These days we hear a lot about “going green” and “choosing organic.” Many of my clients have been asking me, “Should I use organic products on my skin?”

 

The good news is, I carry a high-quality organic skin care line with products from GM Collin. Are these products right for your skin? The answer depends on you, your lifestyle, your age, and even your values.

Skin care clients often ask aestheticians about the value of natural, synthetic and organic products. It’s easy to get confused because there’s a difference between what we put on our bodies as compared to what we put in our bodies.

When choosing foods, “organic” means plants were grown without pesticides and animals were not fed on hormones. Therefore the choice to eat organically is a commitment to putting only the most natural and unadulterated substances in our bodies.

When choosing skin care products, your decision can be a little more complex.

There is no standardization within the skin care industry that defines natural or organic.  Ideally organic skin care products are made with only certified organic products, but that is not required by the FDA. Certification of each ingredient is a lengthy and expensive process and at this point certification is voluntary. Why has GM Collin gone to all the bother of using certified organic ingredients?  Because you, the consumer demand all the safeguards that certification guarantees such as no pesticides, no fertilizers, no genetically modified plant materials, no petroleum products used in the manufacture of the ingredients and no parabens or synthetic preservatives.

Bio-Organiques from GM Collin can be a good choice for two reasons. First, if you want to “go green” and keep your carbon footprint as small as possible, these products will fit your value system.  Second, certain types of skin will respond beautifully to an organic product line that uses a concert of well researched ingredients and organic oils. Bio-Organiques is filled with ingredients that are naturally high in vitamins A,C and E and many anti-oxidants.  The company has been manufacturing professional synthetic skin care products for over 30 years. They have transferred their expertise in synthetics to create a line that will penetrate your skin for real targeted benefits – as targeted as you can get with organics.  

So…why not just choose organics?

First, not all synthetic lines are alike. The Renee Iverson Skin Therapy products we feature are synthesized from natural products, and the company is committed to “cruelty-free” extensive product testing on people. They don’t include irritating fragrances or formaldehyde forming ingredients. 

Most important, synthetics help your skin in ways that are not possible in organic lines. Synthetics feature high-tech ingredients such as peptides, engineered molecules and bio-available forms of vitamins A, C and E that offer unique solutions to certain types of skin problems and the entire line is focused on product penetration while simultaneously soothing the skin to protect from inflammation – a major cause of visible aging. They are great products comprised of engineered molecules with the ability to target and improve specific conditions within the skin.

Second, just because it is organic doesn’t mean it is right for all skin. Organic lines rely heavily on plant oils and essential oils.  Essential oils are fabulously aromatic and can provide amazing skin conditioning and healing for the right person. But, essential oils are also the biggest culprits when it comes to skin reactions and contact dermatitis.

As always, the bottom line comes down to, “Ask your skin care professional.” Many advertisements and articles in popular magazines suggest broad generalizations, such as, “You will be amazed at the results of using X product on your skin.” In reality, no single product will be kind to everyone’s skin.

I cannot predict the results of using any product until we analyze your skin and talk about your lifestyle. The client who tells me, “I spend all day outdoors in any kind of weather,” will require totally different products and a different routine from the client who says, “I am indoors all day, with artificial light and artificial heat.” The person who has oily or combination skin requires completely different products from the person with dry skin.  Organic versus synthetic is just one of the many questions we would discuss at our first consultation. And we would continue to evaluate your skin as you change, as your lifestyle changes and as new products become available to target your unique skin challenges.