What Are Natural & Organic Products? How are they Different?

Organic products are plant-based and are made sans the use of fertilisers and pesticides and organic method of farming is used. No artificial colour, ingredients, fragrances are used in the making of organic products. Besides, the products are generally subjected to very minimal processing to retain natural properties and are not tested on animals. The products do not contain chemicals and petrochemicals of any sort and toxins such as sulfate, parabens, silicones; SLS/SLES, etc are not used in the process. An organic product should have about 95 % organic ingredients. Organic products in its making exclude genetically modified organisms or synthetic fertilizers.

One should not go with just the word 'organic' written on the products. Checking if the products are COSMOS/ECO-certified or USDA-certified organic is important. While looking out for organic products in the market one should keep in mind that the product should also contain other minerals and vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, fatty acids which help in keeping the skin healthy and glowing.

WHAT ARE NATURAL PRODUCTS?

Natural products on the other hand are products derived naturally or from natural substances like plants, animals, micro-organisms, fungi, bacteria, or marine substances. The products are free from chemicals and synthetic additives but are not necessarily organic. A good quality natural product should not contain ingredients like sulfate, parabens, petrochemicals, synthetic dyes, phthalates, SLS/SLES to name a few. Again, natural products might not always be safe to use because without proper certification one might not know the authenticity and the quality of the ingredients used in the making of the product. For example, tea extracts are natural but the tea leaves might be sprayed with insecticides which will directly or indirectly affect the skin. Natural products may contain some common ingredients which particularly might affect people who have sensitive skin.

Any natural or organic product which is fragrance-based can act as an irritant for people with sensitive skin. To avoid allergic reactions and irritations to the skin, one should make sure to not just read the claims of a product but also, read the ingredients list before purchasing any organic or natural product.