| Organic skin care is becoming big | | | | noting that a recent study reported |
| business. When you are choosing skin | | | | traces of methylparaben in human breast |
| care, personal care and cosmetic | | | | cancer tumours. |
| products, you should become a label | | | | The second definition of organic is, |
| detective. This is the only way to | | | | "The sustainable system of agriculture |
| ensure you purchase honest and truly | | | | that uses natural substances & methods |
| natural and organic skin care products. | | | | to create healthy nutrient rich and |
| # 1: Learn To Read Product Labels | | | | fertile soils" |
| Be aware of the Rule Of Thirds: | | | | # 4: How much water is in the product? |
| The top third of the ingredients label | | | | In personal communication with a leading |
| generally lists the ingredients that | | | | industry expert, I was told what can |
| comprise around 90-98% of the product. | | | | actually be meant when companies put |
| Most of this is usually water. Read on | | | | '73% Organic' on their labels. Basically |
| to find out why this matters! | | | | manufacturers can place a few organic |
| The middle third generally represents | | | | teabags in a vat of water and let them |
| approximately 5-8% of the product. | | | | infuse into the water. |
| The bottom third represents around 1-3%. | | | | Because the water constitutes 70+ |
| # 2: 'Natural' skin care is not always | | | | percent of the overall product, the |
| natural. | | | | manufacturer is allowed to claim that |
| There are two definitions of the world | | | | the product is 73% organic at the top of |
| natural. | | | | the label (remember # 1 in this |
| The dictionary definition: "Existing in | | | | article?). |
| or, formed by, nature". | | | | If you removed the water, the actual |
| The cosmetic industry definition: "Any | | | | organic content of those fancy herbal |
| ingredient derived from a natural | | | | infusions would probably be less than |
| substance". | | | | 0.05% of the total product. |
| Manufacturers commonly use the world | | | | # 5: Be aware of inconsistent labelling |
| 'natural' on labels to deceive | | | | standards |
| consumers. For example, "Cocamide-DEA | | | | In some countries, ingredients that are |
| derived from coconut oil". | | | | not allowed in certified organic foods |
| Cocamide-DEA may well be from coconut | | | | ARE allowed in certified organic |
| oil, but a synthetic chemical called | | | | personal care and cosmetic products. |
| diethanolamine is used in the extraction | | | | This represents a lack of continuity or |
| process. It is known to cause cancer. An | | | | consistency in labelling standards. |
| ingredient is not really natural if it | | | | How can food and cosmetics products have |
| has been processed in this way. | | | | the same certified organic logo when |
| # 3: Organic doesn't mean what you | | | | ingredients that are allowed personal |
| think. | | | | care and cosmetics are not allowed in |
| An organic certification on a product | | | | food? Remember that if it's on your |
| label is the only way to guarantee the | | | | skin, you're drinking it! |
| integrity of a product. The definition | | | | # 6: Miracle ingredients don't exist |
| of certified organic is as follows: | | | | Vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, |
| "An independent third party guarantee of | | | | active copper and other ingredients may |
| an organic claim". | | | | be touted as miracle ingredients. The |
| Always look for a logo that guarantees | | | | fact is that there is no miracle |
| the product's integrity. | | | | ingredient for the skin or hair, just as |
| Certified organic products must contain | | | | there is no magic pill for curing |
| a minimum of 95% organic ingredients | | | | illness and disease. |
| excluding water and salt/minerals, with | | | | The quality of the skin is a function of |
| a small allowance for natural, | | | | feeding the body and skin high quality |
| non-organic ingredients that must comply | | | | nutrients over time and keeping the |
| with very stringent processing criteria. | | | | toxin levels of the body as low as |
| There are two definitions of organic: | | | | possible. |
| Organic chemistry is concerned with | | | | When you use high quality, certified |
| substances that contain carbon. Carbon | | | | organic products, ALL the ingredients |
| is present in all living things. | | | | are active. They are ALL beneficial and |
| Legally, the cosmetics industry is | | | | they all feed the skin. |
| allowed to label any product that | | | | # 7: If it harms lab animals it will |
| contains carbon as 'organic'. So if it | | | | harm you! |
| contains petrol, it is organic. | | | | If you read books by Dr Sherry Rogers, |
| Methylparaben is derived from | | | | M.D, you will discover that in order to |
| petrochemicals, which are derived from | | | | give a rat cancer or Parkinson's |
| crude oil, which is derived from living | | | | Disease, it is injected with some of the |
| matter. It is a widely used preservative | | | | very same chemicals that you will find |
| in organic skin care products such as | | | | in your cleverly labelled organic skin |
| body creams, body wash and deodorants: | | | | care, personal care and cosmetic |
| So effectively methylparaben can legally | | | | products. |
| be labelled as organic. Now, it is worth | | | | |