Natural Skincare Review: On the Wild Side Face Wash
Choosing non-toxic skincare and bodycare products is crucial for both personal health and environmental sustainability. Traditional skincare and bodycare products often contain enormous lists of harmful chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and potentially hazardous preservatives that can be absorbed by the skin and enter the bloodstream, leading to various health concerns (including endocrine disruption), overburdening our liver and ending up counteracting our bodies natural healing potential. Since starting to focus on healing and healthy alternatives, I find that prioritizing non-toxic alternatives helps minimize the risk of skin irritation, allergies, and long-term health issues. Additionally, the production and disposal of toxic beauty products contribute to environmental pollution, negatively impacting ecosystems and water sources. Most non-toxic options also support sustainable practices which is crucial at this time; because what is more important than making choices that promote a healthier planet for current and future generations? It should be one of our highest priorities as consumers. Embracing non-toxic skincare and bodycare aligns with my holistic approach to well-being, and encourages and prioritizes not only personal health but also the well-being of the environment we all share.
Natural Skincare and Our Skin Barrier
I'm big on trying new natural skincare brands and mixing up my skincare routine regularly. Many people don't realize but when our skin gets used to our skincare products, those products actually stop working on our skin (Rule number 1: mix up your skincare every few months). An essential for those with sensitive skin is finding the right natural brands that use plants and 100% organic and plant-based ingredients to nurture the skin as they are gentler on your body (both skin and liver). I find I always have a difficult time finding a face wash that I like as most dry out my skin. Most of us use face washes that foam, but FYI those have foaming agents in them which essentially are considered to be higher in alkaline than our skin (4.5 - 5.5 pH). While most of the foams we find in face wash are close to 6, this means they are actually drying out and stripping our skin of its natural oils. We want to avoid this at all costs for two reasons, the first being that once your skin is dry it will overproduce oil to counteract the dryness, causing more acne in those with naturally oily skin.
The second reason being these drying substances are depleting your skin barrier. The skin barrier is the protective layer that is between our skin and the outside world. It acts as a protective brick wall consisting of corneocytes and lipids, including cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides. This thin barrier is crucial for preventing harmful environmental toxins and pathogens from entering the body, as well as retaining essential moisture. It has a few main jobs but most have to do with stopping free radicals from entering our body. Our skin barrier also has a sort of acidity to it, which helps protect from bacteria and viruses. To minimize technicalities, the skin barrier is something many of us have been accidentally damaging for years because it can quickly get depleted from the following:
too humid or too dry environment
allergens, irritants, and pollutants
too much sun exposure
alkaline detergents and soaps
exposure to harsh chemicals
over-exfoliation or over-washing
steroids
psychological distress
genetic factors that may make you more prone to certain skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis
On the Wild Side Face Wash
"On The Wild Side" is a cosmetics brand founded by Anne-Sophie Nardy, inspired by a dialogue between philosopher Edgar Morin and artist Michelangelo Pistoletto. The brand is a manifesto of kindness, combining natural ingredients with hedonism and simplicity with performance. Emphasizing the power of wild plants, the products are formulated with patented active ingredients. The brand promotes essential beauty rituals over lengthy routines and false promises. Committed to sustainability, it places humanity and biodiversity at the core, encouraging responsible consumption. The face wash itself is supposed to be 100% natural, vegan, and bio-certified (organic). Find it on their website here: On The Wild Side Face Wash.
