From The Straits Times    |

Host and panel moderator for the event, Jamie Teo

The results of the 17th Guardian Health and Beauty Awards are out!

The annual awards celebrates the best of the store’s comprehensive range of beauty products and health-related items.  

After testing over 100 beauty products, our very own editors and writers from Her World and Shape picked out 35 winning products across seven broad categories.

Besides our editors’ picks, members of the public were also called on to pick fan favourites. Over 38,000 votes were garnered during the voting phase.

And to honour the winners, awards were presented to them yesterday (June 1) at Spuds & Aprons, located at Mount Faber. It was an afternoon of celebration as members of the beauty industry turned up for the awards ceremony and casual networking over good food and drinks. 

As part of the event, Her World’s executive editor Penelope Chan and beauty writer Kayce Teo were also on the panel, together with Shape’s associate editor Estelle Low and Guardian’s pharmacist Xiang Yun, to discuss one of the latest beauty trends – in particular, clean beauty. The panel chat was moderated by local celebrity Jamie Teo. 

In the recent years, buzzwords like “natural” or “organic” may have been on your radar, and they are often used interchangeably. But what do they really mean? Are they the same? 

Natural beauty products aren’t necessarily organic, explained Penelope. The main distinction between natural and organic beauty products is that the latter is organic from start to end – the processes involved are organic. Ingredients must pass more rigorous standards of purity and has to be certified by organic bodies. Natural products, on the other hand, refers to skincare with ingredients that are plant based that are sourced from natural rather than synthetic.

ALSO READ: FROM MATTE TO CREAMY: HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT LIPSTICK FINISHES

Is organic and natural products necessarily better for your skin/ hair? 

“It is not necessarily better. It really depends on your skin needs. If your skin is sensitive, there are some consumers who prefer to go organic because of the processes involved. But on the other hand, if you are allergic to some ingredients like certain oils, organic may not be suitable for you,” said Penelope.

What should you look out for when shopping for organic products? 

“Organic and natural skincare falls under clean beauty. Clean beauty products are products that are toxin-free,” said Kayce. When shopping for beauty products, rather than keeping a lookout for certain ingredients, Kayce recommends being aware of the ingredients to avoid like harmful parabens and sulphates.

Is going ‘organic’ for skincare and beauty products expensive?

With the trend of a lot of beauty brands going natural or organic, it has become increasingly affordable. It is like eating organic food when that trend first started, it used to be more expensive but now it is more readily available, naturally the prices go down. 

Check out these eco-friendly beauty buys from Guardian.

Watch the full panel discussion here: 

Check out the editors’ picks from Guardian’s Health and Beauty Awards here

Or scroll through this gallery to see our picks of hydrating skincare under $70 from Guardian.

ALSO READ: HOW TO NAIL THE 10-STEP YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE LIKE A KOREAN GIRL WITH DRUGSTORE PRODUCTS

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