I’ve been in the natural skin care industry/spa industry for over 10 years and have a passion for sharing my knowledge to help others make the best choices for their skin care needs.   As a product developer I feel it’s important to share my thoughts on this subject starting with the post below which will provide you some insight on what makes a quality, natural based skin care product. Is organic better when it comes to skin care?  A controversial subject that continues to be debated and with growing use of marketing gimmicks used by companies to sell their products it has become more challenging for consumers to know what truly makes a good quality natural product. As words such as  “ all natural”, “all organic”, “preservative free” and “eco-friendly” are often used to describe personal care products, it is important to do your due diligence to determine if the company can back up their claims. What makes for a quality natural product is not always based on whether the ingredients are organic or not but more so what harvesting methods and processing methods were used in the production of these formulas.  If a company starts with an organic ingredient but then uses processing methods which are too harsh or not sophisticated enough, the benefits and integrity of that raw ingredient will be diminished. It’s most important to ensure that the raw ingredients used in the formula have been harvested and processed in a way that has maintained the ingredients nutritional value and has rid the ingredient of any harsh residues and contaminants. Here are some tips and guidelines you can use when trying to find a quality natural product:
  1. Make sure the product has been made in a licensed and certified lab facility that specialized in the production of natural personal care formulas.
  2. If a company claims that their products are organic try to inquire as to what percentage of the ingredients used in the formula are actually organic
  3. Remember the more natural and organic a product is the more likely it is to grow bacteria, molds and yeasts so it is important the products do contain a preservative system and have been tested for stability.
  4. It is more important that a product is safe and stable and has used proper quality processing methods in the raw ingredients used vs if a product is organic or not. try to research or inquire about some of the processing methods used in the development of the product before you buy
  5. What actually makes a formula beneficial is the synergy and state of the raw ingredients used. In order for a raw ingredient to be effective for skin care the ingredients need to be in a form that is synergistic to the skin’s chemistry. To turn a raw ingredient into this form the right processing methods need to be used along with quality manufacturing that will maintain the integrity of the raw ingredient while transforming it into a proper extract or form that will interact with the skin in a positive way providing the benefits the company has claimed.
  6. Avoid products that contain ingredients that can cause skin irritations such as synthetic detergents, artificial colors, fragrances, petroleum, and propylene glycol
Both organic and non-organic products can provide a range of benefits to the skin but whatever product you do choose do make sure it  has been created  based on  science and proper manufacturing,  processing and harvesting procedures and not based on marketing gimmicks.