Everywhere I read, or any social media pages I check out the words ‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’ are kind of compulsory, it seems! It has become so easy for everyone to just use these words and start something. We, as consumers are blind when we see the word ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ and just jump in buying or eating it (Guilty here!). So I felt it’s high time we learn the difference and be cautious.
Let us first understand the Organic and Natural as individual terms - Natural vs Organic
What is Organic?
Organic products are made using plant based ingredients. But these ingredients are grown by local farmers without using any pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Organics products don’t have ingredients that are genetically modified and hence absolutely and closest to earth. Needless, to say these are free of preservatives and not tested on animals. They are not subjected to ANY processing and hence their original form and benefits are retained.
What is Natural?
As such, we do not have any legal definition for natural. These are basically products that are NOT made in a laboratory and are made from ingredients found naturally on earth. So what’s the difference, you ask? Well they are free of all the harmful preservatives and artificial ingredients. But they NOT necessarily contain organic ingredients. Which means, Oats are natural, but they may be grown spraying some insecticides, so this makes them natural and NOT organic.
Also, natural products may not always free of preservatives. For example, you cannot use a banana pulp on your face for 10 days straight with the same banana right? Of course it will go rancid and there would be tons of microbs attacking it. So a little amount of HARMLESS preservative is required, to keep the product stable. Now, this is not bad but ensure that there are no ‘Ugly’ preservatives like parabens, sulfates, synthetic colors/fragrance, petrochemicals etc. So not all preservatives are bad, infact they are making your product safe!
DIFFERENCE IN VIEWS - Natural vs Organic:
There are many different views on the topic of Natural vs Organic and are indeed debatable. Many experts say that not all organic is good as they are not stable and can be contaminated soon. Hence adding some preservatives are required for it to make stable. While I would not totally discard this, I do believe that there are a few organic ingredients like Ayurvedic powders, that are blessed with long shelf lives. So honestly, it is just about being logical and smart when shopping for your cosmetics.
How do we know which one is natural and which one is Organic? - Natural vs Organic
While, the regulations in India are still slow. We do have ECOCERT that gives brands their certifications globally. As per ECOCERT ‘NATURAL’ product means - A minimum of 50% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 5% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming. ‘ORGANIC’ means - A minimum of 95% of all plant-based ingredients in the formula and a minimum of 10% of all ingredients by weight must come from organic farming.
Some ingredients very frequently found in cosmetics (water, salts, minerals) cannot be certified as organic because they are not sourced from farming. For example, shampoos and some creams, mostly composed of water, contain between 10% and 40% organic ingredients, and always 95% natural ingredients. An essential oil, which does not contain water, can be up to 100% organic ingredients. (Source: ecocert.com)
As per USDA these are the guidelines:
“100 percent organic”: Excluding salt and water + the product must contain ingredients that have been only organically produced.
“Organic”: Excluding salt and water + the product must contain at least 95 per cent of organically produced ingredients.
“Made with organic ingredients”: Excluding salt and water + the product must contain at least 70 per cent organically produced ingredients.
So now you know what do you have to go for when a specific brand claims something.
For me, I always purchase my ingredients from ECOCERT certified organic vendors. That way I know that I am getting genuine ingredients and raw materials for my products and DIY’s.
Natural or Organic, NOTHING is bad. But it’s just necessary to know the difference and make informed choices 🙂 Hope you liked this article and the efforts of research that went in 🙂 Love you all.. Take care.
