Detox your makeup

Imagine waking up in the morning, and slathering a bunch of poisonous and carcinogenic substances on your face, in the hope that the bouquet of icky chemicals will make your skin look amazing. Sounds crazy? Well, you’re doing it already!

Check the label of any of the cosmetics you typically use – you'll see this long list of 20-odd chemicals in each beauty-boosting formulation. Many commercially-available face washes, shampoos and creams have highly dubious compounds, many of which are the subject of rigourous debate in the scientific community....some experts say they're safe, others say they're lethal.

Organic cosmetics, however, have none of these controversial chemicals.

Which is why everybody who's anybody is going organic! The world has woken up to the need for gentle, natural products that nurture and nourish the skin.

Natural vs Organic

Natural cosmetics and organic cosmetics are not the same thing! Take the case of Swedish cosmetics giant Oriflame, which offers primarily natural, eco-friendly and plant-based products, but has a special line consisting only of 'organic' products in its repertoire.

Organic products are at the top of the chemical-free pyramid. Agricultural land needs a three-year chemical 'detox' to get an organic status. Only products grown on an organic farm, without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified plants or harmful toxins qualify as organic ingredients for organic products.

Cosmetics with labels that scream 'organic' may or may not be all they claim to be. Look for a logo of reputed certification bodies like the NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production), USDA-NOP (United States Department of Agriculture -National Organic Program) ISO (International Organization for Standardization) or ECO CERT to be sure that what you're buying really does have bonafide organic credentials.

Worth the Money?

Don't mind spending a little extra to get the very best? Organic cosmetics offer you the concentrated essence of miracle plants, leaves and flowers bottled up for your convenience!

Gram for gram, there's no doubt that you get more bounce for the ounce in organic cosmetics. Skin-care lines of good organic brands can cost nearly twice as much as your regular luxury brands, but they do have amazing benefits.

If you're hesitant to splurge on an unknown brand, start by trying something small, like organic handmade soap (almost all organic brands have 'em). If it works wonders, you can then move on to body butters, hand creams and face-creams.

The good news is that the price gap is not usually so gaping when it comes to make-up. An organic lipstick normally costs approximately as much as a top-of-the-range lipstick from a pricey international brand, so if you're maxing out your credit-card on new lip-colours for the season anyway, it's worthwhile to try out some organic options.

Gift yourself a glow

Kama Ayurveda https://www.kamaayurveda.com/ (mostly skincare), Vedanta Organics http://www.vedantaorganics.net/ (one of the few with organic lipsticks) and Rustic Art http://rusticart.in/ (lots of massage oils and soaps) are some of the brands that sell organic cosmetics in India. Give your skin the gift of organic cosmetics this festive season, and it won't be just those lamps that'll be glowing!

Organic cosmetics offer you the concentrated essence of miracle plants, leaves and flowers bottled up for your convenience

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/detox-your-makeup/article6156206.ece