You’d think that most major companies would have started making cruelty-free skin care and cosmetics, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Some of today's biggest beauty brands, including M.A.C., Maybelline, L’Oreal, Aveeno, Kiehls, Dove, and Estee Lauder, still test on animals.

An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 bunnies, guinea pigs, mice, and rats are used for testing every year around the world, all in the name of cosmetics. They go through painful and torturous experiments (imagine getting chemicals rubbed onto shaved skin or dripped into eyes without any pain relief) and many die in the process.

Animal testing for drugs and cosmetics exist because of the need to establish the safety of a product or ingredient for public health before allowing it on the market. But here's the thing - animal testing for cosmetics isn't even required by law. In fact, results from animal testing do not directly prove safety for humans,, and there are alternative testing methods such as testing on microorganisms, cells, tissues, and even volunteering humans, that are more humane and literally safer for humans.

Buy cruelty-free organic skin care and cosmetics

Cruelty-free products are manufactured or developed using methods that do not involve experimentation on animals. This means everything - including the ingredients and the finished product - did not harm an animal.

Organic skin care products are almost always cruelty-free because they are made out of ingredients that are derived from plants or that are naturally occurring. More importantly, these organic ingredients are grown without the use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Because organic skin care products do not contain these chemicals, and because organic skin care products are derived from natural, organic ingredients, their contents are easily recognized and can almost always be deemed as safe for humans. And because they are safe for humans, there is really no need for animal testing at all.

The reason we’re not stating that organic products are always cruelty-free is because there is no way to guarantee that as a fact. There may be companies that produce organic products but still put its ingredients or the finished product through animal testing for a variety of reasons, including “as required by law” to be imported into specific countries such as China. Therefore it’s always safe to check the product label and check the company website to find more information about whether or not the product is truly 100% cruelty-free.

What we can guarantee you at Be Well is that all our products are organic, natural, and 100% cruelty-free. All of the ingredients that we use are chemical-free, toxic-free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free, and all of the finished products that we create have never ever been used in animal testing. You can read what We Believe here.

As consumers, we can make a difference by paying attention to what we purchase. Be conscious about what you buy, and support cruelty-free skin care and cosmetics to take a stand against unnecessary and inhumane animal testing.

What is Oil Cleansing?

Oil cleansing is basically a method of cleansing your skin with oil. As crazy as it sounds - oil cleansing actually works! It only sounds unbelievable because we're so used to having commercial products cleanse our skin by removing oil, not adding oil.

When commercial products clean our skin, they strip oil off, and our skin becomes dry and is forced to repair itself. Our skin then overcompensates and creates more oil, which we remove again with more cleanser. Thus starts the never-ending cycle of having oily skin, dry skin, and then oily skin again.

Our skin actually naturally lubricates itself with oil, and we’re not doing it any good by scrubbing it away. You see, our skin needs oil to stay healthy and function properly. The skin's natural oils help to lubricate, heal, protect and moisturize skin, creating healthy skin that is beautiful, clear, and glowing.

That's the idea behind oil cleansing - natural oils in specific combinations help to cleanse the skin and naturally balance the skin's oils. The basis behind oil cleansing is that "oil dissolves oil" and that natural oils can penetrate the skin's pores and remove impurities while nourishing and moisturizing the skin.

Contrary to popular belief, oil will not cause greasy skin or create blemishes, pimples, blackheads or whiteheads. These are a result of various factors including hormones, bacteria, dead skin cells, and the buildup of them. In fact, oil cleansing can help prevent these and other common skin issues.

So how do you get started with oil cleansing? Here's what you need to prepare.

What to prepare for oil cleansing

All you need for oil cleansing is:

organic facial oil cleanser

a clean washcloth

hot water

Easy, right? Now, let's get started.

How to oil cleanse

Pour about a quarter-sized amount of facial oil cleanser into your palm and rub your hands together to warm the oil.

Massage the oil into your face for about a minute or so to allow the oil to penetrate your skin and dissolve the impurities inside your pores.

Soak the washcloth in hot water and place it over your face for a few minutes until it cools. This opens up your pores so that the impurities can be easily removed later.

Wipe your face gently to remove the oil.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for another two to three times.

The end result is a clean and refreshed face. If your skin feels tight or dry when you are done, gently massage one drop of the facial oil cleanser into your face until no oil residue is left.

