Natura-based cosmetics and Chemical based cosmetics

Written by Yiran Li

Cosmetics are a large part of chemical engineering. A "Green Beauty Barometer" survey states that 54% of women claimed it is important that their skin care product purchases are all natural. From a recent analysis by the Environmental Working Group, many people believe that products touted as "organic”, are made with only organic ingredients, which isn't actually the case. This is a commercial strategy of cosmetics companies in the 21st century because natural skin care has been a new social trend.

Many people's impression of natural beauty products means that soap peppered with brown flakes, or a hunk of shea butter in a glass jar sitting on the dusty shelf of a weird-smelling health food store, is natural. My favorite brand, FRESH, is one such brand that looks natural but is not actually natural at all. Its ads, packages, smells, and even its products look extremely natural. But when we look at the ingredients list, there are many high-hazard ingredients. I recommend a website called EWG that analyzes the compositions of skin care products in explicit ways. 

In my opinion, when I’m selecting the skin care product, the most important factor to me is its ingredients list. We should treat the chemical composition in the skin care product critically. The skin care product we use should be based on our individual skin type. There are some controversial chemical compositions, such as alcohol. Maria Mitchell says it well: “There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.” To be beautiful, you can try to manage your pressure and bad temper. If you want to get a better skin condition, you should have a healthy diet, a regular schedule, enough exercise and happiness.

Reference: http://www.allure.com/story/millennial-women-green-beauty.
                      http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/