Why use botanical ingredients?

In the past few years there’s been a shift to clean eating, and clean beauty products, and for good reason. Many chemicals found in our food, household and beauty products have been shown to have harmful effects on our health. Some act as estrogens and wreak havoc on our hormones, others contain carcinogens that may cause cancer. Consumers are becoming more savvy with what they eat and put on their skin.

Botanical refers to an ingredient that is extracted directly from plants. Botanical ingredients can be extracted from the leaves, roots, nuts or berries of the plant. It may be in the form of an oil, liquid or wax.

Derived from things like petroleum or tar, synthetic materials are man-made materials. Not all are harmful, but studies are showing that many are. David Suzuki’s Dirty Dozen list shows the research that proves some synthetic ingredients are harmful to our environment and our health. Though we do not ingest skin-care products, the skin is the body’s largest organ and these materials are absorbed into our bloodstream. We’re already exposed to so many toxins in our environment, so why add to the mix by applying them to our skin?

Barefoot Naturals wants to take things back to basics and not only avoid serious health risks, but reap the benefits of botanical materials. Botanicals were used in the first cosmetics and contain antioxidants that reverse free radicals and provide many healing benefits to our skin. By using purely botanical ingredients in our products, we’re looking out for the health and safety of our customers, and providing them with the best possible outcomes for their skin.