If it’s your first-time oil cleansing, you may have really oily skin for the first few days. This is completely normal and is a good sign that your skin’s pores are trying to balance itself out again. Let it readjust and adapt on its own for a few days - once it clears up you’ll have beautifully balanced skin in no time.

Do oil cleansing regularly and after a few sessions, your skin's natural oils will balance itself out, giving you beautiful, clear and healthy skin. Now you can understand why so many people love oil cleansing!

A consistent and effective skin care routine is important to promote healthy, beautiful skin. Just as important as that, though, is the type of skin care products that you use. Using organic skin care products ensures that there are no harmful chemicals and artificial ingredients potentially harming your body and health. Other than that, organic skin care benefits your body in that they are gentle to sensitive skin, non-allergenic, and they work better for your skin.

Having an organic skin care routine helps you take better care of your skin without drying it out or losing its natural oils. A proper skin care routine also helps to really boost your skin health without having any harmful negative effects that you would get with commercial, non-organic products.

Here's the best organic skin care routine to follow to really boost your skin health.

Organic skin care routine for beautiful skin

1. Detox

Our skin is constantly in contact with pollutants and dirt that clog up our pores, and toxins from our diet that can damage our complexion. A regular detoxification routine for the skin can help to clean up pores, brighten skin, and reduce acne and redness.

Use an organic detox mask to draw out bacteria, toxins, and dirt from your face. It also helps to repair skin cells and promote healthy cell growth. Apply to a clean, makeup-free face and leave on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing off.

2. Cleanse

Commercial cleansers dry out your skin and starts a nasty cycle of dry and oily skin that never seems to end. On the other hand, oil cleansing cleanses your skin using natural oils without drying your skin helps to keep it nourished and moisturized.

Find out what is oil cleansing and add it to your organic skin care routine with an organic facial oil cleanser.

The routine is simple - pour a bit of oil into your hands, massage it into your skin, and then cover your face with a hot washcloth. After a few minutes, wipe your face to clean out your pores. Use daily. Can also double as a makeup remover.

3. Exfoliate

Exfoliating can help to remove dead skin cells, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and improve blood circulation around your body to give it a healthy glow. Exfoliating regularly will also help to encourage new cell growth, banish dull skin as well as brighten and soften your skin.

Use an organic facial exfoliator once or twice a week to reduce the buildup of dead skin cells on your skin. If you have sensitive skin, exfoliate less regularly to prevent any skin irritation.

4. Tone

Adding a toner to your organic skin care routine is important to refresh your skin and reduce the size of your pores, especially after cleansing and exfoliating. Toners are also excellent to reduce the appearance of your skin, reduce redness and inflammation, and soothe repair, and smooth your skin.

Use probiotic facial toners to balance the pH levels on your skin. Spray 3 to 4 pumps over the face just before moisturizing and pat the surface of the skin to encourage maximum absorption. The toner can also be sprayed over makeup to freshen and re-hydrate your face throughout the day.

5. Moisturize

Don't forget to moisturize! After all that cleansing and toning, your skin needs to be replenished in terms of moisture.

If you use a facial oil blend, place a drop of it into the palm of your hand. Massage this into your face until no oil residue is left. That's it! Otherwise, you can also use an organic nourishing face cream to do the job. For your body, apply some organic body butter to keep the skin on your body well-hydrated.

6. Protect

If you're going outdoors, always remember to put on sunscreen. Any exposure to UV radiation damages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer, so sun protection is crucial. And don't forget your lips too - use an organic lip balm with SPF protection to shield your lips from the damaging UV rays.

By following an organic skin care routine regularly, you'll see the benefits to your skin almost immediately. Be consistent with your routine and we guarantee you that you'll have amazing, healthy, glowing skin within a few weeks.

Benefits of Probiotics for Skin Care

Probiotics are known as healthy bacteria that help the body maintain its function of the intestines and to support the immune system. They are also the key to a healthy digestive system and used to detoxify the system. Recently, however, there has been talk about using topical probiotics for acne, which really led us to ask... what are the other benefits of probiotics for skin care?

Benefits of probiotics for skin care

Other than promoting gut health, probiotics actually play a number of important roles throughout the body when it comes to our health.

Probiotics help to fight off viruses and colds, and repair tissue damage and injuries. Other than that, they also help to regulate our appetite and manage our weight. Also, probiotics also play a part in the production of serotonin - a feel-good hormone - and as such, they help us to manage our moods.

