What are the problems with natural skincare?Updated a year ago
Most shoppers switch to natural beauty brands because of the belief that they’re safer. They assume that synthetic ingredients are dangerous because they’re synthetic, and that natural ingredients are safe simply because they're natural.
As any Philosophy 101 student can tell you, this is called the “appeal to nature” fallacy. It doesn’t only impact the beauty space, but also health care, food, household goods, and many other industries.
We have some major issues with how this fallacy impacts the beauty space, from the negative impact it has on products to how it harms scientific literacy.
Synthetics are actually fine
While there are certainly synthetic ingredients that can be dangerous, we have a lot of data about the safety of mainstream ingredients. In the US, the industry follows guidelines set by the Cosmetic Ingredients Review Panel which advises the FDA. The CIR reviews ingredients based on a variety of safety factors and makes recommendations for safe usage.
As with many things that we use or consume, it’s the dose that makes the poison. Responsible formulators follow the guidelines for safe ingredient percentages, even taking into account whether products are left on the skin or washed off, and on which body part they’re used.
In some cases, like parabens, the industry has largely moved away from using the ingredient in question, even though its risks as it is used in cosmetics are not well-established.
Natural skincare ingredients aren’t necessarily safer
More importantly, there is no reason to believe that natural skincare ingredients are safer. They have just as much potential to pose a danger. From poisonous cyanide in apple seeds to heart-stopping convallatoxin in lily of the valley, there are plenty of ways for nature to kill us.
Responsible skincare brands, natural or otherwise, know not to use ingredients that pose such a level of harm. That said, there are still minor risks that can come with some commonly used natural skincare ingredients. For example, many natural brands use essential oils to add a scent to their products even though they can be quite sensitizing.
There’s also an added risk that comes from lack of research. Natural products are often made with new alternatives to ingredients that used to be staples, such as certain preservatives.
Because they’re new, these ingredients haven’t undergone the same level of testing as more vilified ingredients. In other words, it’s not that we have evidence of the safety of natural ingredients, but we don’t have as much data about what kind of risks they may pose. In cases of preservative failure (an issue that is far more common with natural brands), products can grow harmful pathogens that can lead to skin infections.
Natural skincare is often less effective
It’s common to see natural brands claim that one natural ingredient is an alternative to a more popular synthetic or naturally derived but lab-synthesized ingredient. In reality, skipping the trusted, well-researched staple ingredients makes for skincare that’s less effective.
For example, sugarcane extract might be presented as a “natural glycolic acid” or willow bark extract will be recommended as a “natural salicylic acid”. While these natural alternatives may provide some skin benefits, they lack scientific backing, and in our experience, their effects don’t come close to the ingredients they supposedly replace.
Natural extracts contain a lot of different compounds, of which only a small percentage might have a notable effect on the skin. With synthesized ingredients, we can use controlled amounts at percentages that have been proven to work, like the 10% vitamin C in our Vitamin C Superserum or 0.1% retinaldehyde in our Enzyme-Active Retinol Serum.
Even proponents of natural ingredients admit that nutrients in plant exacts are often quick to degrade or are not bioavailable to the skin in the first place, meaning that they can’t absorb into the skin or impact any of its receptors.
Natural skincare doesn’t feel as nice
A lot of the synthetic ingredients we use in skincare are there to make products feel nice, which is a worthwhile consideration. After all, why should you have to use something that feels unpleasant or makes your skin look greasy?
There are perfectly safe ingredients like dimethicone that can provide a beautiful texture and significant moisturization benefits without any risks. There is no good reason to avoid them!
What’s natural isn’t always clear
We already touched on the fact that the expression “natural skincare” isn’t regulated at all. In reality, what counts as a natural ingredient isn’t particularly clear.
Nowadays, as the vast majority of brands are switching to vegan formulas, ingredients like niacinamide, retinol, and hyaluronic acid are created through microbial processes. They don’t fall neatly into the “synthetic” or “naturally derived” dichotomy. It’s why you’ll find some natural brands that are perfectly happy to use them, while others use less effective alternatives.
If you ask us, this distinction doesn’t matter - what matters is that these ingredients are safe and beneficial for human skin.