Green Beauty: The Ultimate Guide to Everything That Matters

All you need to know
The ultimate green beauty guide

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Green beauty, clean beauty, natural cosmetics – all the same? Under no circumstance! In our Green Beauty Guide, experts tell us what is important in an interview.

The term green beauty has been buzzing around for a long time, but what does it mean? Some believe that green beauty is the same as natural cosmetics. Not correct! Because not everything that is sustainable has to be certified natural cosmetics and vice versa.

Green Beauty vs. Natural Cosmetics: What’s the Difference?

Green beauty could also be called organic beauty. In other words, products that largely consist of natural ingredients and / or are processed naturally – but not exclusively. However, green beauty is not a protected term.

As a rule, natural cosmetics do not contain any synthetic or chemical ingredients. But be careful: natural cosmetics are also not a protected term. This means that products with synthetic ingredients can also be declared as natural cosmetics, even if they have natural cosmetics certification. Certified products must always correspond to a certain standard – that of the selected seal of approval.

Advantages and disadvantages of green beauty

Why are naturally derived ingredients better for the skin than synthetic ones?

The question of all questions. Dr. Bernhard Irrgang, Head of R&D Natural and Organic Cosmetics at Weleda, explains: “We humans have been using the knowledge of nature for many centuries to care for ourselves. We have to differentiate between synthetic materials and whether they are new to the (environment) world or whether synthetic processes are used to recreate substances from nature that cannot be sustainably obtained in sufficient quantities – this is referred to as nature-identical substances. With purely synthetic substances, it is not always certain how and whether these substances will harmonize with man and nature in the long term . “

Ning Li, founder of the French Brand Typology, also believes in the power of natural ingredients: “Synthetic ingredients can be very effective, but their long-term effects on our bodies have not been well researched.”

Alcohol as a preservative

As a solvent for natural ingredients, green beauty products often contain alcohol. Many herbal ingredients can best be dissolved in alcohol-water mixtures. And alcohol dries out the skin. A myth? In part, according to Dr. Bernhard Irrgang: “It can often be read that alcohol dries out the skin. This applies to higher concentrations, this effect does not occur in lower concentrations. In addition, a cosmetic product also contains raw materials such as vegetable oils that can compensate for a potentially drying effect . The tolerance or the drying effect of a cosmetic depends on the recipe as a whole and not just on a single ingredient. “

Who is Green Beauty not suitable for?

Nevertheless, Green Beauty is not the panacea for everyone: n of us. “Essential oils can be problematic for people with super sensitive skin and allergies,” explains Ning Li. Higher concentrations of essential oils can lead to undesirable skin reactions. It is therefore advisable to use products with very few ingredients. This makes it easier to find out which ingredients are sensitive to. Products with essential oils should also be avoided for skin diseases such as neurodermatitis. But there are also natural cosmetics and green products that have been specially developed for these needs.

How can I switch my care to Green Beauty?

Between the huge range in drugstores and online shops, you still don’t know where to start. Radically change the care routine or do you prefer to test it slowly? One thing is clear: it is better to exchange product for product and not change everything immediately. Otherwise you cannot find out which products you may not tolerate. “Good entry-level products are, for example, body lotions or shower products,” says Dr. Bernhard Irrgang. Ling Ni agrees. He advises testing the products in case of uncertainty in a place where the skin is very thin. If you don’t react to this, then the skin on your face shouldn’t show any irritation either.

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Brigitte

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