Your choice: the pure oil of a wild berry grown high in the Himalayas as nature intended or a chemical cooked up in a lab - what would you choose to put on your skin? Here's the deal on why natural is the bomb.

Did you know that the average woman will use 12 different cosmetic products everyday - introducing more than 175 different chemical compounds to her body? Cosmetic companies will declare loudly that the chemicals in their products are at such low doses that there is no harm. But what about the collective effect of 175 different chemicals being absorbed by your skin over a life time of use? Anyone out there who can say there is 100% zero effect? Nope!

The thing is, there is no government or independent body that tests beauty products before they are put on the shelves and there are no long-term studies on chemical ingredients in skin care and their effect.

Over 10,000 chemicals are used as ingredients in skin care products. Many of these have been determined to be unsafe and some of have been banned, yet these ingredients are still found in products on shelves.

There are more than 125 ingredients that are used on the skin suspected of causing cancer, and about 25 connected to birth defects. The argument for their use is that they are in such low quantities within beauty products that they pose no harm. But, there is no definitive proof on that count. Why risk it, when you can go a la naturel?

The truth is that these synthetic and harsh chemicals are used because they are cheap. Using essential oils, plants or flowers is expensive. And, if you are talking about organic even more expensive as growing these plants and flowers without the use of chemicals and processing them into ingredients without the use of chemicals is very, very expensive. The bottom line is the cheaper a cosmetic is to produce the more money the company can make on each item.

But, be wary too that just because a product says it's natural doesn't necessarily mean it is. Even a product with just 1% of its formula featuring natural ingredients can make that claim. Our rule of thumb - the ingredients that read like Harry Potter speak for potions and spells are probably the Latin names for plants/flowers and the rest are probably chemicals. So if you see lots of these you can bet this is a product loaded with goodies from nature. Not very scientific, but we want to make it simple for you when you are out shopping for skin care.

Companies like Bellaboo are more interested in producing really great products that are designed to give results without harm rather than focusing purely on the money to be made. Why do it then? Well, you can be all about beauty for bucks or beauty with a conscious. Guess which we decided to be?

The skin is the largest organ of our body. Like the lungs, the skin "breathes" in and out, taking in nutrients and releasing toxins.

Now let's look at nicotine patches or pain relief patches - they are medicines delivered to the body via the skin. Do you get what that means?

Science is saying, "hey, a really good way to get medicines into the bloodstream is via the skin". Doesn't that mean then that your skin care is also being absorbed into the bloodstream? You bet!

Start thinking about skin care in the context of it is helpful or is it harmful?

Here' s the top 10 alert in terms of skin care ingredients to steer clear of!

1. Fragrances. Just because it smells good, doesn't mean it is good for you. A pretty picture of a flower on the label may make you think that the sweet smell wafting from the jar or tube is the natural scent of the flower. More often synthetic fragrances are added to make the product more saleable. Fragrance on a label could mean up to 4,000 separate ingredients. You don't know exactly what they are as they don't need to be individually listed. Artificial fragrance has absolutely no skin care benefit but unknown harm. Your skin care should be good for your skin and deliver results not smell pretty!
2. Artificial colours. Again, just because it looks pretty doesn't mean it is. The only purpose colour pigments serve is to make the product look attractive. It does absolutely nothing for your skin except cause sensitivity and irritation.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). You will find these ingredients in almost all cleansers that foam. These chemicals are even used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers. Research indicates that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate causes inflammation of the skin and can weaken the immune system. It is extremely drying on the skin, so for oily skin it's really bad. Your skin's job is to keep the surface lubricated, if the surface is being dried out the skin thinks it's under attack so it responds by pumping out more oil and so the vicious oil and pimple cycle continues!
4. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), & TEA (triethanolamine). These ingredients are again found in most products that foam. These hormone-disrupting chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects. A US Federal government study revealed that DEA and DEA-based detergents greatly increase the risk of cancer, especially liver and kidney cancer.
5. Triclosan. This is registered as a pesticide and is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Triclosan is so toxic it is measured in parts per trillion. So, one drop of Triclosan in 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools can cause hormonal disruption! This chemical is a synthetic "antibacterial" ingredient and is therefore found in most antibacterial soaps, lotions, and toothpaste.
6. Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene Glycol. These are petroleum plastics that easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. PG is a solvent so powerful it dissolves through a stainless steel tank in 48 hours so it has to be stored in plastic drums. The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles. However, Propylene Glycol is used in some products in concentrations of up to 20%. How's that for good skin care?
7. Mineral Oil. A petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It interferes with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. It slows down skin function and cell development. Note: Baby Oil is 100% Mineral Oil!
8. DMDM Hydantoin. Just one of the many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep.
9. Methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens. These can cause rashes and other allergic reactions and have been shown in studies to be linked to breast cancer.
10. Petrolatum. It strips the skin of its natural oils causing dryness and chapping. And remember, if you skin surface is being dried out a message is sent out for the skin to pump out more oil - exacerbating oily skin and pimple conditions.

With 10,000 chemical ingredients used in cosmetics, it's impossible to detail each one and give you the low-down on them all. Our belief is that the closer to nature we can get for skin care the better it is for our skin and our health. It's your choice!