What You Should Know About Natural and Organic Skincare Products
What makes natural and organic so different? These two words refer to entirely different products. In short, organic means growing food in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Natural means using plants and animals in their natural habitats, as well as practicing organically based farming and harvesting. There’s more to the definition than that, though. Let’s take a look at the best products with both terms to find out which products deliver the best value for your money.
When consumers in North America and Europe are shopping for locally grown food, they’re looking for an organic label. The organic label ensures that farmers growing the plants have not sprayed with pesticides or herbicides on the crops, and that their soils haven’t been flooded with chemicals for growth. There’s a big difference between “natural” and “organic,” however, and while there are many criteria for organic food, most of them fall on the side of safety rather than quality.
Some grocery stores to label their produce as “ultraviolet treated” to indicate that chemicals haven’t been used to protect the fruits and vegetables from sunlight. The real distinction here is that chemicals can be added to produce even after it’s had exposure to sunlight. This is why natural farmers use products such as marigolds to protect their vegetables against sunlight. In addition, organic farmers use soil that’s been enriched with nutrients rather than synthetic substances to make the soil more useful to plants. Natural and organic products don’t always use soil, either.
The term natural refers to products that contain no synthetic substances. At one time, the only commercially available “natural product” was cat food. Today, practically any food can be considered “all-natural.” While the term doesn’t imply that something is completely all-natural, this generally does mean that a product is grown without using synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Many manufacturers opt for the term natural because they think it’s less deceptive for consumers to know that the items are grown organically – after all, if a tomato contains a pesticide, that’s on its own enough to make it potentially dangerous to eat.
When a product isn’t labeled as all-natural, it may still be certified as organically grown. The certification process for organically grown foods is sometimes known as the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics,” and this agreement was created by the National Organic Program based out of the University of Colorado. This certification means that the company proves that they adhere to strict policies regarding the use of chemicals and other unnatural resources on their crops. The standards can vary by each certification program, so it’s important to read the guidelines carefully and consult your local state certification board.
“Natural” and “Organic” are both terms that consumers tend to associate with organic food products. However, there are many different types of these products. Some examples include: honey, strawberries, spinach, apples, milk, fish, carrots, squash, spinach, lettuce, hops, rice, corn, barley, honey, olive oil, coconut oil and avocados. Just as you would find in the “Words Equal Terms” section of the US dictionary, the terms can be divided down into various groups as well.
Because there are many items on store shelves that have the “organic foods” label but aren’t necessarily 100% organically grown, consumers need to pay attention to the source. For example, many farmers use high levels of chemicals to ensure that their crop yields are at an adequate level. Other chemicals, like those found in pesticides and herbicides, have been found to cause a variety of health problems, some of which are irreversible or serious.
To ensure that you’re buying only the best products, look for the USDA Natural and Organic seal on the package. This seal ensures that the farmer who developed the product took special measures to make sure that the ingredients used are organically grown and controlled. The best way to find a farmer who uses strictly natural methods is to ask them. For larger farmers, growers will usually be more than happy to discuss their methods and what they do to ensure that the products are as natural as possible. In fact, many organic foods companies have started out as small family farms. Because of this, you’ll likely be able to get more information about the farms and how the farmers make the products that you buy.