Paula Begoun on “Natural” Ingredients

Paula Begoun, one of my beauty gurus, recently sent out a free Bonus Beauty Bulletin titled Which Natural Ingredients Are Bad For Skin?‏

I’ve written quite a bit about the whole natural vs. synthetic debate, e.g. Are Natural Ingredients Inherently Better?; so I was pleased to see Paula and her staff of cosmetic ingredient experts weigh in on the subject.

Paula points out that many natural ingredients are known skin irritants and allergens. She continues, “Irritation or inflammation of any kind causes collagen breakdown, impairs the skin's ability to heal, and reduces its ability to defend itself from environmental damage.” Then follows a list of 36 commonly-used but problematic natural ingredients.

If asked whether you prefer natural or synthetic ingredients, I think the best answer is, “It depends on which is safer and more efficacious.”

Paula Begoun in the author of the ever-popular Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, now in its 7th edition.

You can also subscribe to Paula’s Beautypedia for access to her growing library of over 45,000 cosmetic and skin care product reviews.

Tags: cosmetic ingredients, natural ingredients, synthetic ingredients, natural vs. synthetic ingredients, natural skin irritants, natural skin allergens, cosmetic ingredient experts, how to choose between natural and synthetic ingredients