Natural cosmetics have come a long way, there was time not that long ago when a natural product meant a few drops of lavender added to a lotion or shampoo.

Claims like natural and organic have become a glorified term as people are slowly becoming more aware and are concerned with synthetic ingredients and the health problems associated with them. Many of today’s skin care complaints – acne, eczema, sensitivity – can actually be caused, and certainly exacerbated by the chemicals we apply to our skin every day.

I know so many people complaining of sensitive skin. When asked about the products they use, they run off a list of products, all of which contain synthetic chemicals, detergents, and preservatives, even though some claim to be natural or contain natural ingredients they still have a synthetic base. And there’s the answer to the problem. The chemicals in the products they’re using are actually causing the sensitivity. It's such a shame that so many products can still be so misleading.

You may have noticed, when buying a moisturiser, or other product, that the ingredients list is so long, and full of unpronounceable names, so many of these ingredients have nothing to do with your skin – they’re there to extend the life of the product, or to make it a pretty colour, or to make it smell nice – but these don’t benefit the skin in any way.

Skincare using synthetic ingredients you have to apply a lot to get any moisturising effect, and many don’t penetrate deeper than the first layers of the skin. Genuine natural products only contain active ingredients meaning that they are needed to keep your skin healthy, with ingredients that penetrate the skin to have an effect deep-down, a little really does go a long way.

The skin is the body's largest organ, making up about 16% of our body weight, and it takes only 26 seconds for the products to enter your blood stream, it accounts for most of the body's absorption of everyday toxins. These toxins include the products we rub on our skin daily. In some cases, over sixty percent of the chemicals in lotions, creams, shampoo's and make up will be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. These products may build up in your organs, such as the liver, and stay in the body for years affecting your general health. Simplicity Aromatherapy's products are 100% natural and use only the highest quality ingredients.

You should be able to avoid particular chemicals that are known dangers, or simply not approved for human contact by reading the labels on containers, but often companies disguise the true nature of ingredients or simply fail to include them. That's why any product with “fragrance” listed should be steered clear of.

Natural products, such as skin, body and hair care items created by Simplicity Aromatherapy, contain no unnatural chemicals. While some companies abuse the term "natural", most take the commitment to non synthetic manufacture seriously. Simplicity Aromatherapy's natural products contain only items found naturally occurring in nature, some have been manufactured to do the job required of them. There is really no such thing as “chemical free” as even water is considered a chemical, but there is a HUGE difference between naturally derived products as opposed to man made, and it's mainly the molecule structure of ingredients and the way they penetrate the skin surface.

All the products in Simplicity Aromatherapy's ranges have been developed for safe use during pregnancy but do contain tree nuts and other natural ingredients so if you have any allergies please be aware of this and read the labels carefully. Our products been developed in an organically certified laboratory and packaged in Bendigo.

Using natural products also helps the environment, animal testing isn't done on any of our products. Animal byproducts are not included in the creation, nor are animals including in the process in any way. Also, the manufacture of natural products does not release the same toxins into the environment that traditional manufacturing does. Simplicity Aromatherapy also uses recyclable packaging.

Finally, the greatest benefit of natural products, such as those by Simplicity Aromatherapy, is the effectiveness of the products themselves. Natural remedies have been known and practised for centuries, and these are no different. The reason being is that they work!

If you'd like a copy of Simplicity Aromatherapy's ingredients glossary please visit the website www.simplicityaroma.com or email me at [email protected].

- S x