Natural vs Synthetic skincare ingredients

Please, bear with me on this one. This can be a complex subject to try and cover in one blog, but I promise if you make it to the end, you will have clarity. If you have counter or supportive information, or you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments and the conversation will continue. 

Natural this, synthetic that, biochemical the other... 

Think of the word "Natural" for a second. Now think of the word "Synthetic".

Many of you will experience contrasting feelings as though these words mean opposite things or associate one with good and the other with bad.

Take a deep breath...Clear your mind of assumptions and biases and turn on your analytical self for the remainder of this blog where I will try to peel off the layers of marketing hype and common misconception surrounding these 2 words. 

But first we need to define some terms:

The word “natural” is not a regulated term and can have different definitions to different brands and individuals so the best I can do for this article is to establish one for our purposes. To make things a little more precise, I will call them natural chemicals because of course, EVERYTHING IS A CHEMICAL!

Natural Chemicals

Natural chemicals are compounds that are created in nature without human intervention. They can be isolated from their natural sources through physical methods like extraction or distillation but are not modified chemically in a way that changes their basic molecular structure.

Synthetic Chemicals

Synthetic chemicals are entirely man-made and are created through chemical synthesis, typically in a laboratory or industrial setting.

Biosynthetic Chemicals

Biosynthetic chemicals are compounds that are produced by living organisms as a result of human intervention using biotechnological methods. The process involves harnessing the natural biochemical processes of microbes, plants, or animal cells to produce specific substances.

EVERYTHING IS A CHEMICAL

Good. Now that we have that established, let’s move on.

For this project, I spent a month researching over 200 chemicals, their sources, and their safety profiles. What I discovered was evidence to support what I already knew. 

1. Natural ingredients are not always better
2. Lab synthesized ingredients are not always worse.
3. Bio-synthetically engineered ingredients are a good thing.

 Organizing ingredients

One of the best ways to organize the ingredients in a lab is to color code them based on their nature and risk level. Meaning, what potential harm can they cause and in what way. This color-coding system helps to ensure that chemists are always aware of the nature of the chemical that they are working with, and this sets a standard for how it is used in a formula. For the purposes of this piece, I have categorized common skincare ingredients into 5 groups.

Green Zone: The safest skincare ingredients.

Orange Zone: Potential accumulative irritants

 Red Zone: Allergenic compounds

 Purple Zone: Endocrine Disrupting/Modifying Compounds (These exist in a grey area, Find out more here)

 Black Zone: Formaldehyde releasing preservatives

Are you surprised to learn that botanicals and essential oils dominate the allergens category? It makes sense when you remember that plants do create these compounds to defend themselves after all.  Learn more about fragrances here. What about the fact that EDC's can be found in nature? Yep. Even formaldehyde is naturally occurring in fruits like bananas and pears for example. Just keep your mantra going. 

How Much? How Often? How Long? 

Moving on...

 What else can you conclude from these tables?

Surprised to see that none of the ingredients from the biosynthesized column made it to any other zones besides green? Biochemical engineers are constantly searching for ways to create ingredients that carry less risk and are more effective. Biochemistry is your friend my friend!

Does this mean that botanicals and essential oils should not have a place in our routines?

Absolutely not! but think of them as medicine. They are often imbued with properties that make them especially useful as medicinal remedies, but any medicine can become a poison when too much is taken right?

 

 

What about problematic preservatives? Why are they still using them?

They continue to use some of these compounds because they are choosing the lesser of 2 evils.

Until less toxic preservatives are discovered that can perform as well as some of these more problematic synthetic ones, chemists have to make a risk assessment when formulating solvent based and non-isolated cosmetics. (Meaning that it is a liquid of any sort and is accessible to being touched) Either include a broad-spectrum preservative in a formula or run the risk of having microbial contamination and/or efficacy degradation. 

 

 There is only one way to safely omit these types of chemicals from a skincare formula without the risk of it losing its efficacy, or worse yet, becoming contaminated with microbes. You have to make it anhydrous, (solvent free) and you have to isolate it from touch by encapsulating it until it is used. (which is exactly what I did) 

 

By now you are either feeling terrified or empowered. I assure you, my intent is for the latter to be true. You are now armed with knowledge that can allow you to make educated decisions about the types of products that you choose and how you choose to use them and how long you choose to remain in contact with them. These little educated choices can make a significant difference overall.

