WHAT DOES "NATURAL" REALLY MEAN?

When we first started doing market research for our products we were surprised by the number of “natural” products out there. But what was even more surprising, or more accurately, shocking was what we saw when we started reading the ingredients listed on the back of these “natural” products. Since when have ingredients like sodium laureth sulphate, methyl paraben and mineral oil been natural? The fact is they’re not. Unfortunately the use of the term ‘natural’ in cosmetics is barely regulated. Something may be labeled “natural” even though it is predominantly comprised of synthetic ingredients. We suggest that you always read the label carefully before purchasing. There are some truly natural products available, but there are many more that aren’t as natural as they appear.

Although there is no substantial regulation of the use of the term “natural” in cosmetics, there are some organizations that are proposing guidelines for use of the term. We support these guidelines, and aim to follow them when producing our products.

PROPOSED LABELING GUIDELINES

According to our research, the guidelines that have been suggested outline criteria for a number of commonly used terms, so that they more accurately reflect the consumer’s perception of these terms.

These are the criteria that must be met for a product to be considered natural:

- Be present in or produced by nature

- Not be highly processed

- Be grown, processed and harvested by ecological methods

- Not be produced synthetically, or contain synthetic ingredients

- Not be processed or extracted using petrochemicals, and not contain any petrochemicals

- Contain no artificial flavour or colour

- Be free of synthetic preservatives

100% or ALL-NATURAL

In order to be labeled 100% or all-natural it is suggested that the products must only contain ingredients that fit the criteria above.

NATURAL

For a product to be designated natural it is suggested that at least 95% of the ingredients must meet the criteria above, with the other 5% coming from ingredients which are not synthetic fragrances, artificial colours, or petrochemicals.

MADE WITH/FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS

For a product to be labeled made with or from natural ingredients it is suggested that the product should contain at least 70% natural ingredients that meet the criteria above. The other 30% should come from ingredients free of synthetic colour, fragrance and petrochemicals.

WATER CONTENT

It is important to remember when calculating how natural a product is, that the percentage of water in a product is excluded from the calculations. For example, if a product were made up of 70% water and 30% synthetic ingredients it would not be accurate to label it “made with/from natural ingredients”

SOAP

Because the process of soap making (saponification) occurs in nature, it is considered that soap may be labeled natural even though it is processed. It may be labeled natural only if 100% of the ingredients used fit into the criteria outlined above. This means it must contain no synthetic colours or fragrances.

USING NATURAL PRODUCTS - DISCLAIMER

While we strongly believe in the amazing therapeutic powers of all-natural products, we also recognize that some individuals may experience a reaction to even the purest natural ingredients. Although plants are natural, it does not guarantee that they won’t cause allergies, irritation or harm. For this reason we are extremely cautious when selecting the ingredients to be used in our products, and the concentrations of active ingredients that will be present. If you do experience any irritation such as redness, burning or itching we recommend that you discontinue use of the product immediately. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.