What does the “Natural” beauty label mean? To answer this question, we used one of our favourite “Natural” beauty books “The Nature of Beauty: Organic Skincare, Botanical Beauty Rituals and Clean Cosmetics” by our favourite Imelda Burke.

First things first, there are no legal definitions or standards for the words “organic,'' “natural”, “green” or “ nontoxic” in the beauty industry. This seems to be a common theme if you have been reading our recent posts! If you do see any of these words, but they are not accompanied by a reputable organic certification, is it likely that you are being “greenwashed.”

Just to give you an indication of how unreliable these claims are, UK legislation permits brands to label skincare “Natural” when a product contains less than 1% Natural or Organic ingredients. Yep, 1% people!

If you are wanting to go down the route of organic/natural skincare, in order for you to make sure you know what you are getting, look for products certified by the Soil Association, Organic Food Federation as well as Ecocert. This said, these certifications are not a guarantee that your products are 100% Natural. The Soil Association requires that “a high portion of ingredients are organically farmed,” while Organic Food Federation gives the organic certification if a product contains over 95% of organic ingredients. There are also different definitions of what “Natural” actually means, which is why you have to do a bit of digging and reading the fine print to make sure that a product fits your requirements!

HELP! WHAT SHOULD I DO ?

Using Natural Skincare is more of a lifestyle choice. It is not necessarily bad for the skin, but there is just more variability in Natural/Organic Skincare. With botanicals there are SO many factors that can make one batch different to another. For example, the season, what part of a plant they use, and how the product is transported (i.e.-temperature) to name a few.

A note from Ksenia: “Having done the “switch” to completely natural products myself, the first essential step for me was to get rid of products produced by companies that were not supporting MY values. Don’t forget that because there isn’t enough regulation, changing to a natural product and what you deem natural will completely depend on your personal beliefs. Therefore, I bought my products from reputable well-known organic brands and shops. Content Beauty is by far my favourite retail destination for this type of product. Depending on what you want, there are different “Shoppers Guides” available, which help you in the process of choosing the product that makes more sense for you.”

For more skincare wisdom like this, check out our podcast The Skinterview. Each week, we interview a skincare expert on the topics that really matter, demystifying complex concepts, busting beauty myths and sharing honest reviews