In the Glow & Green community, I have often mentioned natural & sustainable skin care, so it's time to talk - What is organic skin care? In this blog post, I would like to discuss a simple guide that includes definitions.
This simple guide will help you identify organic skincare products on the market. In Glow & Green community, I believe that we are a group of women who would like to feel satisfied while tackling environmental issues.
One of the problems you help solve by using organic beauty products is saving the earth from harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. You are also helping yourself by protecting your body’s biggest organ from dangerous chemicals.
When I started this whole blog, my humble goal was – and still is - to balance people, planet and profit! So, when I say organic skincare products, I mean that the products are made of plant-derived ingredients mixed with naturally occurring elements.
These ingredients are produced without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. In the United States, the department of agriculture has developed rules and regulations around the term "organic."
These rules and regulations pertain to production, handling, labelling, etc. In 1990, the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (pdf) was established. This act gives the agriculture department the authority to enforce organic standards.
Now that we understand the term organic, let's discuss - Organic Skincare Products Guide:
While we are talking about federal regulations, it is worth talking about enforcement in the beauty world. Unfortunately, it is mostly unregulated at the moment. And this is a big problem.
Companies only have to use a tiny amount of organic ingredients to be able to write “organic” on the label. So how do we tackle these issues? If you are someone who would like to read labels before purchasing skincare products (and you should), then check the ingredients list.
How many ingredients are listed as organic? In what order is it listed, first or last? It requires a little bit of practice, but it is so worth it. If the ingredient is listed last, then that ingredient is used in the formulation in the least amount.
Look for the USDA logo on products, as the symbol determines the authenticity of the brand & product itself.
Make sure you understand the difference between the term "Natural" and "Organic." Natural beauty products may not be "Organic," and Organic beauty products can be"Natural."
Look at the first five ingredients in your skincare products. Can you recognize them? If you can't, check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website and copy-paste the ingredient names. This will tell you whether an ingredient is harmful to your body or not!
Check out any reference sites if they are listed on the products. You will know if this product is valid or not.
In Summary:
These are our simple rules to go by when it comes to "organic skincare product" selection. I genuinely believe that if you care about your food intake, then you should be concerned about your skin food too.
Knowing that our skin protects our internal organs, why not make a habit of checking the labels. Organic products do not contain any synthetic fragrances, and are packed with high performance, potent and earth-friendly ingredients.
I hope you have learned some valuable information from this blog post. I would love to hear from all of you about your organic beauty products search! If you are using any natural products, I would love to know the name of the products and what you like about it.
Leave us a comment! :)