Category: Blog Post

Why Do A Nightime Routine Blog Post graphic

Why Do A Nighttime Routine?

Posted on by Editorial Team

You may love a good night-time skincare routine, but do you know what its benefits are? Read below to learn why a night-time routine can really benefit your skin.

What happens to your skin while you sleep

Your skin is the second-largest organ in your body, and as such it performs many functions. So what is happening to your skin while you sleep?

  • Your skin loses water – or “sweats” – while you sleep due to less oil production, which means that it’s important to counteract this moisture loss with a moisturizer. Oils like jojoba imitate the skin’s natural sebum, while oils like hemp and olive supply much-needed fatty acids to maintain elasticity.
  • Skin becomes drier due to this moisture loss, which makes an extra-emollient moisturizer all the more important. If your skin is normally dry, then slather it on!
  • Your skin needs the right amount of sleep in order to replenish itself. If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter, you’ll notice that your skin is more sallow and your eyes are puffier. Lack of sleep also raises cortisol levels, which contributes to inflammation. Higher stress hormones can contribute to breakouts and other skin problems, as well. Hormones like Melatonin and Human Growth Hormone increase during sleep, making a good night’s sleep all the more important.
  • Skin is warmer at night, which can make it easier for skincare products to be absorbed. So why not take advantage of this and apply products like AHAs or BHAs to speed cell turnover while you sleep? Turnover tends to occur between about 11pm and 4 am, before body temperature drops to its lowest level during sleep. Skin is also more permeable, so products can be absorbed more easily.

What should your skincare routine look like?

We already know that a good moisturizer can counteract moisture loss while we sleep, but what else can we do to enhance our nighttime skincare routine?

  • Be sure to remove all traces of makeup and accumulated dirt gently before bed. A light oil-based makeup remover like Whole Earth Body Actives Facial Cleansing Oil and Makeup Remover is rich in Vitamin E and contains geranium oil to help balance sebum production. A gentle exfoliator will remove any dead skin cells.
  • Use products with ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, retinol and Vitamin C to help “detox” your skin, increase collagen production and reduce inflammation while you sleep. We like our Whole Earth Body Actives Age Defying Vitamin C Creme with Niacinamide. It’s gentle enough to use day and night for botanical-based antioxidant protection.
  • Get the best quality sleep that you can. Avoid electronic devices, caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals before bed. If you’re a side sleeper, a silk pillowcase can help prevent wrinkles while you sleep. Products like melatonin (which decreases as you age), or valerian extract (which can help you fall asleep) are non-habit forming and effective for some. Use a humidifier in winter and a dehumidifier/air purifier in the summer if needed to maintain a humidity level of about 45 percent and keep mucus membranes from drying out.

By spending just a little extra time at night, you can go a long way towards helping your skin to be its very best. And isn’t waking up to healthy skin worth it?

Beauty product ingredients Pinterest graphic

Checking Beauty Product Ingredients

Posted on by Editorial Team

Why Check Beauty Product Ingredients?

There are over 12,000 chemical ingredients registered with the F.D.A. that can be used in skincare products. It is a dizzying array of actives, from acids to stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickeners, pH adjusters, preservatives and so on. While the FDA does not need to approve ingredients for use in the U.S., they do regulate them. Consumers know very little about where ingredients come from, how they’re made, or how many may cause irritation or other side effects. In addition to that, many product labels use INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) names , which are not commonly known.

When you multiply this by the number of products used by the average consumer (approximately 10), the total number of ingredients used on any one day can be substantial. The FDA also lists ingredients that are prohibited in skincare products, like ingredients classified as drugs. However, should a skincare product be found to cause adverse reactions, the FDA cannot order the product off the market – they can merely issue a voluntary recall. (You can read an example of this here.) This often puts the onus on the consumer to verify claims made by skincare companies, and to check its labels for questionable ingredients.

Where can we find some of this information? Fortunately, there are online sources of information on the many ingredients that are in your beauty products. Below are examples of a few of them. Remember, knowledge is power; by knowing what’s going on your skin, you can be empowered to find the skincare products containing only the ingredients that YOU want to use.

Ingredient Resources

  • Skincarisma.com – with a database of over 32,000 products from around the world, this website created by a community of savvy consumers includes an ingredient analyzer and product comparisons.
  • ewg.org – The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database rates over 76,000 products for safety based on available data. They’re more than just a product database, however, the food guides and other helpful articles designed to help you live a green, clean life.
  • safecosmetics.org – not technically a database, but it has a “Red List” of ingredients to avoid.
  • cosmeticingredientreview – this website is sponsored by the Personal Care Products Council, and provides the results of scientific studies performed on chemical ingredients found in personal care products. If you’re into the science, it provides detailed information. (Warning; the majority report on animal testing of ingredients.)
  • incidecoder.com – this website allows you to search by ingredient or by product to get the list of ingredients and what they are used for. What more do you need?
  • cosmeticsinfo.org – this website provides an alphabetical listing of ingredients and what they are used for. Very useful if you have a product in hand and you are checking the label ingredients.

Disclaimer: We are not responsible for the information contained in third-party websites, nor does their inclusion here constitute an explicit endorsement.

To Prime or Not to Prime Pinterest graphic

To Prime or Not to Prime?

Posted on by Editorial Team

What is a primer?

A primer is a cream or lotion that is applied under makeup to help prepare it for makeup and/or to smooth out the skin. Primers are often water-based or silicone-based, and are usually fragrance-free. They can help makeup last, but many also improve the skin’s hydration, texture and more. Some even include sun protection.

There are primers for the face, eyelids and lips, and they are everywhere. The big question is whether or not you should use a primer on a regular basis.

When Should I Use a Primer?

No doubt, many consumers swear by primers for their ability to smooth out the skin, hydrate, reflect, and protect skin before applying makeup. Ingredients like dimethicone are designed to sit on the uppermost layer of skin and make applying makeup easier. Some people experience an allergic reaction, however. If you have sensitive skin, there are water-based primers. Primers with antioxidants like Vitamins A and C, green tea extract, and other ingredients can help banish things like redness and hyperpigmentation, improving skin over time. Others choose to use a primer by itself, for its skin-improving benefits. Our Age-Defying Vitamin C Face Creme uses an alternative to silicones and Ascorbic acid, which can be irritating at high doses. It is also loaded with antioxidant rich botanical extracts like green tea, rose and geranium, and Niacinamide.

When Should I Not Use a Primer?

With so many formulations on the market, it’s easier than ever to find a primer formulation that your skin will like. However, if you have skin conditions like cystic acne or are extremely sensitive to ingredients, you should not use a primer without reading the label carefully. Make sure you understand which ingredients are in a formula and what they do. The same would apply to any product, of course.

Another reason to avoid primer might be that your current regimen contains sufficient skin-nurturing ingredients so as to render a primer redundant. For example, many BB, CC creams and regular foundations contain the same ingredients. If so, then why pay more for ingredients that you’re already using?

In conclusion, the decision to prime or not to prime is entirely dependent on your skin’s needs, your lifestyle and your personal preferences. Primers may serve an important purpose. If so, they deserve a place in your cosmetics arsenal.

September Self Care Tips Blog Post

September Self-Care Tips

Posted on by Editorial Team

In honor of National Self-Care Awareness Month, we’ve come up with a few September self-care tips to make your month just a little less stressful. After all, what’s more important than maintaining our health and wellness? You can, while carrying out your usual responsibilities, and it needn’t cost you much of anything. See our tips below:

  • Check out one of the new wellness/fitness apps that can help you stay focused on your routine, like “Calm” “Wakeout“, “Runkeeper“, or others. What you choose depends on your wellness goals and situation. No matter what you need to relax, unwind, and stay fit, there’s an app for that.
  • Enjoy the great outdoors. In Japan, the art of Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” has been proven to improve health and well-being. Gardening has its benefits as well, as does hiking and other enjoyable outdoor activities. All are designed to refresh mind and body.
  • Choose to unplug. Most of us are constantly inundated by TV, social media and smart phone notifications. These can often create a state of sensory overload that can increase tension and disrupt sleep. The solution? Take a vacation from electronic devices, even if it’s for a day. Instead, why not have a foot soak, read a good book, write poetry, or listen to soothing music?
  • Create some real connection. Human beings are social animals. Our busy schedules and many responsibilities can leave us feeling isolated. Take a mental health day and find community by exploring a new interest. Find like-minded individuals at a Meetup group, attend a Sip & Paint event, visit an animal shelter, contact someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile; the list is endless.
  • Try aromatherapy. It has been used for thousands of years to relieve stress and treat minor ailments. Read more about its benefits here. Companies like DoTerra provide aromatherapy oil kits to help you get started. Or you can use a diffuser like this one on Amazon and experiment with different essential oil scents. You are bound to find one that promotes relaxation or lifts mood. (Read our blog post on essential oil benefits.)
  • Keep a journal. Remember when diaries were all the rage? Journaling is a more grown-up version. It’s been shown to hold many benefits. Whether or not you’re fond of writing, putting word to paper is a worthwhile exercise in self-awareness and discipline. It is a less expensive form of therapy that forces the mind to work things out, clear out the cobwebs, and relieve stress. There are also specialty journals available that help with organization and goal-setting if that suits your fancy.

There are almost as many ways to provide self-care as there are people. Do you have a favorite? We’d love to know. Feel free to contact us at:

webanaturalproducts@yahoo.com