Since our childhood, we have seen our elders using drugstore cosmetics and followed the same believing whatever the product claimed as there were no other alternatives as well as no awareness about the ingredients used to make these products. Cosmetics are a range of health and beauty products that are used to care for the face and body or change a person’s appearance.
This includes face washes, body washes, face scrubs, perfumes, lipsticks, eye and facial makeup preparations, moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, face masks and hair masks, body lotions and the list goes on and on. Let us try getting some insight into the different forms of cosmetics available in the market these days, in this article.
About Sulphates and Parabens, and How Are They Harmful?
SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products. SLES is a foaming agent that is cheap and effective. For a person having sensitive skin, sulfates may clog pores and cause acne and irritation leading to redness of the skin. It can cause irritation to the eyes, mouth, and lungs.
Parabens are preservatives used in many skin care products. They enter the body through the skin and can mimic estrogen which can cause breast cancer cells to grow. They can be easily found on product labels with names like methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben etc.
Some cosmetics can contain an enormous amount of chemicals which can then enter the bloodstream. These chemicals can also be inhaled or ingested by using some cosmetics like lip products.
Drugstore Cosmetics
Affordable products that are easily available in our local department stores are known as drugstore cosmetics. Most of these products are made up of sulfates, toxins, parabens, and are filled with chemicals that can easily harm the skin of anyone using them especially someone having sensitive/allergic skin.
People use these products blindly as the brands of these cosmetics portray their products as a solution for a plethora of different problems through their attractive packaging and advertisements. They also sign famous actors/actresses with a huge fan following to promote their brands making their products even more enticing.
Although drugstore cosmetics have many disadvantages they were and are still the first choice for many consumers due to their affordability and availability and if a person does not have sensitive or acne-prone skin these products work just fine for them.
Earlier, even if the consumers were not satisfied with the results of a particular product or wanted to shift to a more organic and natural brand it was quite difficult due to the absence of alternatives as well as awareness but with the evolution of social media and technology, people are now curious to know what are the actual ingredients they are putting into their skin and whether they harmful or not.
Organic Cosmetics
Made with naturally grown ingredients without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides or chemicals, organic cosmetics are the new trend. These cosmetics are pure, safe and effective and they might be a bit on the expensive side when compared to drugstore cosmetics but are absolutely worth the extra price you pay for them. These products are SLS, parabens and chemical free leading to no side effects after applying them.
Many new brands are emerging in the cosmetic world and are giving an equal competition to the already established drugstore brands due to their different approach towards building a strong and loyal consumer base. People having different skin problems are now attracted to natural products as they have lost their trust in many cosmetic brands using a ton of chemicals because they did not improve their skin condition but even worsened it.
Organic cosmetics might not be easily available in our local stores but they are always available on websites like Amazon, Nykaa and these brands even have their own websites from which you can order any product. With the development of e-commerce, there has been a huge rise in online shopping, especially in pandemic due to safety reasons. People are shifting to online shopping as department stores do not give any surety about the authenticity of the products they are selling which might not be the case with online websites.
There are many brands in the market that are determined to serve their consumers with the most organic and natural cosmetics like WOW Skin Sciences, Mamaearth, Organic Harvest, Forest Essentials, Soulflower, and Khadi Natural which is the oldest and most underrated organic brand in India.
Learn more about these Organic Cosmetic brands.
Ayurvedic Products
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that means “life knowledge” and it treats various conditions through its natural ways. Ayurvedic cosmetics originate from ancient medical science. There are a plethora of ayurvedic brands in the cosmetic industry like Biotique, Himalaya Wellness, Dabur India Ltd., Patanjali Ayurveda, Uniray Lifesciences, and Kama Ayurveda. All these brands have a ton of products from body care to hair care to even health care made without using sulfates, parabens, and toxins.
Here are some more Ayurvedic Cosmetic brands that you should definitely try.
Conclusion
Whatever the consumer decides to choose whether it is drugstore products or organic and ayurvedic products, the decision should be made with complete awareness about all the ingredients present in the products and their harmful effects.
Everyone should examine their own skin and thorough testing of different products should choose the best one out there instead of being lured by exciting offers, famous brand ambassadors, attractive advertisements, and colorful packaging. At the end of the day, the harm will be done to our skin and only we are responsible for it. In the modern world, being aware of is the new trend.
Get some information about changes in consumer buying patterns during the pandemic.
Written By - Aarushi Jain
Edited By - Pavas Shrigyan
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