Conventional mass produced creams and moisturisers usually contain a questionable mix of chemicals including parabens, synthetic fragrance, petroleum-derived ingredients and even acids! They are packed full of preservatives to allow them to sit on the shelves of high street shops for 1-2 years. On top of the drying effects, the creams and moisturisers are highly-scented and artificial fragrance is one of the top skin irritants! (Any product that has the word “fragrance” on the label means that it can contain hundreds of different chemicals and be labelled simply as “fragrance”). These chemical based products strip the oil out of our skin, leaving your skin trying to repair itself by replacing the oil that we have stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of skin being tight and dry followed by oily patches. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil.