But here is an eye opener for you: Water is a chemical, food contains a load of chemicals, and we know this because food can change our body shape, change the way we feel and change our hormone balance. Apples contain 100’s of chemicals, sugar contains chemicals that react in your body to make glucose and if there’s too much of that, store the excess as fat. An essential oil is a complex mixture of 100’s of chemicals.

So, the question really comes down to what is a good chemical and what is a bad chemical, and not whether its natural or man-helped, it’s about knowing your skincare ingredients.

Of course, there are chemicals that are toxic to humans, but that doesn’t mean that all synthetic chemicals are. Cosmetic regulations impose maximum use limits on most ingredients and harmful ones won’t be found in your skincare. The problem with the blanket labelling of all chemicals as toxins is that it makes consumers wary of anything that is synthetic.

Another implication this has had for skincare is the attitude towards preservatives in skincare, with some people believing that preservatives shouldn’t be used in skincare. A good broad-spectrum preservative is critical to any water-containing product. Without it and a solid preservation strategy in general, products are susceptible to growth of bacteria, mold and yeast and no one wants these on their skin.

Take parabens for example. Some people have linked them to endocrine disruption and cancer, and for this reason many people have started to avoid them, though the EU Safety Committee have extensively reviewed them and consider them safe for use based on maximum permitted levels. Keep in mind that the EU tend to err on the side of caution with their recommendations and the reason I pay attention to what they say, is that they are completely independent and have no hidden agenda.

To conclude, no, chemicals in skincare are not bad and as I delved into the science of skincare while creating my skincare range, I have learned that manmade ingredients are very instrumental in making sure the skin improves in moisture and texture.