One debate is going on to whether skin products containing all natural ingredients are better than others containing synthetic ingredients. With both camps of this issue taking a stand, and publishing report after report; It is the consumer who usually becomes confused in the maze of marketing promises and supposedly 'guaranteed' results claims.

Are skin care and sun protection products with natural ingredients better?

This seems to be the main question, literally. Skin care product manufacturers are spending lots of money researching everything about skin protection in an attempt to not only gain a competitive edge, but to grab more of consumers' business.

With marketing departments working overtime, suppliers and manufacturers of skin care products are doing their bit to cleverly combine sales phrases, excellent packaging and testimonials from 'experts' in the field of natural product research and development. The results of these research are expensive sun protection moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, shampoos, masks, and cosmetics that claim to do miracles on your skin, safely, and most importantly, naturally.

But are these claims and promises true?

The federal government has yet to define guidelines and regulations governing use of the term, 'natural'. That means marketers can use the term any way they choose, irregardless of the type of ingredients used in their skin products or the manufacturing processes used to produce those kin or sun protection products.

A skin care product might contain natural products like aloe or vitamin E, what you're not being told is that the processes used to get these components may utilize synthetic materials. And even once natural ingredients are extracted, they're probably combined with synthetic products such as preservatives and stabilizing agents.

One of the biggest risks involved with using natural ingredients is the potential for an allergic reaction. Lots of people have food allergies, so putting products containing plants or plant extracts on their skin may increase the risks of an allergic reaction. And even if an allergic reaction doesn't occur, natural ingredients often cause skin irritation and/or sensitivity.

Focus more of your attention on putting natural ingredients into your mouth and not onto your skin. One thing everyone can agree on is that eating a diet loaded with antioxidants and vitamins is extremely beneficial to healthy skin. The body is very efficient at processing natural foods and using the blood stream to transport these nutrients to the skin.

Find a skin care or sun protection product that you trust and which works well with your skin type. It is always better to protect your skin using sun protection swimwear or UV protective clothing, since no chemicals are needed to be used on the skin. We all wear some form of clothing, so why not use these that offers UPF50+ UV cover which blocks over 97.5% of the sun's UV radiation.