"The principal of you are what you eat should be no different to your skincare"
As we progress into a more educated, conscious future there is no doubt consumers are becoming more mindful about what they put into their bodies. With natural medicine gaining popularity and natural remedies being the new go to, it's not surprising consumers are now turning over the back of their cosmetic products and analysing what exactly is in them.
We as people can be very trusting when it comes to marketing claims. For the most part this may be due to our moral value and the belief that companies wouldn't (and shouldn't) put our health at risk for the sake of dollars. But sadly this is just not the case.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the beauty industry itself is worth over 6.5 billion dollars and only expected to rise in the coming years. Established and upcoming cosmetic companies follow trends in this marketplace and thus manufacture according to customer demands (understandable). However, being we are in a current trend where 'natural' is a desired focus point. We are seeing an inundation of skewed 'natural' marketing claims that leads the consumer to believe they are using some 'healthy' when really they may not. The only way to protect yourself from false advertising is to self educate and becoming more savvy when it comes to choosing your skincare.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NATURAL & ORGANIC?
Many people often put natural and organic terms in the same basket; however, they couldn't be more different.
When a product makes natural claims here are the standards that generally follow:
- Unregulated (no laws around what can and cant be done)
- Green washing (a form of marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly.
- Open to misleading claims on labels (due to it being unregulated)
- No minimum requirement for ‘natural’. This means that as little as 1% of the product can be 'natural' and companies can market their product as 'natural'
- Does not have to consider environmental impact (not eco conscious)
Organic Claims:
- Heavily regulated
- No greenwashing
- No false or misleading claims
- Must contain a minimum % of organic & natural
- Considers environment impact
THE COSMOS STANDARD
For skincare to qualify for organic certification it must meet a list of very strict criteria before it gets approved. COSMOS (Cosmetic Organic National Standard) is a certifying body that aims to harmonise organic standards in cosmetics on a global scale. ACO (Australian Certified Organic) follows COSMOS certifying guidelines for their products.
- Ingredients must be free from contamination or synthetics such as pesticides, fertilisers, additives, radiation and antibiotics.Must contain NO nanomaterials or GMO’s
- Must be cruelty free
- Have green production, low waste and green energy
- Labelling must be clear, not misleading
Bare Roots is completely COSMOS Certified Organic. Our mission is transparency & education so as a consumer you can trust that when you are using our skincare you are not only getting quality assurance but that seal of approval that what you are putting on your skin is truly and authentically natural.
WHY CHOOSE ORGANIC?
Natural ingredients may have had exposure to chemical interaction and therefore its purity and potency has potentially been affected. Chemical interaction could be from pesticides, additives, radiation etc during its growth phase. As a result these chemicals are being either ingested (if food consumption) or absorbed (topical application).
If using synthetic ingredients, this means they are not naturally derived from plant materials. It is something that is man made. Often synthetic formulas are based on 'natural compounds' which means there is an attempt to 'copy' natural composition. There is debate around natural ingredients consistency & composition (eg: same potency each and every time); however, this is where certifications are extremely helpful. Organic certifying bodies have stringent soil management, production & harvest policies in place to ensure consistency and quality assurance.
Choosing organic food & skincare is an investment into your health and wellbeing to ensure you are living your cleanest life yet whilst also supporting the environment and organic agriculture.
If you have any questions regarding this blog please email info@bareroots.com.au
