What’s Best For Your Skin – Natural Or Synthetic Skincare?
Synthetic-based products backed by science or clean, green, natural formulations? Which are better for your skin? And do you even need to make the choice? Here’s what we know.
Being more planet-conscious about what you eat, drink, wear and do is great and we salute all of you trying to do your bit to better the world we live in – no matter how small. But it’s not always easy to live a clean, eco-friendly life.
And this is especially true when it comes to what you put on your skin. The natural and organic skincare market is expected to double in the next ten years, but nailing a clean, green skincare routine is a feat in itself. How so? Because terms like 'clean,' 'green,' 'natural' and 'organic' often mean different things to different people and, most importantly, they’re unregulated which means that some products claiming to be such things often aren't quite what they seem...
Then there’s the question of do these products even work or are you better off choosing synthetic, lab-created formulations that are supposedly more powerful and effective… but could potentially harm your skin and/or the planet? Oh. My.
Read on for the complete lowdown on the natural vs synthetic debate, plus how you can get the best of both worlds.
And breathe!
What Does ‘Natural’ Mean In Skincare?
This is the 64 thousand dollar question because there’s no real set definition in the skincare industry or, in fact, the beauty industry as a whole. For us, however, we think of ‘natural’ in its simplest form – meaning that anything termed as such should be derived from nature. Whether this is a plant extract like aloe vera or an botanical oil like tea tree or ylang ylang, if an ingredient is found in nature, it’s natural. Makes sense, right?
The important thing to note here, however, is that just because a formulation contains a number of natural ingredients, this doesn’t make the entire product natural. You’ll often see certain brands claiming their products are ‘natural’ even if they contain synthetic ingredients. We won’t name names but that’s called ‘pulling the wool over your eyes’ and we don’t subscribe to that.
OK, So What About Synthetic Ingredients?
Synthetic ingredients are basically chemicals that have been created in a laboratory. Now, if that strikes fear into your very core, think about this. The water you drink contains a whole host of chemicals. As does much of the food you eat. Even the air you breathe. The truth is, chemicals are not necessarily the enemy. In fact, some of the most effective and highly regarded ingredients in skincare are chemicals. Here’s looking at you vitamin C and retinol.
The Cases For & Against…
If 100 percent natural skincare brands are to believe, the only ingredients you should ever put near your face are natural. Because chemicals are bad news for both humans and the planet. Meanwhile, synthetic-based skincare brands will have you convinced that natural ingredients don’t work, whereas chemicals are the only choice if you care about the health of your skin.
So, is any of this true? Yes. And no.
Yes, there are some sketchy chemicals around like oxybenzone, phthalates and parabens which have the potential to harm things like marine life, your skin and even your health. But most chemical ingredients used in skincare have been tested to exceptional standards and are proven to be safe and sustainable. What’s more, not every natural ingredient is great for your skin. There are plenty of essential oils, for example, that can be extremely drying and irritating, and when you think about the poison oaks of the world, well, this proves that nature is not always such an innocent party.
Are chemicals more effective than natural ingredients? Again, some are, but others aren’t. With today’s sophisticated technologies, certain natural ingredients can be very effective for moisturizing, hydrating, brightening or toning the skin – especially when they’re formulated to high industry standards. In fact, some of the hardest-working ingredients in skincare are natural. Green tea, aloe vera, salicylic acid and rosehip oil are just a few examples of effective, natural ingredients that have been used in skincare for decades.
Because they work.
So, Which Offers The Best Results: Synthetic or Natural Skincare?
There’s no real right or wrong answer here, but we believe that responsibly combining science with nature is the best, most balanced solution. Plants offer powerful benefits to the skin, so we strengthen all of our formulations with trusted, natural ingredients that have been clinically tested to improve the health of your skin. Simply put, nature is at the core of every TruSkin product.
However, we know that certain synthetically-produced ingredients like sodium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C), d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and retinol are pretty much the gold-standard of skin rejuvenation so they mustn’t be ignored either. What's more, as well as their undoubted efficacy, these are some of the safest ingredients in skincare thanks to their compatibility with the skin and years' worth of clinical research.
Take our fan favorite Vitamin C Facial Serum, for example, which might be packed with natural ingredients like aloe, witch hazel and jojoba oil but similarly relies on the extraordinary powers of lab-created ingredients like vitamin C and vitamin E. As we said before, it's all about balance.
Of course, we would never add unnecessary chemicals, additives and fragrances to any of our products and rest assured, we’re free of phthalates, parabens and sulfates which are up there as three of the biggest no-nos in skincare. But chemicals that are non-toxic, skin-friendly and extremely effective? Count us in. And when they can be powered by nature’s very best? Even better.
Seems like a no brainer, right?
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![The Most Effective Ingredients For Sagging Skin]()
One wish: to enjoy the tight, gravity-defying skin of 20 years ago. Sadly, it’s not going to happen, so the next best thing? Skincare ingredients that boost collagen and help your skin appear subtly firmer and just a tad more lifted.
Let’s get one thing straight: skincare cannot perform miracles. We’d love to be able to tell you that our new Caffeine Facial Serum can give you the skin of someone 30 years your junior or that our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub will eradicate every single one of your much-loathed dark spots after just one use. But we’d be lying. Skincare is awesome, absolutely. And yes, it can 100 percent help to subtly improve the appearance of acne breakouts, wrinkles and aging skin. But it has its limits. And knowing that your favorite moisturizer or prized facial serum can only do so much is crucial. Otherwise, you will always be disappointed. And that’s not what we want for you.