Pros:
I found the On the Wild Side brand and its face wash at Bailey Hill in Geneva ( https://www.baileyhill.ch/ - Side note: this is one AMAZING shop that carries everything you need that’s natural in terms of skincare and body care.). I liked On the Wild Side’s mission and I loved that it was 100% organic and also their sustainability strategy. I also loved that it was a female-founded brand. From the glass container, I could already tell it was going to be a soft face wash; it didn’t look like it had any beads or irritants in it and it was a natural-looking pink color. When I tried it, I was pleasantly surprised with its texture, as well as its natural feeling on my skin. It felt like a gel with a very light smell (something I usually avoid). The face wash has a few active plant ingredients I looked up, Beech Bud and Birch Sap, which enhance cellular regeneration, strengthen the skin's barrier function, and slow down the oxidative stress process. That’s exactly something I would usually look for. As well as Vitamin E and Squalene Oil which are also quite good for the skin as both help with anti-inflammatory properties and help minimize UV exposure effects, redness, and inflammatory damage. I’ve been using it for a few weeks both day and night and I find that it gives me a skin nice light feeling after I use it. It's great for someone who washes their face more than twice a day because it never felt like it dried out my skin.
Cons:
Some small things I noted was that this definitely did not feel like a face wash that you would use to wash your face if you really needed your face to be well-exfoliated; it felt like more of a maintenance wash or a light wash for sensitive skin. I sometimes paired it with another face wash as I wash my face twice in the evening to get all the deeper bacteria off of it before sleeping (this was a strategy that came highly recommended by a dermatologist). Also, when I looked up the rest of the ingredients (see bottom of the article) I did find that the brand used fragrance and colorants which I generally try to avoid as it means that it does have some substance to it that could be irritating to sensitive skin. The website did say that the brand used zero essential oils (usually an allergen) and zero synthetic binding agents so it must mean the ones they use using are the most natural they could find (or at least I would hope). Since I didn’t find that it made my skin irritated I was fine with it but it could do that for some people. Unfortunately, most brands natural or not still have to add some binding agents to their products to make sure they feel smooth on the skin so I would definitely avoid that if you know you are allergic to fragrance.
I recommend starting any new skincare line with the face wash and not the creams because the creams can often be more irritating; especially since a face wash you will wash off anyway. If you find your skin responds well to the wash than experiment further into the creams, serums and other products.
Overall, I am still a fan and will keep using the product. I liked the brand and found it was a good alternative to the foaming Roche-Posay products or the drying out natural soap bars I had been using during the last few years to try and “attack” my skin’s oil production. I’ll definitely keep using it and then swap it out for a different face wash as I know my skin likes it when I change it up. I am also going to try their night serum to see how it feels.
Stay tuned for more natural skincare reviews soon!
Ingredient Cheat Sheet:
ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE) LEAF WATER:* Aloe vera is often considered safe and is known for its soothing properties.
GLYCERIN: Generally safe; it is a common humectant that helps retain moisture in the skin. POLYGLYVERYL-4 CARPATE, DECYL GLUCOSIDE, CAPRYLYL/CAPRYL GLUCOSIDE: These are mild surfactants often used in cleansers; they are generally considered safe.
XANTHAN GUM: A thickening agent and stabilizer, it is generally safe.
FAGUS SYLVATICA BUD EXTRACT, BETULA ALBA JUICE, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER WATER*:** These are plant extracts; they can be beneficial for the skin, but individual sensitivities vary.
HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL:* A common plant-derived oil, generally safe and rich in nutrients.
XYLITYLGLUCOSIDE, ANHYDROXYLITOL, XYLITOL: Sugar-derived alcohols, often used as humectants; generally safe.
GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE: A skin-conditioning agent, generally considered safe.
GLYCINE SOJA OIL: Soybean oil; safe for most, but some individuals may be allergic.
TOCOPHEROL, SQUALENE: Vitamin E and a natural oil; generally safe and beneficial for the skin.
FRAGRANCE: Fragrances can cause sensitivities in some individuals; consider if you have fragrance allergies.
SODIUM LEVULINATE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM ANISATE: These are used as preservatives and pH adjusters; generally safe.
CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES): A colorant; generally safe unless you have specific sensitivities to it. BETA-SITOSTEROL: A plant-derived compound, often considered safe.
It's important to perform a patch test or consult with a dermatologist if you have specific skin concerns or sensitivities. Individual reactions can vary, and what works well for one person may not work for another.
(Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-barrier#damage)
