Organic skin care began to grow in popularity a few decades ago and remains very popular today. In this article, we will look at advantages and disadvantages with organic skin care certification. Natural skin care is also a common term used by skin care companies, so it is important to know how these terms can be abused and what limitations they may require.
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Organic skin care began to grow in popularity a few decades ago and remains very popular today. In this article, we will look at advantages and disadvantages with organic skin care certification. Natural skin care is also a common term used by skin care companies, so it is important to know how these terms can be abused and what limitations they may require.
The Organic Hype
The main driver of the organic skin care hype amongst consumers has been the attention that organic food has rightfully received. The reality of the world today is that we are being bombarded with toxins in our food. The most hazardous food toxins include bleach (chlorine), fluoride, pesticides, dyes, preservatives, plasticides and chemical stabilizers.
Many of these chemicals are unregulated and are carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, microbiome damaging and inflammatory. Eating organic food can make a real difference in your health through the reduction of exposure to these toxins.
Skin care does not have these same risks and, therefore, using organic products is not necessarily keeping us protected. Most chemicals that qualify under NOP or USDA organic certification tend to be non-inflammatory. That is important. However, most ingredients used in skin care are 99% pure and do not contain the toxins that we find in non-organic food, which means there is not the same benefits we think of with that certification. In other words, the only time a certified organic product contains an ingredient where organic matters (there are fewer toxins) is when it comes from plants or fruits. Though, it is still important to find products that do not contain inflammatory ingredients, but that is also the trend for many skin care companies that are not organic.
Organic Terminology
Why not make organic products whenever possible? The reason comes with understanding the limitations. Before discussing the limitations, know that the oversight of using “organic” on a label is lacking (See Certified Organic Product Categories Sidebar).
Using any of the organic product category terms means you are selecting from a limited group of ingredients and, most importantly, a limited group of ingredients that can actually improve skin health. Certified organic products can contain no more than 5% of non-organic ingredients as discussed below. This means that with the needed non-organic ingredients to stabilize a formula, very little can be added to correct the skin. This limitation begs the question of why organic is the right choice when so many companies offer products that have much more corrective activity, and also use non-inflammatory ingredients in their formulas.
Related: Protocols in Practice: Natural/Organic
The Organic Downfalls
The reality is that the list does not allow for almost all of our favorite anti-aging or otherwise skin correcting ingredients. While it is great that they restrict many bad things as well, the truth is that whether or not a chemical is bad for the skin rarely has anything to do with our normal “organic no-no’s” like pesticides and plasticides.
There are a lot of companies that formulate with little thought to the growing list of no-no ingredients like: parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial fragrances, aluminum, phthalates, BHA, BHT, EDTA, ethanolamines (MEA, DEA, TEA), hydroquinone, benzalkonium chloride, octinoxate, avobenzone or oxybenzone.
There are a variety of ingredients that can be harmful based on the particular form or quantity in my experience: dimethicone (harmful to skin over 3%), PEG’s (not harmful when larger because they do not pass through the barrier), alpha and beta hydroxy acids (harmful over 5%) and retinols (all forms are harmful except retinaldehyde). Avoiding these ingredients is much more important than using, as an example, organic isopropopanol versus regular isopropopanol.
The main reason for most people wanting organic skin care has been to get the best of both worlds; great results and healthy skin. Unfortunately, the reality is most organic skin care satisfies the first requirement, but it cannot possibly achieve great results due to the limitations described above. Using quality active ingredients that are modified from nature (but are not on their list) like chlorella, centella asiatica, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are not allowed.
Going Au Naturel
What about natural skin care? Well, while often used in marketing, the reality is there is no such thing. The majority of skin care ingredients are produced synthetically. That being said, you can fabricate bio-identical ingredients like L-ascorbic acid, glutathione and most other vitamins and antioxidants, and their function will be close to the same. My preference is the term “holistic skin care,” meaning that even though the ingredient may not have an organic certification and may be modified from its natural state or be bio-identical, it does not harm the skin. For example, dimethicone is not natural, but it is also large enough to stay exclusively on the skin’s surface. The only reason it causes harm is when it suffocates the skin by creating a diffuse layer over the pores and this only occurs in amounts above 3%, in my experience. L-lactic acid damages the barrier above 5%, but below 5% it is a natural moisturizing factor.
Related: Understanding Misconceptions About Organic Skin Care
Looking at the Big Picture
For the spa owner, the esthetician and consumer, the picture remains confusing. In skin care, there are certainly a lot of toxins being used and very few of them can be used in products labeled as organic. However, there are not any toxins that could be avoided using an organic version of each individual ingredient, since they are already separated and purified during their formation and therefore do not contain impurities.
The best of both worlds in skin care is looking for products that avoid using the no-no list of harmful ingredients above, while including the most potent and corrective ingredients without restriction. I call this category “holistic medical skin care.” If your clients are drawn to organic products naturally, then prepare yourself with some of the facts included in this article so that you can offer products that create the best results, but also offer similar, non-harmful formulas. In the end, results are what bring the customers back and generate word of mouth business.
Certified Organic Product Categories
100% organic. Product must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal.
Organic. Product must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Remaining product ingredients must consist of non-agricultural substances approved on the National List or non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form, also on the National List. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal.
Made with organic ingredients. Products contain at least 70% organic ingredients and product label can list up to three of the organic ingredients. Products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.
Less than 70% organic ingredients. Products cannot use the term “organic” anywhere on the principal display panel. However, they may identify the specific ingredients that are USDA-certified as being organically produced on the ingredients statement on the information panel. Products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.
Ben Johnson, MD, is a physician, inventor and entrepreneur who has spent the last 25 years dedicated to solving some of the world’s most challenging skin and health conditions. He holds multiple patents related to skin care and wellness as a result of his research and philosophies pertaining to the skin-body connection. Dr. Johnson founded Osmosis Beauty with a revolutionary approach that is changing the direction of skin care away from excessive exfoliation and renewing the focus of dermal remodeling, barrier and DNA repair, and detoxification.