When it comes to our skin, probiotics helps by protecting and strengthening the skin’s mechanisms. To expand, here are 7 benefits of applying a probiotic skin care routine:

1. Probiotics strengthen the skin's natural defense mechanisms

When applied topically, probiotics form a protective shield on the skin's surface. This shield helps to strengthen the skin's natural defense mechanisms and make skin more resistant to damage from environmental stressors.

2. Probiotics are calming and anti-inflammatory

Probiotics help to stabilize the lining of the intestinal walls. This limits the growth of inflammatory-inducing microorganisms. By doing that, probiotics also help reduce inflammation on the skin that causes skin conditions such as acne and rosacea.

3. Probiotics enhance anti-aging effects

Topical probiotics help fight the effects of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. Probiotics might also help in building collagen, which helps the skin retain its tone and texture and reduces the signs of aging.

4. Probiotics protect against damaging UV rays

Applied topically, probiotics offer more protection against damaging UV rays. Of course, you should still apply organic sunscreen and wear a hat for protection from the sun, but probiotics provide some help by strengthening the skin's immune system and speeding up skin cell repair.

5. Probiotics are friendly to sensitive skin

Unlike antibiotics and antibacterial products that damage our bacterial ecosystem, probiotics introduce friendly bacteria that help to rebuild and protect our skin's ecosystem instead.

6. Probiotics for acne

Topical probiotics have been found to be effective in preventing acne. When applied to the skin, probiotics form a protective shield that prevents harmful pimple-causing bacteria from reaching the skin. By doing that, probiotics help to prevent these bacteria from aggravating the immune system and triggering inflammation, therefore reducing active skin lesions and preventing acne from developing.

7. Probiotics for rosacea

Similar to how probiotics help to reduce acne, topical probiotics help to control rosacea by acting as a shield on the skin and strengthening the skin barrier to reduce redness, burning, stinging, and dryness.

With all these benefits of probiotics for acne, rosacea, and skin health, it's no wonder why so many people are jumping on the bandwagon and trying it out for themselves. Include probiotics into your organic skin care routine and try it out for yourself. Use probiotic skin care products, like our probiotic facial toner, for 4 to 8 weeks and enjoy the positive effects it will have on your skin.

The sun is more intense in the summer, which means that exposure to UV rays is greater. While sunburn is a clear sign that UV radiation has damaged the DNA in skin cells, the damage to your skin actually occurs as soon as you go under the sun.

When sunlight comes into contact with our skin, it damages our skin by stripping of barriers of lipids, causing inflammation, and stimulating collagen-destructing enzymes. This ages our skin prematurely in the form of brown spots, coarse skin, and wrinkles. 

Getting sunburned just once every 2 years can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer. However, even cumulative UV exposure will increase your risk of skin cancer. That’s why it's so important to follow summer skin care tips to protect your skin and reduce damage caused by UV exposure, especially during this time of the year.

8 summer skin care tips

1. Spend less time in the sun

The longer you are out in the sun, the more UV rays your receive. 

Reduce your risk of skin damage by spending less time under the sun. Walk under shaded areas and minimize your time outside during the sun's peak hours (10 am to 4 pm) when UV radiation is at its greatest. As a general rule of thumb, if your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.

2. Protect your skin with sunscreen...?

Sunscreen has been proven to actually cause cancer. We think this article by Wellness Mama explains it best! While we are not encouraging you not to use sunscreen, we are encouraging you to do your own research.

Remember: any skin care product that you apply is absorbed into your body through your skin. So, if you do use a sunscreen make sure that is natural, toxic-free and chemical-free.

3. Wear protective clothing

Cover up exposed areas of skin with hats, sunglasses, and long-sleeved clothes and pants before going outdoors. The more skin you can cover, the better you can protect your skin from the sun. 

4. Use sunscreen lip balm

We often forget to protect one of the most exposed (and sensitive) parts of the body - the lips! Lip cancer is rarely heard of but more common than we think, and sun exposure is one of its major risk factors.

Regular lip balm won't stop UV rays from reaching your lips and may even focus UV rays on your lips.

Protect your lips using SPF-fortified, organic lip balm that's toxic-free and chemical-free. It'll also prevent cracked lips and keep your pout hydrated. Don't forget to reapply lip balm regularly and after every meal or drink.

5. Don’t forget these typically missed spots

If you do apply sunscreen, we tend to forget these areas; neck, ears, scalp, feet, and eyelids because we can't see them without a mirror.

Wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes and the delicate skin around the eyes.

