Toxic Skincare Warning: How to Ditch Lotion for Dry Skin and Glow Naturally

Toxic Skincare Warning: How to Ditch Lotion for Dry Skin and Glow Naturally

Hey hey, friend. Welcome back to Becoming Natural. I'm Penny—occupational therapist, chronic illness overcomer, and a total nerd when it comes to understanding how God built our bodies to heal.

Today I want to talk about something small that turned into something big for me: why I quit using lotions and creams—even the expensive “clean” ones—and what I use instead that changed my skin completely.

Spoiler: It’s not 12 steps. It’s not a subscription box. It’s not trending.

It’s pure oils. All organic. All affordable. All created by God.

Let’s talk about why these oils are a better match for your body than that bottle of lavender shimmer lotion with a 57-word ingredient list.

SEGMENT 1: THE LOTION LIE WE ALL BOUGHT

How many of us were taught:

"You shower with shampoo and conditioner, lather up with soap and then You lotion. That’s just what you do."

It feels like all the proper self-care for moisturizing your skin and keeping your skin healthy and hopefully young. We think we’re nourishing our skin. But…what if we’re just treating symptoms our own routine created?

Here’s what most lotions contain:

Water (first ingredient, always)

Emulsifiers (to mix oil + water)

Preservatives (parabens, phenoxyethanol)

Alcohols (for texture, but they dry you out)

Synthetic fragrances (that smell pretty but mess with your hormones) aka those endocrine blockers I am on a mission to eliminate for my thyroid

📚 In a: 2012

What I noticed in real life:

I’d apply lotion, feel great for 10 minutes, and then... back to dryness.

I’d apply more. Feel sticky. Still dry.

And eventually…my skin started to feel irritated, inflamed, or itchy only encouraging the cycle of lathering up with more lotion. I always have this funny thought “What did Cavemen do?”

SEGMENT 2: Well, YOUR SKIN IS ALREADY SMART

Here’s the part nobody told me until I got curious:

✨ Your skin is already equipped with a built-in moisturizer.

It’s called sebum—a mix of natural oils, waxes, cholesterol, and squalene.

Your body produces this beautiful blend to:

Lock in hydration

Keep harmful microbes out

Balance your skin’s pH

Support your skin microbiome (that army of good bacteria on your skin)

So when we use harsh soaps and follow with alcohol-laced lotions, we’re:

Stripping our body’s natural oils, and

Trying to replace them with something our skin doesn’t recognize

And guess what? it’s not working.

Why strip all the goodness out of our body that God created so perfectly only to try to replace what we just stripped out?

nderfully made…” —Psalm: 139:14

And that includes your microbiome, your sebum, your barrier—all beautifully designed.

SEGMENT 3: WHY I CHOSE OILS INSTEAD

Initially, I started making sure my lotion was “clean”. But even with clean ingredients there were still 20 different ingredients. So I took a pause and stopped buying lotion. This time, I didn’t even finish using the products I had and instead, I did a test run chosing oils that reflect what the skin already makes. And I started with my face.

I already had several bottles in my cabinet of USDA organic oils I have used for various reasons so I just started rotating thru each oil with no rhyme or reason. I just used oils and no more lotion. And the breakouts I feared….never happened. In fact, I started getting compliments on my skin. My pores got smaller, I didn’t feel the need to wash my face twice a day if I hadn’t worn make up. My face is no longer “T zone oily” or dry in patches. I never looked back. And applied the same principal to my body. No more body lotions. Just oils.

These are a few of my favorite oils I use, but don’t feel limited by these. I will certainly link up with I do use.

🌹 ROSEHIP OIL: THE REPAIR QUEEN

Cold-pressed from rose seeds, rosehip oil is packed with:

Vitamin A (retinoic acid) – boosts cell turnover and fades dark spots

Vitamin C – helps brighten and stimulate collagen

Linoleic acid – supports a strong skin barrier

Trans-retinoic acid – natural, gentle retinol alternative

📚 A: 2015

You can use this oil—especially for hyperpigmentation, acne scars, or sun damage. It’s like forgiveness in a bottle.

🌿 CBD OIL: THE CALMING HERO

Of course, I am a big fan of CBD oil because of its anti inflammatory properties. Topical CBD is not psychoactive—it’s just healing.

