Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Organic Myth


The market for organic products has blown up over the past few years with companies in every product category trying to create organic brands.  This is no different in skin care and there are lots of products out there that claim to be organic.  I say “claim to be” because there is not a well defined standard for what makes cosmetics and skin care products organic and there seem to be no “organic police” that are out there to dispute claims that companies make in regards to being organic.  Having said that, there are standards that exist and there are entities that certify products as organic, there just isn’t a law that you have to be certified to claim that your product is organic.
But I digress.  The point of this article today is to examine the myth that products that are labeled as organic are better for you than products that are not organic.  This just isn’t true!  The description “organic” is just a statement of where something comes from and it does not imply that that product or ingredient is beneficial for you.  An example of something that is organic, but not good for you: poison ivy!  
What I’m trying to say is that if you are in the market for products that are organic, you should evaluate those products based on the ingredients that they contain.  A good organic product will contain the same types of ingredients as any other good skin care product, it will just use a different source for those ingredients.  Example: antioxidants.  You can find antioxidants in many plants that can be extracted and incorporated into skin care products (though one could argue that by the time these are processed for the mass market they aren’t as “green” or “organic” as you might think).  
Just remember that your basics in skin care always apply to organic and to not-so-organic products.  Your skin needs proper cleansing, moisturizing and exfoliation plus protection against damage from the sun and oxidative stress.  Incorporate those principles into your skin care routine and you are sure to come out a winner!   

No comments:

Post a Comment