With all of the non-toxic, non-chemical organic skin care products on the market, how does one differentiate what the labels mean?  Much like the organic and natural food market, there are different meanings for organic skin care and natural skin care. There are even several shades of difference between types of organic skin care products.

Many people turn to organic skin care products because they are allergic to the fragrance or preservatives used in traditional skin care products. In many cases, the skin reacts in a way counter to the intention, which causes some type of dermatitis or irritation.  People with sensitive skin usually search for organic skin care products, or at the very least skin care products made from natural ingredients to avoid this scenario.  

Natural Skin Care Products
Much like the term natural food, natural skin care products are not a standardized term by the FDA.  There is a special seal, the Burt's Bill Natural Standard seal that evolved from a move by Burt's Bees to add some more credibility to the term natural skin care.  Together with the Natural Products Association, Burt's Bees created the seal to indicate that 95% of the ingredients must be renewable. In addition, no synthetic products known to be dangerous can be contained in natural skin care products with this designation.  The Burt's Bill Natural Standard seal is only one way to determine the amount of chemicals in natural skincare. Another method would be to review the label, and see if chemicals form the main ingredients, or if natural sources are indicated in abundance.   

Organic Skin Care Products
Organic skin care products are labeled as such because they contain 95% organic ingredients. L'Athene is one particular example of an organic skincare line with a 95% quantity of organic ingredients. Developed by two nurses that worked in burn care at John Hopkins University Hospital, this line of organic skincare is recommended by dermatologists.  



Another new line of organic skin care products that are certified organic caters to the spa industry, Banner Therapy's Organic Bath and Body Spa and Massage Collection.  Products like organic massage oil, body cream and face masques are made with ingredients such as organic lavender, organic chamomile, organic shea butter, organic rosehip oil, organic sunflower oil and much more.  
 
There is another term to describe products such as organic makeup, "made with organic". This term is used for products where 70% of the ingredients are organically produced. Organic skincare does involve a small percentage of synthetic ingredients and these two designations differentiate this for the consumer.



100% Organic Skincare or Certified Organic Skincare Products
It’s difficult to find organic skincare products that are 100%.  This is because some preservatives are needed to improve the shelf life of these types of products.  In the beginning, when organic skincare products first came on the market, some brands did not fare well because they went bad quickly. Some products may call themselves 100% natural or 100% chemical free, but they are still not claiming 100% organic ingredients.  

Understanding the difference between organic skin care, made with organic skin care, and natural skin care makes shopping for these products much easier.  The good news is that in the last 10 years, organic skin care has come a long way. And, as organic and natural skin care becomes more popular and more in demand, the production of higher quality products will increase. When shopping for organic skin care products, know the difference between organic and natural skin care, read the label, and experiment with some new products.  


Works Cited: Genevive Monsma.  “How Green is Your Beauty Routine?” WebMD. 21 May 2008. http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/features/how-green-your-beauty-routine.