The Meaning of Organic Skin Care

Many people find the term organic skin care somewhat confusing. We often just have a general idea that things that are organic should be good for us. However most of us do not have a firm definition for the word organic. We tend to assume that organic skin care is good simply because it is natural. You need to realize that this is only partly true, but natural ingredients alone do not make a product organic. It is important to understand what the terms in the ingredients mean in order to get the best results from any organic skin care investment.

According to the FDA, organic means that a product has at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Organic things are carbon-based. It follows that a product that contains 95 percent carbon-based ingredients can be considered organic. When it comes to your skin care, your organic products can actually be full of petroleum and still be considered organic. Take methylparaben, a suspected carcinogen – it is carbon-based and present in many skin care products. Probably before now, you had no idea anything labeled “organic skin care” might be a crude oil derivative or a health threat. As a result, you need to be very careful to reconcile your interpretation of organic skin care with the legal definition before you buy.

To make sure that you are getting organic skin care that meets all your requirements, take a few minutes to identify what you are looking for. For most people, natural, unaltered, healthy ingredients are their main focus. (Remember that there will need to be some preservatives and basic processing for health reasons.) Most people also want “green” products when they think organic. They want to be reassured that their product did not harm the environment.

Ultimately, to get the best product for you, read the label. Keep an eye out for ingredients that were derived from other things. What if you see “Cocamide-DEA derived from coconut oil?” This can be claimed to be “natural” or “organic” because it is a compound that comes from a natural substance. However, the processing includes the use of a known carcinogen. Generally, derived ingredients are not actually organic in the way that most of us like to think of organic.

In addition, look for the water content to determine how organic a product is. Often, a label of 75 percent organic merely indicates about 75 percent water in the product. This is why generally organic skin care products should be entirely organic, or not considered organic at all.

The benefits of using truly organic skin care products are immense. You skin, a natural organ itself, will benefit hugely from natural elements. The best way to get the most value from organic skin care is first to be sure that you have invested in truly organic products.