists the doctor. “There are as many side effects with natural products as with chemical products,” she emphasizes. For example, essential oils which are completely natural products can cause significant allergic reactions.
“There will not be one more effective than the other”
Which is the most effective? Joker! “There will not be one more effective than the other,” says the doctor, who explains that it is above all a question of “preference”. For a product to be effective on the skin, everything depends on the relevance of the active ingredients according to the problem being treated, but also on the effectiveness and tolerance tests that will be carried out.
To better make your choice, the dermatologist especially recommends reducing the quantity of cosmetics you use. With the aim of minimizing interactions between different products in order to “consume less” and “pollute less”. To favor rather short ingredient lists. And avoid Do-it-yourself recipes, sold as “perfectly safe”. We can “aggravate skin problems” with certain “irritating” recipes, warns the dermatologist, who notably cites lemon juice for brown spots or even toothpaste to treat pimples.