Since the Academy focuses exclusively on natural skin care formulation, it is important to clarify what is meant by this description: Natural!. Therefore, we will dedicate couple of blogs to discuss natural products, what they mean and how to ensure the accuracy of such description.

While we all seek what is better for our skin health and what we feel safe enough to use on our bodies, currently, the beauty world is so overwhelming with all the ingredients, tons of products and skin care advises which are often contradictory and confusing. The beauty buzzwords and terms make it even more challenging to take informed decision regarding personal skin care. 

While searching, you might have come across the natural vs. synthetic skin care debate where one side claims that natural skin care is safer and better and the other side claims that natural doesn’t mean all safe and it’s not evidence based.

Actually there is no winner for such debate, lets explain why!!!  

It all begins with the term in itself “natural product” which does not have a specific, legally documented and universally agreed definition or at least agreed upon by respectful organizations in the field of skin and hair care products industry. As a result of such vacuum, some manufacturers claim that their skin care products are natural even if they are full of synthetic raw material!

Even those who deal with natural products do not agree on one definition for it! At one end some considers that natural means that all the ingredients come directly from a natural origin i.e. plant or animal origin such as beeswax, plant oils, butters and extracts. At the other end, natural ingredients are not only those originate directly from natural source but also include lab manufactured as long as it is derived from a natural substance or synthesized identically to the natural ingredient in its composition and properties (natural identical). In the academy, we follow this flexible approach. 

In fact, just because an ingredient is synthesized in lab doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad or harmful. For example, hyaluronic acid.. that humectant we all love is a natural substance which our body can produce. But what is provided to us in skin care products is lab synthesized as there is no plant or animal source for it.

Likewise, not all natural ingredients are absolutely safe and harmless! Let’s take the example of essential oils; some of them can be irritating and may cause sensitivity, they should be used according to safe dermal limits. 

So until there are authorized regulations, it comes to your preference. Choose what works better for you and you find safe and effective enough to be used. 

Among different options, we have taken the natural flexible formulation approach in the academy. Accordingly, we teach formulation based on natural raw materials in their broad sense, through scientific approach to use natural ingredients safely and effectively to achieve the desired benefit for the skin and protect at the same time from any potential harm that may be caused by the unexamined and non-scientific use of such materials.