Isn't it nice to take back your power? 

Not so fast!

The gratuitous and irresponsible use of some of these compounds in other industries like textiles and plastics has resulted in a dramatic increase in environmental toxicity. Chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS are now permeating our entire ecosystem, making it quite difficult to gauge just how much exposure we are getting. After all, the salmon at your local grocery store doesn’t have a chemical profile on its label like our cosmetics do. And, oh yeah, we don’t eat our cosmetics either. So, even though certain levels of exposure to these compounds are considered safe, we should still apply pressure to motivate industries to seek out healthier alternatives because environmental toxicity is rising. We need to act now so our kids and grandkids can be as healthy and happy as possible.

Before we can do that, however, we need to pinpoint the source. With the amount of scrutiny on the cosmetics industry, we can confidently say we aren’t the main culprits. Our food and farming practices, the plastics and textile industries, and the clothing industry are likely contributing far more to the problem. Maybe one day we’ll have a pocket scanner that can give us a chemical readout of whatever we point it at. Until then, we have to rely on some very smart people like Dr. Lue Wang, who is actually developing such a device, to uncover this for us. What we can do now is make little adjustments to our lifestyles to keep these chemicals, both natural and synthetic, from becoming a bigger problem for us now and in the future.

Below are some ways that I reduce my exposure to volatile natural or synthetic compounds.

Brian’s little lifestyle adjustments: 

The things I do for me:

I avoid spraying fragrances directly on my skin:

• I admit, I am a sucker for a nice fragrance. I avoid spraying them onto my skin, however, because they contain various natural compounds that are known to be potential irritants and/or allergens. EVERY FRAGRANCE DOES.

I do not put plastic in the microwave:

• This one I learned from my dad who was a chemist who worked in plastics way back when. I remember seeing a kid at school wrap a potato in plastic wrap and microwave it and VOILA! A quick baked potato! When I got home, I decided to try it myself. My dad was there when I opened the microwave and he said “why don’t you smoke a hundred packs of cigarettes, filter, and all, and then eat all of your Legos while you are at it"   I decided against eating the potato. When you heat plastic, especially foam or flexible plastics, you infuse whatever food you have within the container with plasticizers. 

I limit contact with essential oils:

• As someone who grew up in a world of natural soaps and essential oils, I can tell you that since I stopped using these things, I no longer have skin sensitivity. My highly reactive skin as a kid was partly induced by regular exposure to these things but we didn’t know any better. We were told that “natural” was better and “chemicals” were bad, and we believed it! Now we know it’s not that simple, don’t we? You're welcome.

I drink reverse osmosis water:

• I would bet my left little toe that the city of Atlanta municipality water treatment facility does not have the ability to remove every trace of chemical contamination from our water supply. I take my 3-gallon sized, BPA free jug to whole foods with me and fill it up every couple weeks. It is worth the trouble, and it tastes amazing.

I limit my seafood intake:

•  PFAS and plasticizers build up in the fatty tissues of fish. These chemicals have been discovered in alarming concentrations in farm raised salmon especially.

I try to keep my rinse-off products from getting near my eyes and mouth:

• As I mentioned in the FRP chart above, higher levels of preservatives are allowed to be in rinse-off products. When I rinse off my shampoo or conditioner, I turn and tilt my head backward to keep any product from getting near my mouth and eyes.

I do not eat or drink from Styrofoam:

• This includes the so-called biodegradable Viofoam which comes with a whole other set of issues. Learn about that here.

I wear a mask and gloves when I work with coatings or paints: 

• I wear some thick 14mm latex gloves when I work with any chemical, especially those that are solubilized by acetone, xylene, or oil solvents because they will solubilize my lipid barrier as well.

I support complete-nitrogen-cycle organic farming:

• It is hard to find a farm that grows its food on the same land that they raise their cattle, but they do exist, and these sustainable practices can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.

