09 Jan The Beauty of Natural Cosmetics & Make-Up

It turns out beauty is more than skin deep: the average person slaps, lathers, rubs and sprays 10 different skincare products on his or her body every day–and since our skin acts more like a sponge than the impenetrable barrier we like to believe it is, we absorb up to 60% of the toxic chemicals that we expose ourselves to. So this is the thing, if you care at all about your health and are taking any kind of action at all to have a healthy body, you really are kidding yourself by lathering synthetic and toxic lotions all over it. The skin is the largest organ in your body. Individual ingredients vary in their ability to penetrate the skin; some are absorbed in tiny amounts, while some can reach the blood vessels below the skin and be transported around the body. While one product may contain very small amounts of some of these ingredients, it is the cumulative effect of applying various products regularly that causes concern. So there’s the damage that’s happening internally, but this is the real humdinger – are your beauty products really making your skin more beautiful?

Natural oils and herbs are bio-active which means that they are recognised by your skin’s own oils, and thus a harmonious co-creation happens when you slap them onto your skin. Ultimately you don’t want to strip or handicap your skin’s own ability to nourish and regenerate itself – you simply want to boost it. The problem is that synthetic chemicals are not easily recognised by your skin; and are very likely to cause imbalance and malfunction, forcing you to become more and more reliant on your beauty products to do the job of your skin. Personally, I believe that one of the greatest ironies of our time is in fact our beauty industry, since synthetic beauty products are causing premature ageing by stripping the skin’s natural functions rather than boosting it.

The ingredients in your night cream can be likened to the ingredients in a meal – the fresher and more natural they are, the better your food is going to taste and the happier your body will be for it. If you want to age well, look good and live a healthy life, ensure the wool is out of your eyes when it comes to the products you lather on your skin.

Organic products are safer and have a more sustainable impact on the skin, and that’s the bottom line.

Our Top Beauty & Make-Up Product Picks

These are some of our favourite natural cosmetics, created to help you look and feel like your most beautiful self. Here’s what our fans are saying about these gorgeous goodies:

Nautica Bentonite Healing Clay

“Amazing product, it cleared up my acne breakout with only 2 applications over 3 days. Applied as a face mask, and washed off as soon as it was dry. Amazing results and highly recommended!” – Jo

“I am so glad I tried this product! My face has cleared up from having acne to having hardly any spots in just two weeks, if I add some to my bath water my skin feels super soft and silky afterwards! Fantastic!” – Amber

Inthusiasm Natural Lipstick

“I love my products, especially the mahogany Inthusiasm lipstick which is the perfect shade of dark purple! ha! I can be stylish and green at the same time. I am a faithful fan :D” – Robyn

“I love the candy pink Inthusiasm lipstick – the colour is gorgeous and it’s so soft & creamy to wear.” – Wendy

“I have tried many many different brands of lipstick. From the 5 rand type on the street corner to Chanel, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Woolies brand & some non-allergy types and I know that if I wear lipstick today, without fail I will have a fever blister tomorrow. I eventually stopped wearing lipstick. So when I ordered yours I thought it would just be another one to add to my growing unused collection. But I am so happy to report that I have been wearing it every day since I bought it and I have not had any issues with it.” – Joia

Rosemary & Lavender Cleansing Milk

“This is a wonderful cleanser. I use it on cotton wool and it takes off all my make-up (including waterproof mascara) with ease. Leaves my skin soft and smooth afterwards. Great smell as well.” – Jane

“The best cleanser I have ever used. Really impressed. Cleanses and takes make-up off. No drying effect nor any oily effect, just clean. A little goes a long way and very cost effective.” – Tanya F

“Many face washes left my skin feeling dry and tight, but this one is incredible! My skin feels soft and smooth after use, and really clean. It removes make-up well too.” Jess

Crede Sweet Almond Oil

“I mix this with brown sugar to exfoliate. Leaves my skin silky soft and clear. The oil absorbs so easily, I use it as a night moisturiser at least once a week for a clearer complexion. LOVE IT” – Siamisang

“Easily absorbed and great to use on your neck and face as a moisturiser in the winter months.” – Gerda

Inthusiasm Mascara

“So happy I finally got round to getting a natural mascara. My eyes reacted so badly to the commercial brands but when I wore this my eyes were fine, it stayed on perfectly, did not smudge (I did allow it a bit of extra time to dry), looked the same at the end of the evening as it did when I put it on. Highly recommended.” – Debbie

“My favorite product so far has been the Inthusiasm Mascara, it goes on smoothly without clumping and comes off as well, it also has a light feel and doesn’t glue your eyelashes together as you blink, I love it!!” – Franky

“I have long lashes and this mascara not only nourishes them, it gives them really nice definition without the appearance of spider eyes.” – Deshanta

Moisturising Baobab Oil

“This is a great locally-produced product. Although on the whole I prefer coconut oil this is a terrific alternative. It does wonders for curly, frizzy hair and is a wonderful body moisturiser in the colder months.” – Melanie-Ann

“I use this twice daily in my facial routine and it has made a huge difference! I love it… all my fine lines have disappeared and I have my mom hooked on it too… She said after two weeks, she could see a big difference in her fine lines.” – Marisa

Inthusiasm Liquid Foundation Tube

“I was a bit worried changing to a natural foundation but very happy I made the change. This foundation is great, feels good on the skin and blends well.” – Glenys

“This is probably the best foundation I have ever used. It’s great on my sensitive skin, it’s light, covers surprisingly well, lasts very long and does not clog my pores – and I wear make-up everyday.” – Janine

Juice Beauty Perfecting Foundation

“I love the texture, I have semi oily skin and this foundation matts nicely, you don’t need to use more than one or two pumps each time so that’s great too and looks very natural stays on for the whole day no problem!” – Amber

Dr. Hauschka Richer in Roses Day Cream

“I’ve used Dr Hauschka for more than 10 years. My skin has matured and is very dry. This day cream is the only one that keeps my skin soft – and the smell is divine!!” – Yvette