This is how you can switch to natural cosmetics

There are many good reasons to bring more nature into your care routine. But maybe concerns about skin problems, allergies or greasy hair make you hesitate. So this much in advance: natural cosmetics care at least as well as conventional products. However, you can make some mistakes when switching to natural cosmetics. We will tell you how to make the switch and what you should pay attention to.

Are natural cosmetics better than conventional cosmetics?

The question is actually what you expect from cosmetics. Conventional products are sometimes available for very little money or often promise great immediate effects. However, you are feeding your body with many synthetic ingredients. Some of them are considered questionable for you, others pollute the environment extremely - during production and when you wash them off again. Many do not want to make this deal (anymore) and are looking for natural care for skin and hair.

So you would rather have products that provide lasting care , nourishment and ensure a natural balance? Natural ingredients achieve this. Since manufacturers of natural cosmetics usually also care about nature itself, they usually consciously pay attention to sustainable raw materials, fair trade or even reject animal ingredients.

☝️ But care applies here too, because greenwashing is often used in cosmetics. More on that below.

Common concerns before switching to natural cosmetics

Of course, natural cosmetics are usually not cheap - they contain high-quality raw materials. And there are countless myths about it. That's why we first clarify the questions that make many people hesitate.

Question 1: Doesn't it have to contain chemicals for it to work?

Everything is chemistry. With every breath, substances are chemically transformed. This also happens with natural cosmetics. The skin can even process their ingredients very well because they resemble the body's own components. In contrast, what your skin can't handle at all are mineral oils. They just stick to it and then migrate into the water cycle.

And then there are synthetic ingredients that isolate or intensify a specific effect of a natural substance . They basically mimic nature so you can see effects faster. But beautiful skin is a long-term project that needs to be viewed holistically. There are no short cuts, but something like a cosmetic yo-yo effect. Quite a few destroy their skin with ultra-intensive facial treatments - peeling treatments, high-dose retinol etc. - and then return to natural care.

Question 2: Does natural cosmetics cause dry skin?

In itself, natural cosmetics work effectively against this skin problem. However, if you switch too abruptly, dryness can still occur during the transition. Why is that? The cause of dry skin is a perforated skin barrier. Water escapes through it like through a sieve. Conventional cosmetics solve the problem by sealing the skin with silicone or mineral oils. Of course, that only treats the symptom. If you were to stop sealing from one day to the next, more moisture would escape at first.

A gradual switch is therefore important for very dry or structurally damaged skin . This way she can regenerate and learn to get by on her own again. But natural cosmetics take care of the causes of dry skin in a much more sustainable way.

Question 3: Doesn't natural cosmetic always contain alcohol?!

No. Alcohol is a natural preservative and therefore a popular ingredient in natural cosmetics. However, many avoid this ingredient because it is irritating to the skin . I feel the same way personally. I react to alcohol in care products with reddened skin areas and sensitive skin. So I can totally understand that. With the FIVE products we consistently do without it. There are also natural cosmetic care products WITHOUT alcohol, because nature has other preservatives in store.

☝️ My tip for sensitive skin : Especially when it comes to facial care, make sure that the list of ingredients contains NO alcohol , alcohol denat . or ethanol is listed. Do you want to know more? Then read my article Alcohol in cosmetics .

This is how the switch to natural cosmetics succeeds

If you have now decided to go more natural ways, please do not throw everything away immediately! Especially not products that you actually like to use. First of all, that would not be very sustainable. Secondly, the transition is often best done little by little . The skin needs time to adjust.

When it comes to skin care, you can use your previous products alternately with natural cosmetics. Or mix a little bit of your new face oil or serum with your usual day cream. In this way, the skin slowly but surely gets used to the new care.

When zero therapy makes sense

The path to zero therapy is hard but effective if you want to change your care fundamentally and quickly. This is hip when your skin is completely out of whack . So overly sensitive, perhaps even to contact with water.

The only thing that helps is to stop using ALL cosmetics for several weeks and then very gently start again. Many of our customers have survived the zero therapy (I like to call it “hard cure”), mostly after years of odyssey. It's not easy, but it really is the start of better skin.

🚨 Your skin sends SOS? Here's our in-depth guide to Null Therapy aka Ross Cure .

How quickly does the skin get used to natural cosmetics?

It usually takes about one regeneration cycle to get used to it. This is around 4 weeks for young skin and up to 6 weeks for mature skin. That's how long it takes the skin's own processes to start up again. Synthetic ingredients manipulate this very strongly, making the skin more permeable here and sealing there. So she is no longer used to working. Then you come along with your new natural cosmetics and you want them to do something again. Who wouldn't be irritated by that?

