The things that you put on your skin enter your bloodstream – so keep the nasty chemicals out, and pamper yourself with some organic skincare products.

If you’ve ever read the ingredients on your favourite moisturiser, you may have wondered what you’re slapping on your face…..

How does your skin look?

Good?

Bad?

Lovely?

It could be genetics or it could be due to the fact that you have not smoked and look after your skin.

Now, in moments of weakness over the years we have been seduced by those expensive goodies full of stuff we have never heard of, but they haven’t really delivered. Combine that with worries about the safety of products (don’t forget that skin is the body’s biggest organ and it absorbs the things we rub into it), the natural way just might be the answer.

When it comes to skincare, we can go wild and smoother ourselves with wonderful organic products.

We can be safe in the knowledge that they don’t contain commonly used ingredients such as butylated hydroxytoluene (a preservative which has been linked with cancers), parabens (linked with cancers; can disrupt the hormones as they mimic oestrogen), and sodium laurly sulphate (possibly carcinogenic) among other harsh chemical nasties such as fragrances and colours that can cause allergic reactions.

As with anything, you need to experiment to find out what works best for you. There are a huge range of organic skin creams on the market, so give them a try (many suppliers sell sample sizes so you can test drive before committing yourself).

Here are some suggestions:

For ageing skin

Maybe a cream that can deal with dry patches, smooth wrinkles and cope with the odd breakout without feeling greasy or heavy on your skin.

If so, look for products that contain GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). This may be found in evening primrose oil, or at even higher concentrations, in borage oil. Rosehip seed oil is also a magic bullet for ageing skin as it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are powerful antioxidants.

Great creams to try for this type of skin include Crème de la Crème (containing borage and rosehip seed oil) from Free Spirit Organics, Trilogy Energising Face Lotion with Rosehip Oil (containing rosehip and evening primrose oils, extracts of green tea, ginkgo biloba and vitamin E) from Rose Pure, and the Australian product Rejuvenessence Facial Serum (containing rosehip oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil and safflower oil) from Miessence. Most organic cosmetic ranges carry products for ageing skin, so sample a few and find what works best with yours.

Teenage skin

Teenagers are often plagued with spots and blackheads – a horrible but usually passing phase. Don’t be tempted to use harsh chemicals on the skin; they can leave people feeling sore and just exacerbate the problem, leaving skin flaky and red. Use products that contain mild astringents, such as witch hazel to lift oil, and antibacterials such as tea-tree oil. Soothing ingredients, such as wheat germ oil, will help to reduce redness and inflammation. Good products to try include Living Facial Cleanser (containing witch hazel and tea tree) from Raw Gaia, Nutritone lotion (containing soothing aloe vera and tea tree) from Rio Trading, or Thera Neem soap (containing 25%  neem oil, an antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory) from Organix.

When choosing products for teenagers, remember to go for gentle formulations which will soothe rather than inflame skin. Remind them never to pick at their skin or squeeze spots – however tempting – as it will spread infection and may even lead to scarring. If your teen has severe problems it may be worth consulting a homeopath for extra help from the inside out.

What’s for men?

Well, skin is skin – and organic healthy skincare ranges are made with all skin in mind, whether it’s butch manskin or something more girly! The brilliantly named Herban Cowboy range. Lavera carry a wide range of organic products aimed specifically at men, and he might also like Florame Aromatherapy’s shaving foam which contains cedar and lavender oil as well as peppermint leaf water.

What about vegetarians?

Most organic skincare products (but not all) are made using vegetable-only sources of materials such as glycerine (note that if a product lists glycerine, rather than vegetable glycerine, on the pack it is likely to be of animal origin and is a slaughterhouse by-product). To be absolutely sure, contact suppliers; a simple email to the company will get you the information you need.

Here’s an idea for you…..

Surf the Internet to find suppliers of organic skincare ranges. Many suppliers offer sample sachets free of charge so you can try before you buy. Others offer free samples of a variety of products with a minimum purchase, and many offer small sample pots so you can try a product without splashing out on a full-size pot. Check out what’s available, and ask if nothing is offered. They can only say no….