Natural Vs. Organic - What’s the Difference in Skin Care?
Natural Vs. Organic- What’s the Difference in Skin Care?
Many brands are jumping on the opportunity to stand out in the market and have natural and organic skincare products. Due to this, it is becoming more and more competitive.
In recent times an increasing number of consumers seek out natural products, and the “clean beauty” movement continues to grow steadily.
What exactly is the difference between natural and organic products, though, you might ask? Let’s look at the benefit of having natural or Certified Organic products and how it can really set your brand apart from synthetic ones. Or even natural-looking ones that are actually quite synthetic or a combination of synthetic and natural. This type of greenwashing, where brands make themselves look much greener than they really are, is still a challenge to navigate. So if you find the category confusing, you are now alone. Keep reading to learn more about the main differences between Synthetic, Pseudo-Natural, 100% Natural, and Certified Organic skincare.
Synthetic skin care products contain ingredients that you are best staying away from.
These types of products are usually the most cost-efficient to manufacture and, in turn, to purchase as a consumer, but many ingredients are synthetically-created or synthetically processed. So the end product, even if it contains one or a few natural ingredients, is formulated using chemicals and chemical bi-products scientifically created in a lab. Think sulfates, parabens, perfumes, PEGs, and dyes, to name just a few.
Psuedo-Natural skin care products are those you see with low price tags but may have many pleasing and natural-looking components in their list of ingredients. Think oils, butters, waxes, extracts, etc. However, they often use the cheapest synthetic preservative system, emulsifiers or surfactants to hold the formula together. Quite often, they will contain synthetic fragrances as well. Ones that look all-natural from the outside, but in reality, these types of products are examples of Greenwashing. They have you believe they are more natural than they really are.
100% Natural skincare. This is where the product is natural through and through. All ingredients are naturally-derived and or processed, and many come from ethical sources as well. Be mindful, though, that the naturalness of these products is not verified (as opposed to Certified Organic). Already this type of product has the upper hand in the market, and you can include organic ingredients to give it an extra boost in marketing and help drive appeal on the shelf. A good example would be one of Cawarra’s brands, Byron Bay Skin Care. It’s 100% natural.
And finally, the piece de resistance, Certified Organic.
Certified Organic means the product is made only of plant material and other raw materials that have been naturally grown and ethically processed, without the use of pesticides and synthetic chemicals. These products and processes are verified by independent bodies, such as ACO.
These products usually cost more to produce and purchase, but they are genuinely safe and clean cosmetics that are rich in nutrients that can be absorbed into your skin to reap the benefits they provide. Certified Organic is the only way to guarantee the formula is 100% natural and organic (the term organic is not currently regulated in Australia). We are passionate about leading the way in Certified Organic skincare as it offers true integrity. It helps protect our health and the planet’s health for future generations.
That is the difference you pay for, which is a pretty important one. If this interests you, read more about Certified Organic skincare on our blog, Why Become Certified Organic?.