OK, so now this bombshell is out of the way and you understand that skincare ingredients aren’t going to give you an instant facelift or smooth out your laughter lines like fillers or Botox, here’s what they can do.
Choose the right formulation, crafted with thoughtful, clinically-proven ingredients, and skincare can very much improve the look, feel and health of your skin. And if you’ve ever woken up after trying a new serum for the first time, only to be greeted in the mirror by visibly brighter skin, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
So, which ingredients should you pin your hopes on if you’re specifically looking to lift and firm sagging skin? Well, skin starts to go south because of dwindling collagen supplies so boosting collagen production is your first and best bet. Bearing in mind everything we’ve just said about managing expectations, therefore, here are five topical favorites we believe are the most effective for encouraging healthy collagen and helping you on the road to firmer, more toned skin.
1. Peptides
Without blinding you with science, peptides are chemical compounds made from amino acids. They’re very similar to proteins, but where proteins are large molecules made up of long chains of amino acids, peptides are their baby cousins, containing much shorter chains. Why is this of interest? Because due to their similarity, peptides have the smart ability of being able to penetrate the skin where they work like little messengers, signaling for your cells to produce more proteins. And which protein is most abundant in your skin? Yes, you got it, collagen.
In simple terms, applying topical peptides encourages your cells to keep on producing collagen (and elastin, for that matter), thus helping to counteract the skin’s inevitable loss of this vital protein and staving off all that comes with it – namely wrinkles, lines and sagging skin.
Try: Firming Collagen Day Lotion which contains vegan collagen peptides, amongst other skincare powerhouses like ceramides, green algae, vitamin E and aloe.
2. Retinol
When it comes to boosting your skin’s supply of healthy collagen very few topical ingredients trump retinol. Ask your derm or any skincare expert and we bet 1,000 bucks they will agree. So, what makes it so darn good? Well, it’s been studied for decades and it never fails to deliver the same skin-regenerating results. You see, retinol has an innate ability to communicate with your skin at a deep cellular level to encourage a speedier production of collagen and elastin in a bid to heal and strengthen your skin. Simple as. Well, it’s not that simple, but that’s all you really need to know.
Of course, retinol isn’t for everyone – it’s so good, it can be a tad irritating for some skin types – but if you used it slowly and carefully, always patch testing it first, you’ll find it can be a fantastic way to help keep your skin firm and youthful-looking for years to come.
Try: Retinol Facial Serum which has been formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, helping it to be as gentle on your skin as possible.
3. Bakuchiol
If retinol isn’t for you but you’re looking for something that does almost the exact same thing and offers very similar results, allow us to introduce you to bakuchiol.
One of the newest ingredients to the skincare world (but an absolute keeper unlike other ridiculous ingredients that are all fluff and no function), bakuchiol is nature’s best alternative to retinol. How so? Because it works just like its long-running counterpart, stimulating collagen synthesis and accelerating cellular turnover at a deep, below-the-surface level.
Bakuchiol is extracted from the seeds and leaves of the babchi plant and has been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. The reason it’s gained such momentum in Western skincare recently is that, granted, it's very similar to retinol, but more importantly it comes with way fewer unwanted side effects. Of course, its gentle nature means it works more slowly but if you sensitive skin and have patience, bakuchiol is a great choice for fighting the visible signs of aging –including sagging skin but certainly not stopping there!
Try: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum which combines bakuchiol with antioxidant-rich lingonberry stem cells and snow algae.
4. Vitamin C
If you don’t know by now how awesome vitamin C is then we’ve been doing something wrong! In our minds, this antioxidant wonder kid can do no wrong.
Like retinol, vitamin C is one of the most trusted and clinically-proven ingredients in the entire world of skincare. It’s known mainly for providing brightening benefits but never forget what an excellent antioxidant it is, offering the absolute best in environmental protection by neutralizing free radicals before they get a chance to destroy collagen – and believe us, that is exactly what free radicals will do if you don’t get in there first.
But it's not just vitamin C's antioxidant prowess that’s crucial for preventing collagen and elastin breakdown. Its highly acidic nature also works hard to boost your collagen and elastin levels. So there’s that.
Try: Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which gives your skin a delicious overnight boost of protective vitamin C, along with skin-loving botanical oils like jojoba, rosehip and evening primrose.
5. MSM
Sure, we’re all about vitamin C for president here at TruSkin, but another of our skin-firming favorites comes in the form of methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM to friends like you.
Very well tolerated by even the most sensitive of skin types, MSM is a naturally-occurring form of sulfur. And if you didn’t know, sulfur is one of the most important elements in the human body, often touted as the ‘beauty’ or ‘healing’ mineral.
What does that mean for sagging skin? Yeah, we’re getting to that. And the answer is simple: MSM plays a key role in the production and composition of collagen and keratin. Its anti-inflammatory qualities also help decrease damage to the skin caused by lifestyle aggressors like stress, lack of sleep and a sugar or carb-heavy diet. Oh, and as an extra sidenote, MSM also boosts the body’s production of glutathione which is one of your most important, naturally-occurring antioxidants. Take that free radicals!
Try: Vitamin C Super Serum+ which partners MSM with its bestie, vitamin C. Why do they love each other so? Because vitamin C helps the skin readily absorb MSM, thus doubling up their combined collagen-boosting effects.
The Most Effective Ingredients For Sagging Skin
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