If you are going to be exposed to the sun for longer periods of time, remember to apply organic all natural sunscreen to the tops of your hands and feet, and the front and back of your neck and ears. To protect your scalp, wear a broad sunhat or spray sunscreen directly on your scalp and hair.

6. Stay hydrated

Dehydrated skin is more vulnerable to damage, so it's important to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water keeps skin hydrated and also assists in detoxification. 

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day or more if temperatures are high or you're spending more time outdoors. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks as these dehydrate your body. Stick to good ‘ol plain water instead.

7. Soothe sunburns

Treat sunburns or skin that’s been overexposed to the sun as soon as possible. Take a cool bath or shower to reduce heat, and use an organic moisturizer that's chemical-free and toxic-free to ease the discomfort after dryness. Apply the moisturizer within 2 minutes after a bath or shower to trap the hydration in your skin. 

8. Check your skin regularly

Examine your skin regularly to detect any suspicious growths or changes. Doing so regularly can also help you detect early warning signs. If you notice anything unusual, contact a dermatologist immediately. For those who spend time in the sun regularly, it's a good idea to schedule yearly skin checkups to stay safe.

While we all need sun exposure daily its important not to burn your skin. UV exposure is the greatest during the summer, it's important to keep in mind that UV rays still reach the Earth every day regardless of the season. During winter, snow can reflect 85 to 90% of the sun's UV rays! So follow these summer skin care tips not only during summer but all year round to stay sun-safe and protect your skin.

We know that water is important for our life and health – drinking an adequate amount of water daily aids our organs in digestion, circulation, absorption and even excretion. But we often forget that our skin is also an organ. In fact, our skin is the largest living and breathing organ on our bodies!

Our skin is made up of cells, and like any cell in the body, our skin cells are made up of water. Similar to the other organs in our body, our skin cannot function properly without sufficient water. 

How does water help our skin? 

Water helps cells, including skin cells, retain moisture levels and enables vital organs such as the skin to function at optimal levels. In general, having hydrated skin cells boost skin health and appearance. Specifically, here's how water really helps our skin stay healthy and supple: 

• Water is needed to deliver essential nutrients to skin cells
• Drinking enough water increases our metabolic rate, improves skin digestion and flushes out toxins from the body, which in turn boosts healthier skin and reduces breakouts and acne
• Water replenishes the skin's cells and gives skin a smooth and fresh appearance
• Water plumps up skin cells and makes skin look less tired and wrinkled
• Properly hydrated skin cells have better elasticity, which helps delay signs of ageing such as wrinkles and fine lines
• Staying hydrated aids in combating skin issues such as psoriasis, eczema and dark under eye circles

We lose water in large quantities every day through perspiration, urination, and even breathing, but we often forget to replenish our water intake. This very easily leads to dehydration of our bodies and our skin. Lack of hydration on our skin can turn skin dry, tight, and flaky. Dry skin is also less resilient and more prone to wrinkling.

However, drinking water alone is not enough to keep skin hydrated. The water we drink gets circulated to the other organs first before it reaches the skin, and most times, there isn’t enough water to hydrate the skin to an optimum level. That’s why it’s so important to care for our skin externally and keep skin hydrated. 

How to keep skin hydrated

So if drinking water isn’t the way to keep skin hydrated, then what is? 

Well, here’s 4 tips on how to keep skin hydrated and promote beautiful, soft, and supple skin. 

1. Have cooler showers

We all enjoy a hot shower or soak in the bathtub once in awhile, but hot water can actually be detrimental to your skin's hydration. This is because hot water strips oil from the skin, leaving your skin more prone to dryness.

Keep skin hydrated by having cooler showers instead. Cold showers and baths help to calm your nerves and rejuvenate skin. If you must have a hot shower, keep it short to reduce your skin’s exposure to hot water and minimise the loss of your skin’s natural oils.

2. Apply a hydrating moisturizer after a shower

After a shower, our skin is still porous and absorbs skin care products better. To rehydrate your skin, apply a hydrating moisturizer or body oil within 2 minutes of leaving the bath or shower. Don't forget your face! Use Nourishing Face Creams and alcohol free Toners to keep skin hydrated. They also help plump up the skin cells on your face and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. 

3. Use organic essential oils

Oils are actually great dry skin remedies because they're more readily absorbed by the skin, not greasy, and have a lower potential to clog pores. Plant-based natural oils such as lavender, patchouli, ylang ylang, and rose essential oils are known to promote skin cell regeneration, rejuvenate skin, and balance the production and reabsorption of sebum (skin oils). 

