Natural & Organic Skincare Products: Hoax Or Worth The Price Tag?

October 5, 2015

To understand the deep-seeded effect your product choices have on your skin, keep in mind that they are an intrinsic part of our daily lives and we apply a variety of skincare solutions on our skin each day, the components of which are absorbed by our pores and get integrated into our systems.

Never quite thought of it this way, did you? So doesn’t it seem logical to be extremely cautious about what you’re feeding your skin? Is this really the place to be lapping up harsh chemicals and complex formulations that can send your pores in a tizzy? To combat the evils of synthetic products, natural and organic solutions were introduced, but there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip when it comes to these all-natural wonders.

Synthetic, Natural, Organic
Commercial brands have caught on to the fact that people now prefer ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ products. This is why, they’re marketing all their formulas under these categories, even though the fraction of extracts derived from plants and minerals may be minimal. Here’s what you need to know:

The Truth About Natural Beauty Products

The Truth About Organic Beauty Products

The fact that a product calls itself 90 percent natural has no bearing on what the actual ingredients used in the products are. “The cosmetics industry is highly unregulated and there are many companies that make false claims,” says Mitch Kristjanson, Creative Director for Hannes Dóttir Icelandic Skincare.
Products can be built with 98 percent lab-made ingredients and still call themselves natural because they have 2 percent ingredients that are not man-made. These are only posers that are designed to extract more money from you. So, a product that calls itself natural cannot be fully trusted.

The ‘organic’ tag, on the other hand, is well regulated. For any product to call itself organic, it has to be certified by the USDA as such, and will carry a logo. If you see a logo, it means that the product is up to 95 percent derived from ingredients naturally found, and that they haven’t undergone any chemical alterations. A preservative may be added to increase shelf life, at most.
“Always read the back of labels. When a product is at least 95 percent organic and mostly food grade, you can trust it. If you cannot put most of the listed ingredients inside your body, then it’s best to not put them on your skin either. Plain and simple,” says Stephanie Adams-Nicolai, Founder & CEO of Goddessy and Goddessy Organics.

The Verdict
Organic over natural, always! The distinction lies in the origin of the ingredients. That said, it is also important to remember that organic ingredients are not necessarily always better than man-made ingredients.

The organic industry will demonize the synthetic industry in order to push their sales and vice versa, “The truth lies in the middle,” says Kurt Collins, Director at Benir Beauty, “The main focus of any product should be avoiding the harmful and toxic ingredients that exist in both categories.”

While parabens can cause cancer, sterility, and hormone imbalance, and phthalates can cause liver damage, kidney damage, and birth defects, pure essential oils can cause many issues such as inflammation and irritation among sensitive skin types, as well.

PS: For solutions to suit your specific skin type, head to our Skincare Section.
Also, here’s the latest on what’s trending in the world of Beauty.