I give my food a bath:

• I give my fruits and vegetables a soak in some water, white vinegar, and some food grade hydrogen peroxide.

I avoid non-stick cookware:

• I love a high-tech coating as much as the next nerd, but I'll enjoy them on my car, not my cookware, thank you very much.

I look for bedding, clothing, and furniture that is made from natural fibers.

• Flax linen, Organic cotton, Lyocell, and Pinatex to name a few are materials that do not off gas toxic solvents and plasticizers into the air.  They also do not shed microplastics into the wash.

I buy low VOC paints and coatings whenever possible ESPECIALLY for interior use.

• High performing yet less toxic paint alternatives are coming out all the time.  I try to do a little research before I go shopping for them.

The things I do for everyone else:

 I dispose of my waste responsibly:

•  I NEVER put old electronics or batteries in the trash. These items are a MEGA source of all kinds of problematic chemicals. I take my electronics, paints, plastics, and any other items that my municipality will not take, to the Center For Hard To Recycle Materials.  Find the equivalent organization near you.

 I patronize businesses who employ sustainable practices:

•  If I order takeout from somewhere (which I try not to do) and they hand me food that is wrapped in compostable packaging and without any single-use-plastics, then I will be back again and again, even if I’m not crazy about the food. 

 I avoid business who don't:

•  Because it is on trend, more and more companies are exploiting the “green” movement as a way to generate sales all the while creating bigger problems behind the scenes.

 

I look for bedding, clothing, and furniture that is made from SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED natural fibers.

• It isn't enough for me to choose the materials for what they are made from. I need to choose them based on HOW they were made. I choose organic cotton over cotton that was grown with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. I choose durable, yet biodegradable fabrics like organic flax linen or hemp that requires very little irrigation and grows in soil that isn't suitable for other nutrient hungry crops. Instead of bamboo viscose which takes an enormous amount of water and some pretty heavy chemicals to make, I look for more sustainably produced Tencel Lyocell which has a closed loop system. Instead of leather, I look for alternatives like Pinatex, one of the most sustainable textiles of them all.

Oh, and this is a big one:

 

I founded a brand with a strict core set of environmental and ethical standards. Guidelines that motivate us to create effective, safe, and refillable skincare products without the use of single use plastics, EDC’s, mutagens, formaldehyde releasers, carcinogens, potential irritants, allergens, PFAS, or any other forever chemicals or potentially harmful anything. I did it for me. I did it for you. I did it for the future.

 

 SAY IT WITH ME...

HOW MUCH? HOW OFTEN? HOW LONG?

 Now I sincerely hope that you go forth and embark upon the most quality of days.

MBM

 

 

 

 sources:

• Analysis of Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics - This study by R Pratiwi et al. (2022).
• Vetter, I., et al. (2017). "Venoms-Based Drug Discovery: Proteomic and Genomic Analyses Reveal the Plateaued Efficacy of Developed Snake Venom Peptide Drugs." Pharmaceuticals, 10(4), 77. 
• Marsh, N., & Williams, V. (2005). "Practical applications of snake venom toxins in haemostasias." Toxicon, 45(8), 1171-1181.
• Zhang, Y. (2016). "Applications of natural products in the field of cancer research: Focus on venom and toxins from snakes, scorpions, and spiders." Molecular & Cellular Therapies, 4, 6.
• Ferreira, S. H., et al. (1970). "Isolation of bradykinin-potentiating peptides from Bothrops jararaca venom." Biochemistry, 9(13), 2583-2593. 
• Sensors & Diagnostics (RSC Publishing). 2022. Endocrine disrupting chemicals in water and recent advances on their detection using electrochemical biosensors. Endocrine disrupting chemicals in water and recent advances on their detection using electrochemical biosensors - Sensors & Diagnostics (RSC Publishing) DOI:10.1039/D2SD00156J
•  Though I did not directly quote the book, "Beyond Soap" By Dr Sandy Stotnicki largely influenced the material in this blog. I highly recommend this quick read to anyone who has skin and lives in the modern world. Dr. Sandy Skotnicki: Toronto Dermatologist, Skin Allergy Expert (drsandyskotnicki.com)