I spend a lot of time talking about digestive health on Spoonful of Sugar Free because it is such an extremely important organ in the body. However, did you know that the largest organ in the body is actually our skin? Not only is it extremely important that we are conscious of what we put inside our bodies, but we also must be conscious of what we put on our bodies because our skin absorbs 64-100%* of what we put on it! Think of all the skincare product, nail polish, hair product, makeup, perfume, and lotion you use-at least 64% of that product is being absorbed through your pores and into your body.
Check the label of your beauty products-do you recognize any of the ingredients on the list? Most of these products are comprised of harmful chemicals and substances that are considered neurotoxins. I encourage you to check out EWG.com and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to read more about what these chemicals do to the body. EWG even has a huge database ranking the safety of thousands of beauty products.
For the last few years I have been researching and cleaning up my beauty routine as much as possible to include only organic and non-toxic products. I feel so much better using products that I know are made safely and organically, and I can tell an immediate difference from using certain all-natural products compared to their conventional counterparts (especially in regards to migraines!). Therefore, for the next few posts I’ll be sharing some of my favorite all-natural beauty brands.
To begin, I’ll start with a rather new-to-me skincare product line, KPS Essentials. Natalie, the creator, has such a wonderful story to share that I can’t help re-sharing! She is also super sweet to talk to, so I feel comfortable buying from someone who has such a passion for all-natural living like me. Here’s how KPS started:
In 1987, Natalie was selling cosmetics for Nordstrom when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook the city. She expected to find a mess when she stepped into the stockroom later that day. What she discovered was far worse: the “high-end” products had eaten through the carpet and pad, exposing the concrete subfloor beneath. It was impossible for her to imagine what this would do to a person’s skin.
Their skincare line contains only organic, food-grade ingredients. You can literally eat the lotion, the ingredients are that safe.
My review: I really love this line. I don’t normally use a lot of face products since I’ve been blessed with pretty good skin, but I do have somewhat dry skin, dark under-eye bags, and some fine lines. I can definitely tell a difference in my skin’s hydration and complexion immediately after applying. My face seems more radiant and even-toned, and it appears to have reduced my dark under-eye bags. I also love, love, love the ingredients. It uses organic blends of oils and essential oils as well as antioxidants from CoQ10, green tea, vitamin E, and vitamin C. The overall product smells amazing!
Natalie left me a great explanation of how to use the product:
- Apply Aromatherapy Cleansing Oil all over face–this was my absolute favorite product out of all the products. It smells great and is a great way to cleanse the skin naturally through oils.
- Dab Probiotic Toner on face with a cotton pad–I wasn’t a huge fan of this toner because I like certain witch hazels more, but it did do a good job at toning my skin. It smells like kombucha/apple cider vinegar.
- Mix together Renu C+ Serum and Antioxidant Repair Serum and apply all over face–I like to concentrate these on my under eye bags and forehead creases.
- Voila! Beautiful, great-smelling skin.
KPS also has some really interesting looking “DermaNu” technology that is supposed to heal scars and hyper-pigmentation. You can read about that here, but since I do not have these problems I cannot personally comment on the effectiveness from my experience. If you do have these problems and have used KPS before, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Thanks to KPS Essentials for letting me try their products! Please note that I received these products complimentary, but the review and thoughts are completely my own, honest opinion.
What are your thoughts on conventional vs. organic skincare products? Are there certain products/companies you prefer?
*References
Brown et al. The role of skin absorption as a route of exposure for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water. Am J Public Health. 1984 May; 74(5): 479–484.
Kasting and Kretsos.Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2005;18:55-74.
Robinson et al. The Importance of Exposure Estimation in the Assessment of Skin Sensitization risk. Contact Dermatitis 2000; 42:251-259.
https://www.kpsessentials.com/our-story.php#
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