Natural nostrums

Are herbal beauty products completely free from harmful side effects? Not always, says Devlina Ganguly

Nabanita Dey, who works for a private bank in Calcutta, had sleepless nights over her skin problems. Dey was suffering from severe acne — a skin condition that occurs owing to the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands. So she went to a beauty parlour for a facial and the beautician advised her to use an anti-acne gel. The gel, containing cinnamon extracts, is manufactured by a Mumbai-based company that uses natural ingredients for its skin and hair care products. But Dey was in for a shock. “The very next day my face was covered with rashes. I had to go to a dermatologist as my face had become red and there was severe itching. I have very sensitive skin but nowhere does the product label warn people with such skin to do a patch test before using the product.” The 15ml tube of anti-acne gel cost Dey Rs 200 as well as a trip to the doctor and additional skin problems. Natural beauty products may be all the rage today because they are perceived to be without the so-called harmful effects of chemical ingredients in other cosmetics. But can one be always sure that herbal cosmetics will guarantee tender loving care for your skin or hair? Says Dr Sachin Verma, consultant dermatologist, Apollo Gleneagles, Calcutta, “‘Herbal’ basically means natural products which are derived from plants. However, the problem is that there is no standardisation of what you call herbal. Though many products may claim to be ‘herbal’, they may in fact contain other chemical substances.” He further adds that since there is no regulation that forces manufacturers to disclose all the ingredients on the label of a product, one cannot really be sure as to what goes into making it. Of course, personal care products with natural ingredients have been doing very well for many years. Says Vikas Mittal, executive vice-president, personal care, Dabur India Ltd, “Our Vatika shampoo has been the fastest growing shampoo brand for the last four years. Dabur Gulabari, a skin tonic that contains pure rose extracts, has shown 30 per cent growth in the last three quarters of the current financial year. And Dabur Amla Hair Oil is the highest selling hair oil in the country today with annual sales exceeding Rs 400 crore.” Advocates of herbal skin care believe that any natural substance is more effective than its synthetic counterpart and that non-herbal cosmetics have harmful effects if used over a long period of time. Says herbal cosmetics queen Shahnaz Husain, “Natural ingredients and plant products have a long history of safe usage. They are free from harmful after effects. Chemical and synthetic ingredients, on the other hand, can cause allergic after effects or irritation and even a toxic build-up in the system over a period of time.” Agrees Jawed Habib, a well-known hair expert who also manufactures herbal skin and haircare products, “There is a big demand for herbal products in India as they are pure, natural and have no side effects. Besides, since they use a non-chemical base, the possibility of getting an allergy does not arise.” However, medical experts tend to disagree with this view. Says Verma, “Whether a substance is derived from a natural source or is manufactured in a laboratory, it may contain contaminants or irritants. In general, harmful substances are more likely in chemical products, but they can be present in natural substances as well. Thus the usage of natural products only reduces the risk of toxic substances — it does not eliminate it.” In fact, dermatologists often deal with patients who have severe allergic reactions to perfectly organic, non-carcinogenic products such as tea tree oil, geraniol, ylang-ylang and sandalwood oils. Verma cautions, “There are many natural substances in lotions and creams that can cause contact dermatitis (an itchy red rash) in people with sensitive skin. Natural does not necessarily mean that you won’t experience a reaction from using it.” He also points out that a common side effect of herbal cosmetics is photosensitivity. “Most of these products contain plant extracts that have sunlight absorbing properties owing to the presence of chlorophyll. This plant extract will absorb the light and give the energy back to the skin, resulting in a condition called photodermatitis. This leads to swelling, a burning sensation, a red itchy rash, and skin peeling.” Herbal extracts could also be a potential source of allergens. Aloe, found in many herbal beauty products, can cause contact dermatitis — a localised rash or irritation of the skin. Arnica flowers, lavender oil, peppermint oil and camomile, which are commonly used in cosmetics, have also been known to cause allergic reactions. But experts in the field of herbal beauty products point out that such reactions are rare. In any case, says Husain, “Essential oils are never used by themselves. They are diluted with carrier oils, lotions and other ingredients in the prescribed proportions.” Adds Dr M. Ramam, additional professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, “These products undergo rigorous laboratory testing but there might be a few cases where such allergies occur.” The preservatives used in these beauty products have also raised a few eyebrows. Herbal cosmetic manufacturers assert that they do not use chemical preservatives. “We use nature-derived preservatives, oils, vitamin D and E extracts,” says Vinta Jain, managing director, Biotique, the herbal cosmetics brand. Husain too says that her products use natural ingredients like neem, grapefruit seed extract, wheatgerm oil and essential oils as preservatives. However, many skin experts contest this claim. Says Verma, “Herbal cosmetics manufacturers have to use artificial preservatives because herbal preservatives can keep a product from getting spoiled only for a month or two. After that the product is bound to go bad and if it doesn’t, then artificial preservatives have definitely been used.” Others point out that certain manufacturers claim that their products are made from natural substances when in fact they only contain trace amounts of organic ingredients. The consumer is misled into believing that a product is greener than it is while the manufacturer laughs all the way to the bank. Skin experts like Verma and Ramam feel that even if a beauty product is “herbal”, one should always do a patch test on the arm before using it on one’s face. They also advise consumers to buy products from trusted, well-known companies that have been in the market for several years rather than go for smaller ones that have recently joined the all-natural bandwagon. For, green may not always be clean.