Beauty trends come and go, but some manifest themselves as more of a movement than a trend. One such is the Farm To Face approach that has taken the skin care industry by storm. It’s a fast-growing philosophy adopted by many skincare brands and brought forth to audiences who are paying more attention than ever to the ingredients they expose themselves to each and every day. It’s straightforward. It’s healthy. It’s honest. And it’s a style of skincare that many are getting behind.
What is the Farm to Face skincare movement?
You’re probably familiar with the term “Farm to Table” — the idea of knowing where your food is from, and the steps in which it was grown, shipped, sold and somehow ended up on your plate. It’s often a selling point for restaurants. Diners like to know that they’re meal came from local farmers and that they’re in turn, supporting local rather than eating food from who knows where.
As consumers become more aware of the foods they're putting in their bodies and serving their families, they’re also becoming more aware of what they’re using on their skin, their showers and even on their children — and they’re demanding transparency from skincare brands.
What sort of began with DIY skin care hacks using ingredients you might find in your own kitchen, (egg whites, honey, avocado, anyone?) turned into skincare companies listening and delivering with skincare products made with natural, clean ingredients. More and more skincare companies have jumped on board and are ditching the harmful chemicals and incorporating ingredients that are grown from the Earth and provide natural, gentle benefits.
Why is Farm to Face Beauty and Skincare Becoming So Popular?
We, as consumers, deserve and appreciate honesty and transparency, especially when it comes to our health and well-being. And lucky for us, transparency spawns even more transparency. Example: if one skincare company is disclosing what’s used to make their products, why aren’t others? What are they trying to hide from us? If a company chooses to not share with its customers what goes into its skincare, then we start to get suspicious. This type of transparency has become “trendy” in a sense, and has spiraled into a positive movement that allows us to be knowledgeable of what we’re putting on our skin.
Farm-to-Face trends in skincare, like our very own model at Nurture My Body, show exactly where and how their ingredients are grown and finally incorporated into products. Ingredients are picked at their ripest and freshest state, then mixed into small batches to ensure the cleanest and freshest products for your skin. Thousands of beauty products can claim to do all sorts of things for the skin… but how? With chemicals that are doing more harm than good?
We want to know what’s is in our products, not only what the product claims to do for our skin. After all, less is more.
Facts about chemicals on the skin
Whatever you use on your skin, doesn't end there. Your skin absorbs the products you use, and if they're laden with chemicals you can't pronounce, they're doing harm. The Environmental Working Group advises against the use of many chemicals in skincare, but some of the big ones?
- Fragrance - Federal law doesn’t require skincare companies to disclose what ingredients make up their “fragrance.” In fact, studies have shown that 14 chemicals in 17 name brand fragrance products were never listed on the ingredients list. And this is concerning, considering that fragrance can contain hormone disruptors and are one of the top five allergens in the world.
- Parabens - You probably hear this one all the time, or “paraben free”, rather, as more skincare products are choosing to eliminate them. Parabens are preservatives that prevent cosmetics and skincare products from going bad and growing bacteria — which seems great, except for the fact that they have estrogen-mimicking properties, are absorbed into the skin and have been linked to certain cancers.
- Phthalates - A chemical used to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics, phthalates can be found in nail polishes, hair sprays, perfumes and lotions, and basically makes product stick to hair and skin. It’s extremely problematic though because “they are known to be endocrine disruptors and have been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females.” Similar to how products fail to disclose what “fragrance” is made up of, they also aren’t transparent when a product contains these harmful chemicals.
- Oxybenzone - A chemical in most popular sunscreens is know to bleach and kill coral reefs, and is such a threat to those organisms, the state of Hawaii has banned the use of any sunscreen containing oxybenzone through a law that will go into effect in 2021. Why would we want to use something like that on our skin?
How is Farm to Face skincare produced?
Brands that boast a Farm to Face approach often grow the ingredients they use on site. At Nurture My Body, each and every ingredient we use is grown in our permaculture garden, where it grows until it’s ready to be picked and blended into one of the many products you love.
Growing all ingredients in the same location means that they’re used only when they’re the ripest and freshest. Some are even only grown and used seasonally.
Once picked, they’re carefully blended in small batches to ensure optimal freshness. From these small batches, bottles are filled and shipped lovingly to our customers that place their trust in our holistic and healthy skincare.
Why Does Nurture My Body Choose to Implement Farm to Face Skincare?
We believe we are provided by the Earth with everything we need, especially for ailments, illnesses and skin issues. We shouldn’t reach for quick-fix chemicals when there are natural solutions to nearly any skincare problem out there. Skin is delicate, and the products we use not only go atop skin, but they are absorbed by the skin and end up in our bloodstream.
What you use on the outside, eventually ends up on the inside, and it’s time we take that into account when choosing our moisturizers, toners, body washes and more. If you’re looking to transition to a natural skin care regimen, Nurture My Body offers products you can trust.