It is common that if you are not an expert in cosmetics you get lost in this world when faced with so many products that are labelled: natural cosmeticsorganic cosmetics.

Nowadays, "green" and "organic" have become fashionable because consumers' characteristics are changing: they are looking for personal care and beauty products that are also environmentally friendly.

We are therefore faced with a boom from natural cosmetics and organic cosmetics. But what do we really buy and what is the difference between these types of cosmetics?

Today we explain the differences to banish confusion once and for all.

What is natural cosmetics?

Cosmetics that use ingredients of vegetable origin, preferably in high percentages. They contain a mild preservative that guarantees their durability, as well as a natural essential oil that gives them a pleasant aroma, as smell is a very important element when choosing a cosmetic.

Natural cosmetics do not use petrochemical derivatives in their composition, nor animal products except for honey, beeswax, lanolin, snail slime and some milks. It is a cosmetic designed to pamper our skin and to interact from the affinity between green Nature and our organism.

Other features are that:

  • They do not use synthetic oils for perfuming. They tend to cause allergies. They also have no therapeutic value. They only provide odour without any healing or energetic benefit.
  • They include natural preservatives. And if you use synthetics, choose the mildest ones. Preservatives are substances that kill bacteria, yeasts and moulds so that your cosmetics last much longer and also so that they don't make you sick. A closed, damp jar of cream is an ideal breeding ground for germs. The killing power of preservatives is a double-edged sword and in natural cosmetics it is solved in a way that takes into account not to cause allergies or skin irritations.
  • They do not use mineral oils or petrochemical derivatives.. Although black gold is a product of mother nature found in underground deposits, its distillation involves a lot of chemical work and generates a lot of waste.
  • Take advantage of natural excipients. The excipient is the substance to which the active ingredients are added. In the natural cosmetics floral waters, vegetable oils and waxes are used.
  • They use emulsifiers of vegetable and natural origin instead of synthetic emulsifiers.. Emulsifiers are substances that help to keep the ingredients of a product from separating, thus saving us the trouble of "shaking before use".

What is organic/organic/organic cosmetics?

The ecological, organic or biological cosmetics as well as using only plants, it takes into account other aspects that are much more rigorous.

It is characterised by the use of plant-based active ingredients, but only from organic farming. This means that no pesticides, insecticides or laboratory fertilisers have been used in its cultivation.

The raw materials of organic cosmetics are not genetically modified. On the other hand, they do not use artificial colourings, preservatives, perfumes of synthetic origin or products of the petrochemical industry.

All substances of animal origin are excluded from organic cosmetics and their transformation process does not pollute the environment. The products are not tested on animals, but on human volunteers or cell cultures.

Their production processes have environmentally friendly residues and generally encourage nature-friendly farming and processing practices.

The difference in names (ecological, organic or biological) is only a change depending on the type of market. In Spain we use the term ecological cosmetics, while in the United States the term organic cosmetics is more widespread and in France they prefer to call it biological cosmetics.

Organic cosmetic products carry a seal certifying its status. Some of these seals are IMO Control, Ecocert, CosmeBio, Natrue, Cosmos, Soil Association, BDIH, USDA, OFC, etc... So if you see an uncertified product, but it says "organic" or "ecological" on the label, that is an advertising claim.

What harms Nature also affects you

Our natural environment offers us everything we need to survive. We just need to go back to our origins and use them in a respectful way.  The current tendency to separate human beings from nature, as if we were two separate entities and not one and the same thing, is a fallacy.

You are Nature. We are Nature and to the extent that we are aware of this link, our life on the planet will be more harmonious. One step that many conscious shoppers have taken is to use natural cosmetics or organic cosmetics. Cosmetics that respect people and biodiversity.

Your purchasing decisions or how you spend every euro is a powerful driver for building a kinder world :-)