Is “Natural” Really Better for Your Skin?

Is “Natural” Really Better for Your Skin?

Natural versus man-made — it’s a very grey area!

Did you know Botox — one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the world — comes from botulinum toxin, the deadliest natural poison known? On its own, it’s lethal. But in carefully measured doses, it becomes safe, effective, and trusted by millions.

“This flips the common belief on its head: being ‘natural’ doesn’t guarantee safety, and being ‘synthetic’ doesn’t make something dangerous.”

Take parabens. They’re naturally found in foods like blueberries, olives, and cucumbers — yet for years, they’ve been demonized in skincare marketing. The irony? Cucumbers, our go-to “natural remedy” for tired eyes, are loaded with parabens. Studies (and even FDA research) show parabens to be among the safest preservatives we have. Many of the “paraben-free” alternatives that replaced them? Less effective, and sometimes riskier.

Other misunderstood ingredients

• Sodium Laurel Sulphate (SLS) – Can dry skin in high amounts, but at normal levels in soap it’s safe.
• BHT – Often labeled “toxic,” but actually a powerful antioxidant at cosmetic levels — and even produced naturally by plankton.
• Phenoxyethanol – Frequently targeted by fear campaigns, yet tested extensively and deemed safe at cosmetic doses.

What matters isn’t whether something is natural or synthetic — it’s the dose. This principle dates back to Paracelsus, the father of toxicology. Oxygen, water, and even vitamins can all be deadly if taken in excess. Skincare ingredients are no different.

Botox itself proves the point: the deadliest natural toxin becomes one of the safest treatments in the world when science and dosage are respected.

So next time you see “100% natural” on a label, remember: it’s not about natural versus synthetic. It’s about context, evidence, and balance.

👉 Discover more science-backed truths in The Skin Science Warrior by Shawna Akin-Wiesner.

Written by the author: Shawna Akin-Wiesner