The truths that will shock you

What Does “Natural” Or “Organic” Really Mean?

People often assume that anything natural or organic is better. Marijuana is natural and poison ivy is organic.

The word “natural” doesn’t mean much because to be honest, there’s no real regulation for terms like that. In the case of skincare products, most will define “natural” to be free of synthetics, artificial coloring, fragrances, parabens (preservatives), phthalates (chemicals found in fragrances and plastics), and sulfates (detergents found in cleansing products). However, that ‘natural’ label has since been loosely used.

Do You Know?

Water is a chemical substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen.

Even the word “organic” can be misleading. Companies are supposed to use an organic label only if all ingredients are certified organic. But they can also claim it’s “made with organic” if the product contains at least 70% certified-organic ingredients – 20% of the ingredients only need to be organic, or just 10% if you eventually rinse the product off like with a cleanser! A cosmetic or skincare product can be certified organic by the USDA if the applicable ingredients are free of fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and other non-organic substances. Various other organic certifications include ECOCERT (French), BIO (German) and Biologique (EU). That said, you shouldn’t take any of these seals of approval to be proof of health / skincare benefits or product efficacy.

Not All Natural Products Are Good For You

There are plenty of natural skincare products with organic ingredients that could potentially irritate or cause skin allergies and sensitivities. Take essential oils for example, they are super potent so they are to be used with caution. You can however look for more stable oils like argan, apricot kernel, camellia seed, coconut, jojoba, or macadamia nut. See IDS Skincare Intensive Moisturizer and Ultra Moisturizer.

Natural products also often get the flak for being less effective. As their formulation tends to be milder and gentler, suited for sensitive skin, people tend to think they are less effective as they don’t often see immediate improvement in skin texture or tone. This also means that results will take longer to show.

Last But Not The Least

There’s actually no scientific proof claiming natural or organic skincare to be better for the skin. It is more about preference and products that work for your own skin condition.

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