How to Combat the Side Effects + Why We Avoid Citrus in Skincare and Aromatherapy

Dermatitis. Hyperpigmentation. Itching. Redness. Melasma.

We get questions from new customers on how to remedy these sensitivities. 

There's a particular ingredient that is used in many, (many!) skincare formulas.

It's often included as one of the main 'natural' ingredients because of its fragrance, and is touted as a skin-loving additive with the benefits of vitamins. 

Yes... we all love vitamins on our skin, but not if our skin is going to be compromised in any way. 👎 

This ingredient can be damaging to our skin and collagen, and we avoid this ingredient in all of our leave-on formulas for our skin, hair, and scalp.

Why do we avoid it? Because we've seen the undesirable side effects from using too much of this 'natural' ingredient on skin, I've experienced it on my own skin from other brands, and we hear from new friends and customers asking how they can reverse the sensitivity and damage on their skin.  

 What is it? 

Here's a clue... 

It's true. Orange, grapefruit, lemon, and citrus in general are often the culprits that can be the cause of hyperpigmentation, dermatitis, dark spots, and nagging rashes that seem to fade and flare up for no reason.

The reason being, they're photosensitive oils that can cause phototoxicity to the skin. This means that they can have negative and unwanted side effects on the skin because of direct sunlight.  The result... inflamed, upset skin.  

 Our Rosewood Botanical Nectar, a sister to our Lavender Botanical Nectar and Jasmine Botanical Nectar. Our trio of natural perfumes and aromatherapy oils are free of citrus, alcohols, water, synthetics, and photosensitive ingredients. Meet the trio in this sample set. 

Citrus in perfumery and skincare?

Yes, it's often included, but it's not in ours. 

Over the years there have been complaints from guys and gals using traditional perfumes, or oils and lotions with citrus, getting dark spots, red rashes, and even radical changes in the skin on the necks and where the perfume or product is applied.

Many times it's been traced back to the perfume not only because of citrus, but also because of the alcohols. 

We love delicious aromas as much as the next person, which is why we share and wear our botanical nectars. They're great worn alone or together. Note: because they're 100% natural and free of phthalates (the chemical that makes the artificial fragrances stick on the skin) they're gentle and are different on all of us because of our own natural chemistry. Divine. 🌸

Here's a quick pic of a favorite citrus salad of ours, and here's a link to the recipe. It's from Lidey Heuck's newest cookbook, "Cooking in Real Life." She's also a friend of Erin French from The Lost Kitchen. Check them out if you haven't yet. 🥗

But... oohhhh... we sure do love to eat citrus! 

There are multiple benefits from eating citrus, for our health and for our skin.

Citrus fruits are bursting with the famous antioxidant... Vitamin C.

When we eat citrus, it can help defend our skin against those nasty free radicals that cause premature aging. A little bit of lemon in water can help curb an acidic gut. Eating fresh citrus, and organic whenever possible, is also beneficial in boosting our immunity and our skin's own natural collagen production. A double whammy! 

Enjoying it on the fork vs. in a bottle can be much more enjoyable. We'd rather forgo the unwanted skin sensitive side effects and taste those benefits while they work on our health and skin. 😊

🌴  🌴  🌴

In case you missed it, here's a link to the September skin special that we shared earlier this month.  

Keep your end-of-summer skin glowing and Save 15% on the collection of skin saving and sumptuous treatments. And it includes the new sunscreen we've formulated... just for our sensitive faces.

Online or in store, use code SaveMySkin to save on the collection:

If you're nearby, take the beautiful drive and stop into our shop to get the discount and grab all of your self care essentials. ☀️ 

We're growing, blossoming, and adding two team members to our Qēt family. Hooray! 👏 

If you've come into our shop or have driven by, you've seen these signs in our windows. 

If you're in and around the Madison, Wisconsin area and are interested, or have a like-minded clean beauty enthusiast who's ready to be a part of our dynamic and great team, feel free to reach out or email us at Hello@QetBotanicals.com. 

Taking Time to Disconnect to Reconnect

It's back to school, it's back to a routine for many, and the first day of Autumn is right around the bend.  

No matter what season we're in, taking the time to disconnect to reconnect is good for our heart, it's good for our relationships, and it's good for our well being.

👉 Because you're here with us, we hope that you know and feel that Qēt Botanicals is not just a brand about skin-care, self care, or kick-ass hair care. 😉

We're about unwinding and caring for ourselves. 

We're about taking a deep breath and feeling grounded and grateful. 

We're about being present in each moment while feeding and nourishing ourselves inside and out with things that help... and not harm. 💗

"Sometimes the most important thing we do in a day is the rest that we take between two breaths."  Anonymous  

Honoring our own needs and treating ourselves with loving kindness fuels us for our everyday needs. 

Let us know if there's anything we can help with, or if we can help nudge you in the right direction. We're happy to! 

Thank you for being here, and thank you for helping us share our clean and safe treatments... it just makes sense for all of us.  🌳  🌊  🏔  🐰  🌎 

~ Lisa 

 Below: Breathing in and taking it all in. We recently spent time with family hiking beautiful parks and vistas. This is the Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The day was beautiful, the air was fresh, and together we felt very small and in awe of all of it.  

 _________________

Below: On the left... my skin in my early 40s and the reason that I developed Qēt Botanicals in the first place. Rosacea, hormonal and adult acne, sensitive skin to the max, inflammation and redness like crazy, and wrinkles and acne at the same time (how does that even happen?!). On the right... my skin in my late 50s. No fillerx, no botox, no lasers... just clean self-care and Qēt. It's the struggles and journeys like these that make us smarter about our choices and our overall health. 

Shop online for our fresh deliveries, follow along with us on socials, come see us in person if you're nearby, and share your thoughts by email or by phone.

Either way you choose, we're delighted to be on this clean path with you. 🌎

 

~  fresh  ~  authentic  ~  sumptuous  ~

~  non-toxic, organic ingredients, proven, and high-performing ~

~  effective, award-winning botanical treatments made without compromises ~