Our insecurities have fueled a multibillion-dollar business. At this point, aging with grace may be just as much about knowledge as it is about using serums.
[Editor’s Note: We originally published this Q&A last Monday, August 8th, but because it was so well-received, we’re republishing it with a giveaway! Enter your details at the end of this post for a chance to win a True Botanicals face oil!]
In an effort to better understand aging, general preventative and curative measures, as well as the products we use to alleviate our many ailments, I turned to Hillary Peterson, Founder of True Botanicals, to help me dispel some beauty industry myths.
A melanoma and thyroid cancer survivor, Hillary created True Botanicals to fill a safety measure often ignored by the beauty industry. Her products—natural, effective, and environmentally friendly—are challenging the toxin-filled equivalents of many leading brands.
If it takes 26 seconds for your bloodstream to absorb 60% of what you put on your skin, aren’t you wondering what you’re really slathering onto it?
Why are the telltale signs of aging marked by wrinkles and fine lines? What does this have to do with the life cycle of our cells?
The loss of both function and structural stability in our skin is unavoidable as age. The epidermis, or the outer most layer of our skin, thins, and our cell turnover rates slow dramatically. Together, they contribute to wrinkle formation and sagging. Understanding the causes of this process and addressing them at the source, however, can make a big difference.
In that case, the 10-step Korean facial care routine, seems to be a trendy, popular, and pricey method of treatment loved by many. Is the extravagant and time-consuming routine really necessary?
If budget is a consideration, my philosophy is always to buy fewer, great products.
Less is more and quality is everything.
I am not a big fan of the 10-step method because I personally prefer an effective and luxurious routine that is also relatively simple. True Botanicals’ philosophy is to deliver high-impact ingredients straight into your skin so they, in turn, can address the source of your aging cells. Through our research, we have found that you simply don’t need 10 steps to do that.
I’ve always been curious about these next two question: Is there a right age to “start” taking care of the skin? Does it become a losing game when people don’t take preventative measures?
The right age to start taking care of your skin is from birth! The key, through your early years at least, is to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure. For most people, their first wrinkles start appearing in their twenties. They then start a comprehensive skin routine as a result. When they do, we recommend a minimal routine of three simple steps:
- CLEANSE with a gentle cleanser that removes the daily accumulation of dirt and grime without stripping the skin of its natural oils.
- MOISTURIZE with an antioxidant-rich, nutritive face oil.
- PROTECT your face every day, rain or shine, with a non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen.
Oh, and just a little bit more about face oils: As it turns out, that the skin care ingredient we’ve all feared most, is incredibly good for our skin. Oils, also known as lipids or essential fatty acids, occur naturally in our skin. In fact, they’re responsible for giving our skin that “healthy glow.”
Lipids create a protective barrier that holds moisture in while keeping elements like the sun and wind out. When we age, our bodies produce fewer lipids, dehydrate the skin, and make us more prone to wrinkles. When oils are applied directly to the skin, without the interference of waxes found in lotions and creams, they are immediately absorbed into the top layers of the epidermis where they work to improve barrier function.
By replenishing the oils you’ve lost through the natural aging process, you enable your skin to do what it does naturally–retain moisture and repel assaults from sun and wind.
While it may seem counter intuitive to apply oil to even blemish-prone skin, it turns out that oils are far more effective than scrubs, harsh soaps, and other treatments in strengthening your skin’s barrier function, eliminating infections, calming irritations, and reducing inflammations. Because lipids dissolve lipids, the topical application of a carefully curated mix of oils can actually break up your skin congestion at its source.
Why is it important to care about natural products when there are easy and cheaper alternatives?
Ahhhh! There are so many issues with easy, cheaper alternatives that is hard to decide where to begin. First, unfortunately, cheaper ingredients tend to be the ones that are most toxic. Second, while we do use some high-quality, safe synthetics that are actually quite expensive, the best ingredients still come from nature.
There is a perception that ingredients created in a lab are more potent than carefully researched and curated ingredients from nature but that is not true. When we think of our bodies and what we eat, it is clear that whole ingredients from nature are the most nourishing. The same is true for our skin and the products we apply to it.
Oh no! What then, would you say, are some chemical ingredients to steer very clear from?
The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics Red List highlights chemicals that we should all look to eliminate from our personal care routines. It is a lot of work for to learn what to avoid and to check labels but it is well worth it.
We, at True Botanicals, recently took an important step to seek MADE SAFE™ certifications for all of our products. This decision reinforces our overall mission to deliver results without toxins and to push the beauty industry to do the same. Amidst a sea of misinformation, MADE SAFE is offering the most comprehensive product safety evaluation available today. We are proud to be making products that meet or exceed these rigorous standards.
How, then, would you define beauty?
Beauty comes from many sources, both from outside and from deep within. Beauty is authenticity and presence. It is the ability to see, connect, recognize, and appreciate all that is around us.
Last one. Why the campaign for safe cosmetics and why True Botanicals?
We are setting higher expectations for what you, as a customer, can expect from a product. We are teaching people to look beyond marketing hype and to focus, instead, on ingredient labels backed by solid clinical trials. After all, those tried-and-true products ultimately have the greatest impact on your skin.
It is so rewarding to hear positive feedback on our customers–many of whom say they’ve never used a product quite like ours that has made such a big impact on their skin. Our collection of super luxurious, super concentrated, bio-active formulations delivers unparalleled results without compromising health. By eliminating the costs of the traditional distribution model and selling direct to our customers, we are able to exceed the industry norms and put a far higher quantity of high quality ingredients into our products.
Do you have any beauty questions that need answering? Myths that require some investigating? Ask away in the comments below!