We met with @camino_green to ask her about natural cosmetics, skin care and ingredients to avoid
Hello Camino, tell us a little about yourself and your involvement in the world of natural cosmetics.
Since I was little I knew that I wanted to be a biologist. One summer I did an internship at a fabric bank and from there I began to be fascinated by skin. Then I did a master's degree in cosmetics and dermopharmacy and several postgraduate degrees in natural cosmetics and physioaesthetics.
Understanding cosmetic formulas and wanting noble, pure and beneficial ingredients for the skin made me opt for natural, organic and simple cosmetics.
What is slow cosmetics?
For me, slow cosmetics are those that you consciously use and enjoy in every step of your facial routine. A cosmetics where the necessary products are used, not because a brand or an advertisement dictates it. Your skin is the one that speaks and the one that demands.
It is also a cosmetics where the manufacturing and ingredients respect the environment.
Why use slow/natural cosmetics instead of conventional ones?
There are more and more sensitive and reactive skin types. Using natural cosmetics that respect your epidermis is essential to keep the hydrolipid mantle stable and for your cells to carry out their vital functions without alterations.
In conventional cosmetics, ingredients are also used that do not contribute anything to our skin because they are not absorbed, they cause a sensation of nutrition but physiologically it is not real.
What synthetic ingredients should be avoided in our daily cosmetic products?
I know that many synthetic ingredients sound strange, they are complicated words and difficult to memorize and recognize, but I believe that we should not obsess over that and little by little our eyes and minds will open if we get used to reading labels.
It is true that, for me, there are 3 types of synthetic ingredients that are the ones that most alter the hydrolipidic mantle and therefore make our epidermis increasingly reactive. These ingredients are synthetic perfumes, synthetic dyes and sulfates.
How to quickly and easily identify if a product is good for our skin?
The fewer ingredients in the formulation, the better. A product with 5 or 6 ingredients is a simple formulation where a high percentage is an active ingredient or an ingredient that is truly beneficial for the skin.
Compare it with a product that has 20 or 30 ingredients, the percentage of active ingredients decreases and thickeners, emollients, stabilizers, softeners and preservatives increase, which do not provide anything to the skin.
What do you think of essential oils? What is your favorite?
Essential oils are magic. Apart from giving that deep aromatic touch in cosmetics, they go further. They regulate emotions, we can use them in the kitchen, for home cleaning, as air fresheners...
My favorite is undoubtedly sweet oranges for its citrus aroma and its calming and relaxing power.
On your website you say that "each person in our country uses an average of 17 cosmetics a day", is that number irrelevant if we use natural cosmetics?
When using natural or organic cosmetics, a single product can have several uses. For example, a 100% organic pure vegetable oil can be used as a makeup remover, as a serum, as facial and body nutrition, and as an ingredient in a mask.
The important thing to maintain healthy skin is good cleansing, nutrition and sun protection.
Have you tried any of our products? What do you think?
From the first moment I tried your solid shampoo I fell in love. I have never found another formulation like it that leaves my hair clean, with life and volume and without weighing it down.
How can we be more sustainable with our cosmetic products?
We can do it from several sources, we can avoid silicones, mineral oils or highly polluting petroleum derivatives, we can use national and local cosmetics, brands with sustainable packaging that use alternatives to plastic.
Any courses you are going to teach soon?
I will start the year teaching an in-person course in Madrid on organic cosmetics and facial ritual. It will be January 25th. You have the link for more information and to sign up on my website and Instagram.
Next projects?
I have wanted to go beyond organic cosmetics and how to use each product and I have become certified in facial yoga.
To maintain young and smooth skin, it is important to activate the circulatory and lymphatic systems and exercise the facial muscles.
This year, 2020, I want to teach an in-person and online course on this topic so that from home you can do various exercises to achieve a luminous and juicy complexion.
What would you say to a reader who does not use natural cosmetics?
It is important to read labels, to know what we buy. In conventional cosmetics, formulations contain 1% active ingredient and are loaded with ingredients that will not be absorbed by the skin. Your epidermis will not strengthen and external agents will weaken it and accelerate skin aging.
The basis of natural cosmetics are plant extracts and vegetable oils, which in themselves are rich in minerals, trace elements, fatty acids, vitamins... essential for the health of your skin.