Are Natural Products always safe on the skin?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The use of plant extracts or botanicals, herbs, honey, olive oil, rosewater, milk and many other natural ingredients has had a long and interesting historical association with the skin over many centuries. In ancient times there were no modern laboratories with big research and development budgets and the beauty industry revolved around what nature could provide.

When we talk about the beauty industry in ancient times, Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and Indian cultures come to mind. Who can ever forget that the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra used to bath in milk? Lactic acid with its skin-softening abilities would have left her skin soft and silky smooth – it would seem that Cleopatra was not only creative and adventurous in her choice of natural skincare products but she was also wise!

Nature & Medicine

Many of the original medicines that were discovered were derived from plants and have played a vitally important role in medicine. For instance, the digitalis leaf from the plant Digitalis Ianata was used for heart failure. Digoxin is still widely prescribed today but it is no longer derived from the digitalis leaf as it is manufactured synthetically.

As the world becomes more polluted and our skins environmentally challenged, there is a move to seek out natural products.  Clinical studies and scientific evaluations are continually being undertaken to seek out the best natural ingredients for use in skincare products. Plants produce a variety of organic compounds and studies have shown that just one of these groups, among many, phenolic compounds are especially useful in their role as antioxidants.

Modern skincare products still contain ingredients derived from nature many of which are found in products on Dermastore™ products:  Resveratrol, Ferulic Acid,  Fernblock, Phytic Acid, to name but a few.  These natural ingredients have been scientifically researched and formulated for their specific mechanisms in protecting the skin and they have been extracted from their source in laboratory environments where they are further tried and tested for safety and efficacy. This ensures that the beneficial relationship between nature and the skin is enhanced and the risks minimalized.

So while many modern-day skincare products still contain botanicals and other natural ingredients there is a misconception that if a product is natural then it is safe.

Many natural products may be safely used on the skin but at the same time, there are a number of them that can cause an allergic or irritant contact dermatitis on the skin.

As Dermatologists, we often see the fall-out between natural and the bodies protective defence mechanism when a patient develops an allergic contact dermatitis. With the skin being the largest and most visible organ and linked to the psyche, this can cause a huge amount of distress and discomfort and it can take time to rebuild the skin barrier function.

Dermatologists often perform what is termed ‘patch tests’ and the most common one used in South Africa is the European Standard battery of patch tests. These test kits contain 45 of the most likely chemicals or compounds that people can become allergic to and included in these are quite a few natural products as seen below:

Lanolin, Oak Moss, Dandelion, Colophony, Lavender Oil, Citronella, Ragweed, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Garlic, Balsam of Peru

Some of these organic compounds are often used in shampoos, soaps, make-up, lipstick and body moisturisers. Once a person’s body has become allergic to one of these natural substances that person will remain sensitized to that ingredient for the rest of their life.

Professor Michael Cork from Sheffield University has researched the use of natural oils on young infant’s skin. He found that the topical application of olive oil significantly damaged the skin barrier function and caused irritation of the skin. In contrast, sunflower seed oil was beneficial to the skin. Unfortunately, Oleic Acid, the natural ingredient in olive oils is often found in many natural soaps.

His conclusion which he published in the Journal of Paediatric Dermatology in 2013 was that these findings challenge the unfounded belief that all natural oils are beneficial for the skin.

Of interest, when a person develops a severe allergic dermatitis to a chemical or organic compound they can also develop what we call an Id reaction or a systemic contact dermatitis. If the person is highly allergic to the allergen they will start itching and develop a rash at another site on the body, sometimes quite a distance away from the application of the allergen.  This can be both very distressing and confusing as they cannot always work out why they are reacting on a certain part of the body that was not in contact with the allergen.

When using natural products it is advisable to be aware that they can cause an allergic reaction. One study in the British Journal of Dermatology showed that popular natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, feverfew, lavender, and jasmine brought on allergic or sensitivity responses in some people but not in everyone. If you are using a new natural product for the first time it is a good idea to do a small patch test of your own, usually somewhere out of sight such as the area on the inside of the elbow. If no reaction occurs after a day or two, you may be able to safely assume you are able to use the product.

At the end of the day, it is all about choice: knowing your own skin and being product-savvy – reading labels, and researching ingredients with their associated risks. There is always a delicate balance between benefits and risks but in the age of information, you should research your products rigorously. It is also beneficial to take advice from the experts – people who ae trained to understand the skin and the best products for you and your skin. Trust your skin as it is your best barometer: it will tell you what it likes and does not like!

Life is a constant change and your relationship with your skin is a long and intimate one. As you tune into the needs of your skin,  you will find that change is the only constant. Your skincare regimen will need to change, fluctuate and evolve over time. When you are younger your skin’s needs are far less and this is when people often seek out the more natural products but as the skin ages both chronologically and with photo-ageing, the need for more potent topical skincare might become necessary.

I think there is a need for constant research and evaluation of all products and these should include proper randomised, double-blinded clinical trials.

In conclusion, as a Dermatologist I think natural and organic ingredients do have a place in our skincare products but only when they are backed by science and produced in laboratory conditions where they are tested rigorously for safety and efficacy. Many of these products provide excellent antioxidant protection, they help skin ageing, they can help to reduce pigmentation and they generally promote good skin health.