• Slight irritation and pimples are normal . But both go away.
• Allergic reactions are not normal . So sudden swelling, severe itching, dizziness and the like. Then you should stop using the product and do an allergy test. Perhaps you are reacting to a certain ingredient that you need to avoid.

📚 Reading tip : This blog tells you how to distinguish normal sensitivity from a contact allergy.

Where to start with the switch to natural cosmetics?

Body cleaning and care

Start with products that you use daily and on a large scale . Shower gels, for example, are simple. You can even find natural alternatives in the drugstore around the corner, for example solid shower gels or bar soaps. Both are super sustainable because they are economical and require little packaging. Changing from body lotion to a natural body oil is just as easy. It feels really good right away and is very tolerable.

🌴 Palm oil and sustainability : Palm oil is often saponified because it creates a great foam. But the material also has critics – keyword monocultures and such. Unfortunately the no. 1 alternative coconut oil not really better, since the yield is smaller and the plantations are also monocultures. If you want to avoid these two, avoid Sodium Palmate and Sodium Cocoate . There are also manufacturers who do without both, such as Terrorists of Beauty .

Natural cosmetic deodorant

There are also very effective alternatives to deodorants. In some cases , they contain the odor even better than conventional deodorants. It is not yet available only as an antiperspirant, i.e. to prevent sweating itself, because aluminum is still required for this.

Experience has shown that natural deodorants with baking soda work best. Do you already know our deodorant without perfume with only four ingredients?

Naturally beautiful makeup

Wow, a lot has happened in decorative cosmetics in recent years. There are wonderful products with which you don't have to make any compromises when it comes to color intensity, application, durability and much more . The switch definitely makes sense when it comes to lip products – we lick them quite often without realizing it.

☝️ Tip : The FIVE Shea Cream is ideal as a lip balm and is full of natural, mostly organic ingredients. To the FIVE Shea Cream!

Also ingenious: natural foundation . My recommendation is mineral make-up. Simply in powder form with no frills. We have already explained what needs to be considered in our blog post on mineral make-up.

Natural cosmetic toothpaste

Did you know that most conventional toothpaste contains plastic? And after all, they end up in the mouth twice a day. With natural cosmetics this is over. It uses all-natural emery gel particles for cleaning and teeth whitening. Just try it! 

Switching to natural cosmetic hair care

"Natural cosmetic shampoo makes hair greasy," is an objection that we often hear and read. That is not the case either. What natural cosmetic shampoos do differently :

1. They use milder, natural surfactants for cleaning. Sometimes they foam less, which can subjectively give the feeling: “It doesn’t really clean at all.” Don't let that fool you, even mild shampoos clean the hair!
2. You save on silicones . They use conventional products for more shine and glory. Natural cosmetics use vegetable oils for similar effects. However, they can only really develop their effect when you have washed out all the silicone. That takes several weeks.

You guessed it: the crux is the switch again. But you just have to go through with the hair. Unfortunately, gradually replacing or mixing products does not make sense here. Persistence is the order of the day . And by the way: Many people switch from synthetic to natural without major incidents. It also depends on the texture of the hair.

☝️ Tip : Feel free to try out several products (one after the other, of course). You should change your shampoo regularly anyway . And the range of natural cosmetic hair care series is now huge, including hair soaps and shampoo bars . There is something suitable for every hair type.

Don't fall for greenwashing

“Contains argan oil”, “cares with fruit extracts” and the like, we often read from conventional manufacturers. Because they also know that plant power sells well. Therefore, the risk of greenwashing is very high with care products. Even natural cosmetics is not a protected term . Significant, however, are seals. Find out which seals say what - they often don't go as far as you might expect.

Many smaller brands , including FIVE, don't exactly boast seals, even though they meet the requirements or are even more stringent. Because seals are simply an enormous cost item that often cannot (yet) be borne. That's why we at FIVE, for example, currently "only" afford the vegan flower. What many people don't realize is that it means much more than not using animal ingredients. Therefore also helpful: Choose brands consciously. Visit their website and read up on the philosophy.

Sustainably packaged for the environment

When it comes to environmental awareness, it's not just the inner values ​​that count. As a rule of thumb, the less packaging, the better for the environment. Sometimes you get small bottles with a lot of cardboard around them or heavy jars that look bigger than they are. Therefore, always take a look at the quantity. Also remember that concentrated products and those without water are more productive than, for example, a two-phase cream (oil + water in one).

💡 The FIVE products all come WITHOUT outer packaging and are filled in glass bottles. They are produced not far away in Bavaria. product empty? Then you can just rinse them out and repurpose them - here are a few ideas for upcycling .

Good luck with the transition!
Your Anna