Natural skin care products are changing rapidly - one minute it's all about AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), the next it's dead sea products, then... some other fad is sure to strike any minute now.

Natural skin care products are no longer clearly defined and are undergoing critical review in terms of their 'natural' components.

Many companies are promoting their products as natural, however adding isolated substances, although extracted from natural sources, is not what is meant by natural skin care or natural personal care products.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products is a well-established holistic, natural skin care company that has withstood the temptation of jumping on this bandwagon of including isolated (naturally sourced) ingredients in their products. Over its 20-year history, Wildcrafted Herbal Products has seen many other competitors come and go, just as quickly as the fads themselves.

"Wildcrafted's philosophy of utilising medicinal herbal extracts, pure essential oils, fruits and vegetables in their natural state has proven to be successful", says Susan Siegenthaler, medical herbalist and co-owner of Wildcrafted Herbal Products.

"Wildcrafted originated in my clinic over 20 years ago, where I saw the need to formulate holistic, natural skin care products for my patients with skin disorders. Right from the start I knew that only a holistic, natural skin care product would be of any use to the many patients with skin problems and that's why I've never included 'fashionable' ingredients in my formulations".

"Susan is passionate about getting the ingredient mix right", explains Danny Siegenthaler, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and co-owner of Wildcrafted Herbal Products", "she never looks for the easy option, or the fashionable approach. It's always got to be the best and purest no matter what. Susan literally agonises over which ingredients will work best together to achieve a desired result."

Almost every day we hear another new word for a product that promises to make you look younger or reduce the signs of aging. Most of these words are pure fiction and not found in any dictionary. They are simply designed to make the viewer think 'if this substance or name is any indication, it must be good'.

This could not be further from the truth, because rarely are these ingredients new or have any magical power to make your skin look younger or reduce wrinkles or do anything much more than nourish your skin.

"Herbs and Essential oils have so many active ingredients that have a physiological benefit on the skin, we don't need to add isolated extracts and concentrates to our products", explains Susan. "As soon as you use an isolated ingredient you loose the other beneficial and balancing components of the herb or fruit and that defeats the purpose".

"Wild Yam extract for example has phyto-hormones that will be absorbed by the skin to work at the cellular level. You don't need to extract these hormones, give them some 'fad name' and than try to pretend it is something new in order for them to work."

Susan believes that the philosophy of herbal medicine has well and truly stood the test of time and if understood and applied correctly, there is no need to include isolated extracts from plants in skin care products to make them more effective.

"I have seen so many patients' skin conditions revert back to where they've started after they stopped using expensive, so called 'natural' skin care products, all because these isolated ingredients do not work in the long term and are usually only effective while you use them; in other words, they treat the symptoms not the cause." Susan continues, "herbal extracts and essential oils, which are combinations of many ingredients that effectively work together and enhancing each other, have the capacity to repair the skin on a cellular level and will bring long lasting and on-going benefits. It's no more complicated than that." Says Susan.

"I really believe, that sticking to the 'old', tried and true principles of herbal medicine is what has made our natural skin care products so successful and effective, and I see no reason to change our approach."

About the author:

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005