Look for organic essential oils that are 100% natural and pure. Soak in a cool bath with a few drops of essential oils to soothe the skin and allow your body to absorb the essential oils easily. Or, mix in 1-2 drops of essential oil into your skin care products to add an extra kick to your skin hydration routine. Alternatively, look for organic chemical free skin care products that already contain some hydrating essential oils. Because the face is usually the first to show obvious signs of dry skin, it’s a good idea to invest in facial oil cleansers that help cleanse your skin while keeping skin hydrated.

4. Exfoliate regularly

Even if you're using tons of amazing skin care products to hydrate your skin, it won't do any help if your skin isn't absorbing them properly from underneath layers of dead skin cells! This is where exfoliating comes in. Exfoliation is important to remove the dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin, which can prevent skin care ingredients from doing their job.

Use organic facial exfoliators and body exfoliators regularly and then apply a hydrating moisturizer afterward to boost your skin's water content. If you're going out into the sun, be sure to put on some sunscreen, as your skin will be more vulnerable after exfoliation.

Your skin is the largest living, breathing organ on your body. Up to 60% of what you apply on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream, which then gets circulated around your whole body. But if you knew what toxins non-organic skin care products contained, you would think twice before you use it. So it's no surprise to see more and more people switching to organic skin care products.

If you're still using non-organic products, it's time to reconsider. Read on to learn the 7 benefits of organic skin care products to see how they can be better for you.

7 benefits of using organic skincare products

1. Non-organic skin care products contain harmful ingredients

Pick up a bottle of any non-organic skin care product and read its ingredients label. How many ingredients can you actually recognize? Chances are, if you don't recognize them neither will your body.

Non-organic skin care products contain synthetic, man-made chemicals such as sodium laurel, mineral oils, laureth sulphate, and toxins that could be residues of pesticides. Studies have also found that they can contain mineral oil, petroleum, parabens, and other chemicals that, with long term use, can cause skin irritation, hormone imbalance, organ toxicity, and even cancer. 

2. Organic skin care products are made of natural ingredients

Now read the ingredients label of any organic skin care product. You'd probably recognize most, if not all of the items there.

Certified organic products are derived from plants and other naturally occurring ingredients. More importantly, those organic ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and other additives or chemicals. With that, you can be sure your skin and body absorb only real, natural ingredients that aren't harmful.

3. Organic products are non-allergenic

Without harsh chemicals, organic skin care products are less likely to cause allergic reactions, inflammations or irritations. If an allergic reaction does occur with the use of organic products, it would most likely be due to a natural ingredient (such as peanuts or strawberries), which would be easier to identify.

4. Organic skin care products work better

Plants grown organically are found to contain a higher level of vital antioxidant vitamins than non-organic plants. Because they are grown without herbicides and pesticides, their organic ingredients are also free from that contamination, which means the same for your skin and body.

Moreover, up to 95% of an organic skin care product's contents are active ingredients. In synthetic skin care products, on the other hand, active ingredients only make up 5 to 10% of its contents.

5. Going organic is better for your skin

The synthetic ingredients found in non-organic products may be fast acting, but they are also invasive, causing harm that cannot be seen. Their chemical ingredients may provide instant gratification and visible results, but most of these only help you aesthetically by smoothening out wrinkles, removing sunspots, and diminishing blemishes. 

With prolonged use, these chemicals may damage and weaken your skin as your body tries to cope with these foreign substances. As a result, oxygen exchange to the skin is reduced, causing premature aging and increased risk of developing sunspots.

Using natural, organic skin care products, though, ensure that you get the real nutritional benefits from its ingredients. Natural organic ingredients such as coconut oil, honey, aloe vera, and shea butter, for example, are known to soothe, nourish, moisturize and promote smooth skin. Even though the results may be slower, organic skin care products are gentle on your skin and won’t harm you in the long run.

6. You're supporting cruelty-free skin care products

The beauty industry has received backlash for conducting animal testing for their products to ensure that they are safe for human use. Organic products don't need to, because, with natural ingredients, they're safe and harmless!

When you buy organic skin care products, you are buying cruelty-free skin care products and also supporting the move towards abolishing animal testing in the industry.

7. You're helping to preserve the environment

Because organic products use naturally grown ingredients that are free from toxic pesticides and fertilizers, they don't leave a harmful footprint on the planet, particularly the soil, water, and air. 

