| No it's not compulsory, but the cosmetics and hair | | | | to their strict guidelines, while a natural ingredient |
| care products that you normally use can affect | | | | is one from a natural source and is either |
| your baby. For example, would you believe that in | | | | untreated or treated and processed with other |
| your normal beauty and hair regimes you could be | | | | natural ingredients. |
| applying more than 200 different chemicals to | | | | Clear so far? Unfortunately, sometimes natural |
| your body? | | | | ingredients are treated with synthetic substances |
| So 'going organic' may make a great deal of | | | | to create the final ingredient - for example |
| sense when you consider that anything you put | | | | foaming agents used in shampoo (cocamidopropyl |
| on your skin will be absorbed into your body, and | | | | betaine is a common one) and as a result, The |
| what is in your body can also pass into your | | | | Soil Association allows certain semi-synthetic |
| growing baby. | | | | ingredients to be used in organic beauty products. |
| There is no evidence that using organic beauty | | | | You will also need to be very clear on the |
| products can do something for your skin that | | | | terminology that is used, 'organic' refers to the |
| regular products can't. Although if you can avoid | | | | method of farming, but 'organic skincare' doesn't |
| using the petroleum derivatives and waxes along | | | | mean that no harmful chemicals have been added |
| with the synthetic fillers found in conventional skin | | | | to the product during the production process. |
| care then it may prevent the possibility of some | | | | Some organic products use safe, paraben free, |
| of these chemical nasties finding their way to | | | | semi-synthetic preservative systems, commonly |
| your baby's skin and causing any skin sensitivities. | | | | phenoxyethanol, which is a Soil Association |
| To claim a product is organic, it must be made | | | | approved for use in organic beauty products, or |
| with at least 95% organically grown produce, | | | | benzyl alcohol, approved by Ecocert, and often |
| while to claim that it has been made with organic | | | | used by French producers of organic and natural |
| ingredients, it must contain over 70% organically | | | | products. |
| grown produce. But where does organic end and | | | | If you are not sure what the ingredients listing |
| natural ingredients start? | | | | means then ask the question. Any reputable |
| For The Soil Association, organic ingredients are | | | | retailer or manufacturer will be happy to answer |
| grown without the use of pesticides and according | | | | your questions clearly and directly. |