Skin care mindfulness

By Carolyn Bessette, MD

When it comes to mindfulness, skin care is probably not the first thing that comes into your mind, but a state of mindfulness conjures up feelings of awareness. Being aware of what you put on your skin is as important as what you put in your body. We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat“ and that is important in skin care too.

This past year has taught me the importance of slowing down, the importance of living in gratitude and taking your time with things. Realizing that you have choices in the products you buy, the lifestyle you live, and the businesses you support, this is a precious gift of wisdom.

Many skincare companies throw words around like natural, sustainable, or vegan but the truth lies in the ingredient label. Much like we read nutrition labels, it’s important to read the ingredients in your skin care. A little known fact is that you can use less than .1% of an ingredient in something and slap it on the front label to get sales. I’ve actually seen products that claim to contain ingredients like papaya or essential oils on the front of their fancy packaging and when you read the ingredient list it’s not even listed there!

Some marketing tactics are slick and can make you feel healthy even though they are selling you products containing formaldehyde, parabens, phalates, and other chemical-laden products. 

Please read the ingredient labels on your skin care products and use natural products for overall health and well-being.

If you ever have any questions or want to know about a certain chemical in your skincare, please contact me via my YouTube channel or the website and I’ll be happy to answer any questions.