How to switch to natural cosmetics in just three steps?

If you've been thinking about going green with your beauty routine, the first question you should ask yourself is what do you hope to achieve? To make the switch to natural cosmetics, I think you need a clear purpose to successfully stick with it. Perhaps your motivation is to get rid of controversial ingredients like parabens and eliminate potential allergens such as methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone (commonly known as Kathon)? Or, maybe your focus is to be more environmentally friendly by banning silicones and ethylene oxide derivatives (which is basically everything that starts with PEG, PPG, or ends in -eth)? Is your intention to commit to products with vegan ingredients, or those that are transparent about sustainability by using recyclable packaging or traceable ingredients? The reason I emphasize this first step is because it's important to recognize what benefits you expect to see or feel before investing (financially and emotionally) in an entirely new routine. It is becoming increasingly popular to divide the beauty category into good or bad, or toxic and non-toxic without any real scientific basis. Many ingredients have the potential to cause harm, but only at much higher levels than we would have experienced in beauty products. EU regulations mean that cosmetics can only contain ingredients and concentrations that are considered safe. I also warn that some ingredients that are not considered green or clean are also not potentially dangerous or harmful to the skin. Perhaps surprisingly, I am not entirely against all non-green beauty product ranges, although I do not use them myself. These companies invest millions in R&D to develop great products, and many consumers find that they offer clear benefits for their skin. Additionally, natural products are not always better for you, as some ingredients can trigger sensitivity. However, your skin is your largest organ and our first line of defense against all external pollutants, UV rays, irritants, and infections. Estimates vary, but at least 60-70% of what you put on your skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, it is vital that we carefully consider what we use, especially for those products that are applied and not removed, such as moisturizers, serums, and body creams. High-quality green or clean ranges will help you give your skin the care it deserves and keep it healthier for longer. Once you have made the decision to switch to eco-friendly products, you will need to take responsibility and acquire as much knowledge as possible to achieve your goal. Therefore, the next step is to truly understand your labels. I am afraid that there are many brands guilty of "greenwashing" in response to the rapid growth in consumer demand for green beauty products. Surprisingly, familiar words like "natural," "green," "sustainably sourced," and "eco," regularly seen on packaging, do not have a shared or applicable definition. Unfortunately, these misleading and unfounded claims can be sophisticated tactics to convince you that the brand is more environmentally friendly than it actually is in the pursuit of profit. Therefore, your perception and trust in these descriptions do not necessarily match the ingredients contained in the products. Understanding the ingredient list on the back is no easy task even for the most qualified among us. My go-to website for any ingredient-related search is https://www.cir-safety.org/ingredients. I recommend it because it is the only scientifically validated website I can think of. Not only that, but it is packed with valuable reviews, safety assessments, and experimental reports that even I sometimes refer to after 14 years of intense study. Once you feel confident that you know what you are looking for, the third and final step is to start trying new brands and products. As with any beauty product, not all green ingredients are equal in terms of quality and effectiveness. Sometimes the best products are found through trial and error. I suggest visiting a local store for advice on which products best suit your particular needs. This also offers a great opportunity to try them out before buying. My favorite green cosmetic stores are listed here. All of them demonstrate the highest commitment to the category and are experts in this field. In the meantime, I have compiled a list of the most common synthetic ingredients along with their natural counterparts that you can substitute. I hope this makes your journey into the world of natural cosmetics a little easier!

TWELVE Beauty When launching TWELVE, I made a firm commitment to my customers to deliver a higher standard of eco-friendly beauty products. With each formulation taking years to develop, I only use high-performance botanical ingredients that are backed by scientific research and extensively tested by me. And what I leave out is often as important as what I put in. My ambition is to offer the best high-performance skincare products that transform even the most sensitive skin.