Organic skin care and benefits

 In the beauty industry, the term “organic” means that some or all of the ingredients in a product come from organic sources. For example, aloe vera in a moisturizer might come from an organic aloe farm.

Organic ingredients are ones that farmers have grown without using artificial substances, such as chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The exact definition varies around the world.

In the United States, products with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal contain at least 95% organic ingredients. There is no evidence these products are more effective, but they may be more environmentally friendly.

In this article, we examine organic skin care more closely, including its definition and benefits. We also examine how organic skin care differs from “green” or “clean” skin care.

What is organic skin care?

Organic skin care refers to products that include organically farmed ingredients. The standards of organic farming vary globally, but typically, organic farms do not use laboratory-made substances.

This may include: chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, parabens, sulphates, and GMOs.

Instead, organic farms keep their produce healthy using natural substances. The idea behind this is that organic farming is less environmentally harmful.

What makes a skin care product organic?

For a skin care product to be organic, it must consist of organically farmed and processed plant-derived ingredients. Some examples of these include: plant extracts, plant oils or butters, essential oils, resins.

In the U.S., organic products must also:

Enable resource cycling, maintain or improve air and soil quality, and conserve biodiversity, minimize the use of synthetics.

The exact percentage of organic ingredients in a product with “organic” on the label can vary depending on local laws. In the U.S., the use of the term “organic” is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but states set their own thresholds for the proportion of organic ingredients they need to contain.

What are the benefits of organic skin care?

Organic skin care is not necessarily any more or less effective than nonorganic skin care. However, it does have some key benefits. Organic skin care products are:

Regulated. Because the term “organic” is regulated in the U.S., people can tell that the product contains what it says it does.

Better for biodiversity. Organic farms do not use chemical pesticides, which can harm wildlife and reduce biodiversity.

Less polluting. To use the term "organic,” products must either maintain or improve the health of the soil or air where they grow.

Biodegradable. Organic ingredients also tend to be biodegradable, which means they break down quickly and do not accumulate in the environment.

Organic status is just one thing to think about when looking for sustainable skin care. Other factors can tell people how high-quality, ethical, and environmentally friendly a product is overall.