In a world where “natural’ is the key buzzword in skincare, it’s important to be cautious about the products you buy.

Some of those products claiming to be natural are pretty far from it!

If you want to ensure you are getting a truly natural product that will be effective for your skin, then you need to know how to read and understand the labels on skincare products.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to feel your way blindly.

You don’t have to try every product out there hoping it will do what it claims to do.

You just need to read our guide, which will help you make informed choices for your skincare. Let’s get to it!

Step 1: Check The Ingredients

The first step is to read up on what is actually in the product, so start by reading the ingredients list. Remember that the ingredients will be listed in descending order, meaning that the first few on the list make up the majority of the product.

You want those top ingredients to be ones that you recognise as natural, plant-based ingredients. Such as:

• Water
• Macadamia Oil
• Aloe Vera
• Jojoba
• Shea Butter
• Essentials Oils

If you are wanting natural skincare, avoid products where the natural ingredients are displayed towards the end of the list. This often means that the product contains more synthetic ingredients than natural ones.

Step 2: Look For Red Flags

All skincare products will need some form of preservatives to keep them from spoiling. But, some of the common ingredients used for this job are known to be skin irritants.

You want to avoid preservatives like parabens as they have been linked to skin irritation and other health concerns. Used to prevent the growth of bacteria in a product, parabens are also known to mimic estrogen, potentially creating hormone disruption. They are also known to trigger people with already sensitive skin, sometimes causing redness, itchiness or rashes.

It’s better to choose products with natural ingredients that provide effective preservation without all the potential health risks of parabens.

Step 3: Fragrance Check

Fragrance can be one of the most misleading ingredients in skincare. A product can claim to be “natural”, yet still contain synthetic fragrances. Unfortunately, synthetic fragrances can be made from harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin or trigger an adverse reaction to the product.

Look for terms like "fragrance" or "parfum", as they can be catch-all terms used to hide the real name of potentially harmful synthetic chemicals - avoid products that say those terms on the label. Instead, choose products that use natural essential oils for fragrance or are fragrance-free.

Step 4: Don’t Believe The Hype

Just because a product might have the words ‘organic’, ‘natural’, or ‘eco-friendly’ written on the label, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is!

These terms are not necessarily regulated in the beauty market and companies tend to use them even if only a small percentage of their product is natural. You are better to look for natural ingredients that you recognise rather than taking marketing claims at face value.

Step 5: Consider The Packaging

Natural skincare goes beyond what is simply in the bottle! Sustainability is also a huge concern when deciding whether a product is truly environmentally friendly or not.

Plastic features very heavily in beauty industry packaging and unfortunately, is one of the main offenders when it comes to landfill waste. So, look for products that have eco-friendly packaging. Here at Summer + Bloom, we offer recyclable refills for our range so that we can do our part to reduce the amount of waste heading to landfill.

Choosing An Actual Natural Product

One of the best ways to ensure you are actually buying a natural skincare product is to purchase from a brand you know you can trust.

Summer + Bloom is that brand! Our range of premium quality and affordable natural skincare products are enriched with proven actives, are safe, non-toxic and alcohol-free. Made right here in beautiful Aotearoa, everything is packaged in responsibly sourced materials.

Built on the ethos of essentials only, each product has a purpose to fit seamlessly into your everyday routine. And: you can expect results.

Browse our range of natural products now or get in touch with our friendly team if you have any questions.