Shubhika Jain, Founder of RAS Luxury Oils, gives us a lowdown on how to choose the right products for your spa.
Our skin absorbs 60% of what is applied to it. Hence the chemicals in products that it comes in contact with the skin go directly into the bloodstream. What we apply to our skin should be good enough to put inside our body as even in tiny amounts these chemicals can have a huge impact on our health and hormonal balance. It is crucial for you to understand what goes into your products and take steps towards safe, clean and responsible beauty. But, the beauty and skincare industry is highly unregulated with claims, labels and ingredients lists being deceptive. Brands also do not share their entire ingredient list. They share only the key ingredients and manage to hide several harmful chemicals and preservatives.
Some of the most harmful ingredients even if they are present in low amounts that you should be vary of are:
Silicones
Ubiquitous is most beauty products, silicones are polymers with multiple names making it hard to identify their presence in skincare products. They act like a barrier on skin blocking pores and trapping debris, bacteria, sebum and dead skin cells.
Parabens
Used as a preservative in several products, presence of Parabens has been linked with breast cancer, reproductive disabilities and general irritation of skin. It reacts with UVB leading to additional damage and ageing of skin.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Being an inexpensive chemical added to most foaming beauty products it is also found in pesticides, car batteries. It is known to cause irritation of eyes skin and has corrosive properties.
Petroleum-based oils or Mineral Oils
Being extracted from crude oil, they are contaminated with several toxic impurities. They are potentially carcinogenic. They can disrupt endocrine hormonal balance.
Phthalates
Linked to reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption and cancer. High presence of phthalate is seen in colour cosmetics and artificial fragrance in products.
Also, keep an eye on the presence of high concentration of heavy metals such as zinc and cadmium in your products. Formaldehyde, talc, artificial colour and artificial fragrances have also been linked to skin irritation and hormonal imbalances. Avoiding all these will have a positive impact on your skin and your long-term health and well-being.
Cross check
You should ask your provider/distributor for complete ingredient details, organic certifications, and certificates of analysis for their products in order to validate their claims on their products.
If you have narrowed down on the right brand that is providing you with organic ingredients, it is important to store the products properly at your spa. The best way to store body oils is in dark glass bottles or in aluminium cans to avoid degradation due to light. This will also help avoid the negative effects of plastic storage. Safe storage will help extend the shelf life of products.
