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Difference Between Natural VS Organic Skin Care Products
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Navigating the world of skin care products can be a difficult road to travel. Creating even more obstacles along the way is the loose use of the terms natural and organic in the marketing of certain products that are simply misleading.
Are certain ingredients really beneficial or could they be harmful? Are the products good for you? How will they affect your overall health? These are important questions that should be asked before purchasing any product. To help guide you on your journey to finding the safest and healthiest products, here are the facts about the difference between natural and organic products.
Natural Skin Care Products
The use of the word natural in skin care can be defined in a number of different ways. Natural basically means that the ingredients are naturally sourced from animals, plants or have other origins in nature. However, this does not mean that they have not been altered in some way through the extraction or manufacturing process.
Also, it doesn't mean that all the ingredients contained in the product are 100% natural. Only one or more of the active ingredients contained in a product is usually all natural. The term natural does not exclude the use of additives such as preservatives, fragrances, colorants and toxins. These additives, especially the toxic variety like parabens or phthalates have been linked to the cause of certain health conditions, most commonly cancer.
- So when opting for natural skin care products, use the following 4 rules to ensure you are getting what the label says:
- - Look for products that purport to be all natural or 100%
natural.
- Read the list of ingredients and look out for any big words that you don't recognize or can't pronounce. These are usually artificial additives.
- If in doubt, look up the ingredients online to better identify what they are or contact the manufacturer.
- Ask for a sample of the product to test before you buy. If any skin irritation occurs, such as burning, itching or even numbness, stop use immediately and continue the search to find a better option.
Organic
Products that use the term organic in their marketing are far more strictly regulated than those that claim to be natural. Ingredients contained in these products must meet with specific growing and manufacturing standards in order to be classified as organic. Organic ingredient producers and product manufacturers must be registered. Products must also be certified.
This does not however stop some manufacturers from adding those harmful artificial chemicals. So read the ingredients carefully and look for the organic symbol on the product label to ensure that the product is certified 100% naturally organic.
- So when opting for natural skin care products, use the following 4 rules to ensure you are getting what the label says:
- - Look for products that purport to be all natural or 100% natural.
- Read the list of ingredients and look out for any big words that you don't recognize or can't pronounce. These are usually artificial additives.
- If in doubt, look up the ingredients online to better identify what they are or contact the manufacturer.
- Ask for a sample of the product to test before you buy. If any skin irritation occurs, such as burning, itching or even numbness, stop use immediately and continue the search to find a better option.
Home Grown
Growing your own organic herbs, flowers and other natural skin care ingredients is the safest and surest way to avoid using any unwanted chemicals and toxins. Organic seeds, seedlings, as well as established plants should be available at a local nursery. Some pharmacies may also provide the seeds, as well as, a wide range of online organic gardening sites.
There are also a variety of home skin care recipes available on the internet with step-by-step guides on how to create different products including cleansers, toners, moisturizers, masks, exfoliating scrubs, eye creams, etc. There may be some trial and error involved in designing a product that suits you but the health benefits that you are sure to get in the long run far outweigh the time and effort.
Always keep in mind that the skin care products you choose should not only be harmless but should actually provide you with both skin and additional health benefits.
Stephany Lehman is a skin care and natural health enthusiast. She helps to run a site, AriaStarrBeauty.com that shares her passion and commitment to organic skin and beauty care.
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