Is green just a buzzword - or does it truly work?
Are organic
and natural products as green as they claim to be? And should you be more aware
of what your beauty product contains? We take a closer look at the reality of
green beauty.
Natural
vs Organic
There is a
huge difference when it comes to comparing organic and natural skincare - they
are not one and the same as most people are led to believe. "Natural is an
exceptionally broad term," explains Susan Rowan, distributor of Spiezia and
Balm Balm (100% organic products now available in SA). She cautions to be wary
of products labeled "natural". Dee Steyn, public relations officer for
Esse Organic Skincare agrees: "Products can include as little as 0,01% of a
natural extract to claim that they are natural. As a result, natural products
are generally no different from the conventional versions because there are no
rules governing what goes into a natural product." However, adds Steyn, some
brands are genuinely natural. Brands can certify with BDIH in Germany, or use the
natural version of the new COSMOS standards (Cosmetics Organics Standard). These
agencies oversee a certification that allows producers of personal care products
to make claims on their packaging along the lines of "27% natural" or
"92% natural".
Organic products,
on the other hand, contain herbs, oils and extra
cts that are farmed and produced
without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or genetically-modified ingredients. "In
other words, they're better for the environment and they'll leave less chemical
residue on the skin," says Steyn.
Organic products
also have a stricter governing body that ensures that products labeled organic,
really are organic.
South Africa's
largest retailer of authentically organic and natural products, www.faithful-to-nature.co.za, was co-founded
by green expert Robyn Astl and her husband Christian. The site features organic
and natural products that are earth, animal and people friendly. The Faithful-to-Nature
team personally checks the ingredient lists of every product sold on their site,
ensuring that there are no harmful synthetic ingredients. Astl adds that, although
the list of harmful ingredients is ever-changing, you can be assured that none of
their products contain "contentious" ingredients such as: sodium
lauryl/laureth sulphate, parabens, oils like propylene glycol or petrolatum, diethanolamine
(DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), monoethanolamine (MEA), diazolidinyl urea or
imidazolidinyl urea.
The
Lingo
You've
heard all the buzz words but what do they really mean?
Certified
organic:
Astl explains that these products have been certified organic by a third party.
This means that although the organic products may contain some synthetic ingredients,
the certification body has concluded that the product is safe to use, and that the
ingredients have been sourced from manufacturers that practice pesticide-free
and sustainable farming.
Non-certified
organic:
This means that the supplier produces an product that has not yet been
certified organic. These suppliers are using some organically sourced ingredients
and, if you look at the ingredient lists of the products, you will be able to tell
which are organic by an asterix next to the product.
Certified
ingredients: These are products that have some certified organic ingredients,
but the products themselves have not been certified as yet.
Natural: These are
products that use only natural ingredients and part natural products that are
predominantly natural, but may have some safe synthetic ingredients.
“Products
can include as little as 0.01% of a natural extract to claim that they are natural”
What
This Means
The new
Consumer Act allows consumers to be able to access information pertaining to a product
that is classified as organic or natural. "You can ask producers and manufacturers
for exact certification information, ask to see certificates, and know exact percentages
of organic content of a product," says Steyn. This provides a certain transparency
to terms such as "organic" or "natural", and allows you to trace
the origin of ingredients in a product.
Being
Organic
If a product
is classified as organic, it needs to adhere to the rules and regulations of the
governing bodies. These rules stipulate that a certain percentage of the product
must be certified organic; they ban the use of many ingredients that are common
in most conventional products; they inspect and audit the manufacturing facility
every year; and they perform a yearly audit on accounting records to ensure that
organic products are traceable all the way back to the certified organic farmer.
All living
things go through the natural process of decay, which happens regardless of the
presence of preservatives. "Some natural ingredients typically used for preservation
are tea tree oil, thyme essential oil, grapefruit seed extract, bitter orange
extract, cinnamon, lavender, lemon peel, and rosemary extract," says
Jacqui Faucitt, CEO of RegimA. She mentions that these have almost no effect as
a preservative in products that contain a higher percentage of natural ingredients,
which need to be preserved longer term. The percentage of the preserving
ingredients must also be high in order to have any desired effect - at least 3%
per preserving ingredient.
“TOP TIP:
Check the bottle or product for an expiry date, recommends Rowan. If the
packaging states the product can last for more than two years, it probably
means that It's synthetic. Generally, 100% organic products will only have a six-month
shelf life once opened and an 18-month shelf life while still sealed.”
There are two
common synthetic preservatives that have been approved by Australian Certified Organic
(AGO) for use in organic skincare products. Potassium sorbate inhibits moulds, funguses
and some bacteria, but they need to be combined with another preservative like naticide.
This is a broad-spectrum, anti-microbial, vegetable-based fragrance that also acts
as a preservative. "Be wary of high percentages of ethanol in a product, particularly
when it claims to be preservative-free," cautions Faucitt, who explains that
it is used as a preservative, but there may be long-term side-effects, including
dehydrating the skin, (which causes wrinkling).
“Be wary
of high percentages of ethanol in a product, particularly when it claims to be
preservative-free”
