Skin Essentials

Every day we are exposed to thousands of chemicals from the air we breathe to the foods we eat. I personally do everything in my power to avoid adding chemicals directly to my body. When I shop for skin care products I choose products that are safe for me and the environment.  I also check to make sure  the products are cruelty free. Avoiding products with chemicals (including cleaning products for the home) is a good start to living a healthier lifestyle.  At Skin Essentials we believe rather than putting chemicals on our skin it make more sense to  nourish our skin.

Organic Skin Care

Not all organic product lines are created equally. Chances are that nearly all the natural products found in your local department stores and health food stores are not fully chemical and preservative free, which in turn, can make them more apt to irritate the skin and be harmful.

Any company can use the word "natural" or "organic" on its labels, and what often happens is these products will contain one or two natural ingredients, but will also have many known carcinogens or otherwise unsafe ingredients. What makes Skin Essential's  products  different is that our manufacturers have selected only the best and most beneficial  ingredients for each one of their unique products.

The Benefits of Essential Oils

• Stimulate skin cells in the dermis to create collagen, thereby improving elasticity.

• Preventing stretch marks and scarring.

• Reduces the signs of aging.

• Healing burns, softening scars and keloids.

• Reducing fine lines.

• Rejuvenating skin cells, and healing broken capillaries.

• Effective at stimulating skin cell renewal.

• Include anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral qualities. It has been proven effective in killing acne bacteria when topically applied and because of that, it is often used as a replacement to benzoyl peroxide in many of the natural acne treatments.

Top Reasons to Use Organic Skin Care Products

Organic products are free from carcinogens (cancer-causing substances), synthetic preservatives and chemicals. Approximately 60-70% of what is applied topically will penetrate the skin and be absorbed into the blood and vital organs      ( .g. liver and kidneys). That is why skin-patches are now used for things like quitting smoking and birth control. Many studies have shown that the fewer carcinogens you put onto or into your body whether through products, environment, or food, the more you decrease your chances of getting a number of diseases and chronic illnesses.

Note: The Canadian Cancer Society says that cancer now affects 1 in 2.6 women and 1 in 2.3 men. Numerous studies suggest that these rates are caused by the increasing number of carcinogens in products, food, and the environment.

Using organic products drastically reduces the amount of pesticides that enter your body. Most skin care products on the market today have a combination of  synthetic ingredients that contain a variety of harmful chemicals and synthetic preservatives. Any plant that is not organic can also be heavily contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. By choosing organic skin care products, you are ensuring that the ingredients you use are naturally raised and free of contaminants.

To ensure you are putting only the best and most pure ingredients onto and into your body, take the time to read the ingredients label on the products you currently use. If you are not familiar with the ingredients then chances are they are harmful and should not be applied to your skin. Truly natural products without chemical ingredients are safer and more effective than mainstream products, because natural products do not contain synthetic ingredients that are toxic to our systems and can actually damage the cells and capillaries of the skin leading to premature aging. (Synthetic ingredients are also less expensive which is why they are used in most brand-name products.)

Reasons To Go Organic - By The Organic Trade Association

* Organic products meet stringent standards - Organic certification is the public's assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

*  Organic production reduces health risks - Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

*  Organic farms respect our water resources - The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

*  Organic farmers build healthy soil - Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.

*  Organic farmers work in harmony with nature - Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

*  Organic producers are leaders in innovative research - Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture's impact on the environment.

*  Organic producers strive to preserve diversity - The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds,and growing unusual varieties for decades.

Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy - USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command  fair prices for crops.

Ingredients To Avoid

Although there are some in the organic industry who disagree over which ingredients are considered safe and which are not, there are a number of ingredients which are currently found in most mainstream products that everyone agrees are unsafe. Our products do not contain any of the ingredients on the following list; this list is brief and is meant to be a summary of some of the most common chemical ingredients to avoid.

Parabens - (methyl,propyl,butyl,ethyl)
Reason- Toxic, Irritates the skin, known to cause skin rashes, dermatitis and rosacea, Also found in breast tissue of cancer patients.

Aluminum
Reason- Very toxic and has been linked to Alzheimers disease in numerous studies.

Synthetic Colorants -(Labeled D&C or FD&C)
Reason- Often contains aluminum, irritates skin cells and is a suspected carcinogen.

Petroleum Derived Ingredients -(Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Vaseline)
Reason- Clogs pores may cause acne or dry skin and often contains carcinogens.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Reason- Known to damage the skins outer layer and is a suspected carcinogen.

Formaldehyde
Reason- Formaldehyde is toxic, allergenic, and carcinogenic. Also known to irritate eyes and cause headaches.

Synthetic Fragrance
Reason- Toxic, highly allergenic, many chemicals used in fragrances are unregulated and unlisted.

Toluene
Reason- Known to be toxic and narcotic.

Phthalates
Reason- Mimics estrogen in the body; Known to cause hormonal imbalance in the body and affect reproductive toxins; associated with birth defects in children and low sperm counts in men.

The skin care products we feature at Skin Essentials are available to purchase on our sister site City Home and Garden.I personally use the products I sell and would not sell them if I did not believe they were safe.

We offer two lines of skin care products, one for Bath and Body and one for Face Care. All our products are made in Canada. Our face care products are organic and include essential oils which are very beneficial to skin care.