Many people are turning to natural and organic products including natural and organic skin care products. These two words are often used interchangeably when in reality their definitions produce a lot of confusion. Organic products are made to organic standards and may be certified by agencies such as The Soil Association. Natural products should have extracts from plants, raw materials, and/or minerals. They may also have low amounts of synthetic chemicals in them.

I strongly suggest that you research skin care products and the ingredients used by many manufacturers. Unfortunately, the labels of many products not only present less than honest claims about their effectiveness but the ingredients listed may also be either false or only minimally present in the product. Many manufacturers concentrate more on packaging and marketing than on researching ingredients and providing the best possible natural and organic skin care products. Some products may actually harm your skin.

There are very beneficial ingredients for skin care. Phytessence Wakame is an exotic type of kelp that is native to the Japanese Sea. It blocks the enzyme called hyaluronidase that breaks down the hyaluronic acid. This acts as a "glue" keeping elastin and collagen fibers together. When the acid breaks down, so does the collagen and elastic causing lines, wrinkles, and dark circles under the eyes.

There are some ingredients that should be avoided. Parabens-methyl, butyl, propyl, and ethyl parabens are used as a preservative and to increase the shelf life of the product. Parabens have been known to interfere with the endocrine system and have also been linked to cancer. Allergies and skin irritations can also occur.

Alcohols including ethanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and AD alcohols should also be avoided. Each alcohol has different properties and can seriously dry out your skin. Irritations can also occur from products with these alcohols.

Fragrances can make you smell nice but that is why you use perfume or colognes. Many ingredients in fragrances are known toxins and are carcinogenic. They can also irritate your skin.

Other harmful ingredients include mineral oils also called paraffin, paraffin wax or petrolatum. Mineral oil clogs the pores and does not allow the skin to breathe. Many manufacturers use it because it is very inexpensive. Dioxane in concentrations of 1, 4 is known in the state of California to cause cancer.

The harmful ingredients listed above have no place in natural and organic skin care products. You want a product that not only has the most beneficial ingredients, but also has high concentrations of these ingredients.