It contains:

Cannabidiol – reduces inflammation

Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids – essential for restoring skin

GLA = Gamma-Linolenic Acid

What it is:

GLA is a type of omega-6 fatty acid—but unlike the inflammatory kind we usually hear about (like the ones from processed vegetable oils), GLA is actually anti-inflammatory and very healing.

GLA – helps with eczema and redness💡

What GLA Does for the Skin

✅ Reduces Inflammation

🍑 APRICOT KERNEL OIL: THE SOFT ONE

Lightweight and full of good stuff:

Oleic acid (Omega-9) – deeply moisturizing

Vitamin E – antioxidant protection

Beta-carotene – gentle brightening

📚: 2018

This is my go-to after showers—damp skin, full body. Quick, soft, zero greasiness.

✨ SQUALANE OIL: THE SKIN TWIN

Squalane is the stable version of squalene, which your body makes naturally.

It’s:

Lightweight

Skin-identical

Excellent at sealing in moisture

📚 Molecules (: 2020

Funny because my sons who don’t want to admit they kinda like my crunchy ways…my 2 college boys have both asked for “that oil” you gave me. They like it because they don’t get dry, they don’t break out and its not an elaborate 10 step event. One step. Thats it for me. Always.

SEGMENT 4: "BUT DON’T I NEED LOTION FOR HYDRATION?"

Let’s break this down.

✅ Oils don’t “hydrate” the skin directly.

They seal in hydration by locking moisture in.

That’s why I always apply oils to damp skin—either right after a shower or after a warm compress on my face.

This is where the magic happens. Oils nourish. Water hydrates. Together, they restore.

You’re giving your skin the tools to rebuild—not asking it to survive on chemical soup.

SEGMENT 5: THE HIDDEN HORMONE ISSUE (FRAGRANCE + EDCs)

Now let’s talk about something that needs to be talked about: endocrine disruptors.

That lovely “clean linen” lotion? That vanilla blossom shimmer cream? That "fresh ocean breeze" body butter?

👃 That’s not just fragrance—it’s a hidden cocktail of hormone-interrupting chemicals.

🧪 "Fragrance" on a label can legally include hundreds of unlisted compounds. These often contain:

Phthalates – estrogen mimickers that extend scent

Parabens – preservatives that mess with hormonal signaling

Synthetic musks – hard to detox and found in breast milk

onmental Health Perspectives (: 2020

PCOS and endometriosis

Thyroid dysfunction

Hormone-related cancers

Early puberty and fertility issues

And here’s the kicker: these products are heavily marketed to women and young girls.

💔 We are literally being sold things that harm the very balance our bodies work so hard to maintain.

Your skin matters. Your hormones matter. And what you put on your body matters just as much as what you put inside your body.

SEGMENT 7: CLOSING ENCOURAGEMENT

I know how easy it is to be overwhelmed by all the “clean beauty” trends.

To feel like you need a mini pharmacy on your sink.

To feel like your skin is failing you—when really, it’s just trying to breathe.

This is your permission to simplify.

🌱 Start with one oil.

🌧️ Apply to damp skin.

📦 Read the labels. If there’s more than 10 ingredients, ask why. If they are words you can’t pronounce, run. Oils made from plants by God who created our body are made perfectly for us. The body and plants work in perfect harmony in so many ways. It’s truly awe inspiring to sit back and realize that when God provided us with a garden and told us we had all we needed….we literally have EVERYTHING we need from those plants. We just have to remember how to use them. Don’t get sucked into the fear marketing. We already know the chemicals in most sunscreens actually cause the cancers we are trying to prevent. So why not lotions? Fear is a very clever and successful marketing strategy. But think before you buy. Never buy anything with a fragrance unless its organic essential oils….fragance is an umbrella word for lots of nasty chemicals we will get into soon.

❤️ Listen to your body. She’s not dramatic. She’s wise.

Psalm 23:5 says, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

May your skincare be an anointing, not a chore.

OUTRO

Thanks for joining me today on Becoming Natural. If this episode spoke to you, would you do me a favor?

Share it with a friend. Screenshot it. Tag me. Or try out one of the oils I mentioned and let me know what you think.

Healing is holy. And simple steps like this add up to big change.

You are fearfully, wonderfully, and beautifully made—and that includes your skin.

See you next time, friend. 💛