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