Is natural skincare better?

All About You online 07.05.2008

The average woman absorbs two pounds of chemicals into her bloodstream from cosmetics each year, so should we go organic?

Face cream pot containing nuts Scare stories and suspicions abound about ingredients from aluminium, commonly used in anti-perspirants, to sodium lauryl sulphate, a detergent and emulsifier, and parabens, preservatives that some research links to breast cancer. On the flipside, the effects of long-term exposure to chemicals is simply not known and it is worth remembering that there are stringent safety guidelines on ingredient usage that are regularly reviewed by the EU which all manufacturers must follow.The terms natural and organic aren't interchangeable, nor do they mean what you might think they mean!

But if you do choose the natural/organic route, it may surprise you that it's not as straightforward as you might think. For starters, the terms natural and organic aren't interchangeable, nor do they mean what you might think they mean! 'Natural' can be anything from 100% natural ingredients, one natural extract in amongst many more chemicals or indeed as part of a product name only. And natural is not always organic. It's a loose term and shouldn't be taken at face value.

'Organic' isn't clear cut either. Whilst it's easy to understand what makes an organic chicken organic, a cosmetic product might for example be labeled that it contains '100% organic essential oils', but this could be its only organic component. Equally some formulations, especially those that use water, need to include things like foaming agents, emulsifiers and preservatives that have to come from an EU-approved list and there may be no organic ingredient to choose from.

So what's a consumer to do? Merri Mayers, founder and MD of cosmetics and toiletries brand Comfort and Joy, advises looking carefully at a company's website, their policies and ingredients. 'If you are confused, ask,' she says, 'you can also check the ingredients listing on the back of a product. As a general rule, if there seem to be a lot of chemical names, a product probably isn't as natural as the pretty plants on the label may suggest. Botanicals incidentally have to be listed by their Latin name – some companies may also use the English term.'

You could also look out for The Soil Association's symbol on products – it runs an organic certification scheme, which companies pay for. It allows for a percentage of non-organic ingredients (for the formulation reasons above), but does stipulate that they be non-GM, only used if an organic alternative isn't available and that they come from a restricted list of chemicals that are deemed minimally damaging to both human health and the environment.

For more information on the brands certified, visit www.soilassociation.org. Be aware that there are no global organic standards as yet, so if you are buying imported US or Australian goods, they'll be subject to different laws and certification schemes.

Ultimately whether you choose high-tech products featuring the very latest that science can offer your skin or prefer the greener approach of fewer chemicals and more organic and natural extracts, it's a lifestyle choice. Both perform well, though when it comes to colour cosmetics and some of the latest anti-ageing creams, personally I'd plump for high-tech (whilst eating mostly organic, recycling and generally trying to reduce my carbon footprint on the world of course!).

Need help putting your organic shopping list together? Click here to see Eve's top ten recommended organic and natural beauty buys.