Naturally . . . home made skin care

If you’re hoping to detox your skincare routine, you have to figure out what ingredients are going into your products. Having to comb through lines of -ines and -ates, oils and acids would have even the most discerning among us buying into bold, all-caps marketing claims, but finding out what’s safe and what’s better left on the shelf is easier than you think.

The trick to greening up your act is to be strategic and to make small changes that add up. Start by scrutinising the products that you don’t wash off after application, such as body lotion and face cream, and anything that you soak in, such as bubble bath.

Don’t use it if you don’t need it, reduce your usage if you can’t live without it and replace your regulars with “greener” alternatives where possible.

Here are three tips to help you green up this spring.

Simplify

Cut back on the chemicals by simplifying your beauty routine – it’s good for your body, your wallet and the environment.

First, reduce the number of products you use. My everyday skincare routine consists of a cleanser and moisturiser, and I exfoliate with a gentle cloth or sponge. That’s it.

Second, opt for products that multitask. Choose a cleanser that takes off make up, a facial moisturiser that’s gentle enough for around the eyes, or switch to organic multi-purpose oils. Coconut, sweet almond, argan and rose hip oils moisturise, remove make up and can be used for the face, hair and body.

When it comes to make up, if you can’t bare to bare all, at least strip it back. Special occasions call for the works, but for everyday, I tend to stick with mascara, blush and lip balm – along with extra sleep in the morning, they’re enough to brighten up my face.

Know your ingredients

Unfortunately it isn’t enough to read the natural or organic stamp on the front of a product – you need to flip it over and read the ingredients, but simplifying your routine means having fewer labels to decipher.

A great resource for finding out which brands and ingredients to use and which to avoid is the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database by the US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG). It contains information and safety assessments for more than 71,000 products.

You can search by product, brand or ingredient to get a hazard score for each, ranging from 0 (no problem, enjoy!) to 10 (get rid of it).

There’s a free Skin Deep app for iPhone and Android that allows you to scan product barcodes to instantly retrieve hazard ratings. For more information, see ewg.org/skindeep.

DIY

Buying is easier than making, but the best way to know exactly what you’re rubbing into your body’s largest organ is to make it yourself. If a recipe calls for more than three ingredients, you’ve lost me, and if they’re not already in my kitchen, I’m unlikely to bother unless I can easily pick them up on my next trip to the supermarket.

The next time you’re in the kitchen making dinner or washing up, throw on a face mask made of honey, coconut oil and ground almonds or oatmeal soaked in natural yogurt or mashed avocado (with a dash of lemon or lime juice if you want an astringent).

You don’t have to give up your favourite products in favour of the produce section, just take a break from them a couple of days a week.

kharris@irishtimes.com