Ask the Experts: What Does Your Skin do for You?

We've been speaking to the lovely Carol Aplin, the brains behind Pink&Green Organic Skincare and experienced holistic therapist, on what our skin does for us and how we can show our appreciation...

It’s during the times of the year when the weather is at its extremes that we are more likely to consider the effects of the elements on our skin.  Summer is here now (yes – it’s definitely showing signs of warming up!) and for many of us, it’s a time to be thinking of holidays in the sun, relaxing in the garden, or perhaps walking somewhere beautiful to admire the scenery.

At times like this, we are more likely to consider some skin protection. 

But are we doing enough to care for our skin all year round?

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and is continually shedding and renewing itself.  It forms a protective layer, its waterproof and covers the entire surface of our body.  It is thinnest on our eyelids and thickest on the soles of the feet.  It is sensory; a heat regulator; absorbs; protects; excretes; secretes and forms Vitamin D.

Our skin is at its best in our early twenties.  Fine lines will begin to appear from our late twenties/early thirties. After 40 our skin wrinkles and becomes drier. It is important to care for it, so that it can perform at its optimum and perform its vital role for our body.

How Do You Look After Your Skin? 

There are many things we can do to care for it.  For example, eat a balanced diet, hydrate, avoid excessive UV light, avoid smoking, and follow a regular skincare routine

To love the skin you’re in, natural or organic skincare (like the range offered by Pink&Green Skincare) offers ingredients sourced from nature rather than created synthetically.  They will not include petro chemicals, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, synthetic dyes and colours.

Organic skincare products, unlike natural based ones, have a rigorous standard of purity about their cultivation. They must be derived without synthetic pesticides, petroleum fertilizers, sewage sludge fertilizers, nor be GMO.

Whether you choose natural or organic, these ingredients are like food for your skin, protecting; nourishing and offering balance.

If you continually use products that contain harsh chemicals, these can cause irritation and drying of the skin.  Imagine, if you used synthetic ingredient products for, say, 10 years once a day, that would be 3500 occasions that you would be affecting the acid mantle of the skin.

However, can we take advertising claims at face value?  “Made with organic ingredients” could also contain synthetics. You could be misled into buying something you thought was something it’s not.

Be sure to read the label and ingredients list before buying. If you are ever unsure about a product you wish to purchase, ask for clarification or do your own research.

At Pink&Green Skincare we go out of our way to make our labelling clear and explain the properties of all the individual ingredients in our formulations. That way, our customers are able to make an informed decision about their purchase.

We do ourselves a dis-service if we simply accept what people tell us.  Some people will genuinely believe what they say is true but it may not be. Some will know what they say isn’t true but will say it with the same conviction.

I believe it is important to accept responsibility for what we believe. So please do that for me – don’t believe what I say, just because I say it.

Work out the value for yourselves independently.  Find your own truth.