Organic farming is also better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from pesticide and fertilizer sprays, and produces less carbon dioxide and less dangerous wastes. By using organic skin care products, you're helping to minimize your environmental impact and support the sustainability of our environment.

I hope this has helped you understand the benefits of organic skin care products and how they're better for your skin and health. Better yet, going organic is sustainable and better for the environment, too. So invest in your health today and make the change to organic skin care products if you haven't already done so.

If you aren't using organic skin care products, then it's about time to make the switch because these top 10 toxins should definitely be avoided!

In recent years, the beauty industry has come under greater scrutiny mainly due to the use of harmful chemicals and animals testing. While animal testing is understandably done to ensure proper quality control of these skin care products and that they are hypoallergenic - it is incredibly cruel and considered inhumane by many. 

That is why people are gravitating towards organic skin care products and cruelty free skin care products. Without these harmful chemicals and toxins, there's no need for animal testing to ensure that they’re safe for humans.  

Here are the top 10 toxins found in non-organic skin care products - are they in yours?

1. Preservatives

All products have an expiry date and in order to make sure they stay "fresh", preservatives are used. If you ask anyone, the largest culprit to look out for in any skin care product would be Parabens, Formaldehyde or Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives (FRPs).

These preservatives have had many studies linking their harmful effects on hormonal or endocrine activity, meaning this should definitely be avoided if a woman is pregnant or nursing.

Many countries have in fact banned these preservatives as excessive use can give rise to cancer, and/or cause allergic skin reactions.

2. Fragrances

It's no secret that when a beauty product smells good, it probably has a lot of unwanted and potentially toxic chemicals in it.

Some of these have been simply disguised as "Fragrance" or "Parfum" extracts, while the more scientific term "Phthalates" is what we should be wary of.

Studies have shown these synthetic compounds can cause dizziness, headache, asthma, allergies, reproductive defects and hormonal imbalances.

3. Synthetic Colors

You might want to think twice about putting on colorful lipstick or eyeshadow again, as synthetic colors have been widely linked to cancer and ADHD in children.

What you should be looking out for would be anything with FD&C or D&C labels, which stands for “Food, Drug and Cosmetics”. While many have already been banned, it's still good to stay away from these artificial dyes.

4. Petroleum

"This can't be in my skincare product!"

But it is, and it is usually stealthily disguised as either:

• Mineral oil,
• Toluene,
• Liquid paraffin, or
• Xylene

All these are carcinogenic.

5. Antibacterial Agents

The most common antibacterial ingredient out there is Triclosan, which ironically harms human health as a thyroid and hormone disruptor.

It's also been recently reviewed and prohibited in September 2016 by the FDA due to its lack of effectiveness in actually killing bacteria.

6. Foaming Agents

Do we really need our shampoo or soap to foam up?

The chemical names are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), which have been known to cause kidney and respiratory issues.

7. Sunscreen Agents

One common agent, Oxybenzone, is used in sunscreen to absorb ultraviolet light, but while it’s supposed to protect us from the sun - it can damage our endocrine systems at a cellular level.

As such, it's better to use sunscreen in moderation and not stay out in the scorching sun for too long if possible.

8. Skin Whitening Agents

In contrast to sunscreen, the chemical Hydroquinone is used for "bleaching" our skin.

While you may appear fairer on the outside, you're actually altering your skin pigmentation on the inside while also weakening your natural collagen and elastin - essentials to keeping your skin firm and youthful!

9. Anti-Acne Chemicals

Benzoyl Peroxide is actually used for treating moderate acne by killing bacteria.

However, it's been linked to tumor growth and can produce toxic effects just by breathing it in.

10. Alcohol

Not the drinking kind, but the one that allows your skin care liquids to dry up fast so you can get on with life more quickly.

Regular skin exposure to alcohol means greater vulnerability to molds, viruses and bacteria, as well as dermatitis.

Luckily it's easy to identify alcoholic ingredients in skin care products as most of their chemical names end with the suffix "-ol".

Takeaway for Organic Skin Care Products

Regardless of whether you use organic skin care products or cruelty free skin care products  - do check the bottle to make sure the ingredients or fine print match up.

Even if it's advertised as "made with certified organic products", it's still possible to have 70% organic ingredients while the remaining 30% synthetic ingredients are potentially harmful.

So do keep a look out for the top 10 toxins found in non organic skin care products listed above, and ensure you're buying organic skin care products that will protect your skin, not damage it!