Organic skincare, what is it and why is it a better choice? What do we get for our money and what happens when it ends up in our environment?
First and foremost: what is organic skincare?
What can be called organic is something that can be cultivated and is grown without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. In organic skincare, this refers to plants. A skincare product is rarely 100% organic because ingredients such as water, clays, and minerals are natural but cannot be cultivated and therefore cannot be called organic even if they are pure without contaminants or additives.
The big difference between organic and conventional skincare
Organic skincare products work with your body and provide the skin with what it needs, without unnatural substances that it has to deal with and then get rid of.
Organic skincare:
- is plant-based and naturally rich in antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids, enzymes, fruit acids, and essential oils that have a positive effect on our skin and mind.
- resembles the skin’s own components and is easily absorbed by the skin.
- builds up and strengthens our acid mantle (read more about the acid mantle here).
- can be broken down by nature.
Conventional skincare:
- contains, among other things, oils and chemicals from the petroleum industry, chemical preservatives, and synthetic fragrances.
- is perceived as foreign substances by the body and adds nothing to the skin.
- can weaken and damage the skin’s important protective barrier.
- much from the petroleum industry is environmentally harmful and cannot be fully broken down.
| Ingredient | Organic skincare | Conventional skincare | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Oils | Uses vegetable oils from the plant kingdom that consist of the same fats and waxes as the skin’s own sebum. Sebum is part of the skin’s important protective barrier (acid mantle). Vegetable oils are therefore recognized by the body and can cooperate with the skin. The oils bind moisture, protect, and strengthen the acid mantle for healthier skin. They also provide the skin with important fatty acids and vitamins. Read more about vegetable oils here. | Uses petroleum oils that form a film over the skin. They clog pores and prevent the skin from absorbing moisture naturally, drying it out from underneath. Silicone oils and mineral oils also prevent the skin from absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. | | | | | | Vitamins | Oils and other plant extracts are naturally rich in vitamins. They occur in their natural form, i.e., at the right pH together with other vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients, etc. Together they are more stable, bioactive, and have a better effect on the overall health of the skin. Together they have a more complex effect and provide a broader result compared to an isolated vitamin. Extra vitamins can be added to boost specific effects. | Added in their isolated form (chemical or natural) for a specific purpose. Vitamins are usually indicated as a percentage. A higher concentration does not necessarily mean better effect. Too high concentrations can instead irritate and in the worst case damage the skin. | | | | | | Soap agents | Most soap agents used are plant-based. In organic skincare, mild variants are used that are also pure, without harmful contaminants during production. These break down in nature and are less environmentally harmful. | Strong foaming agents are used because they are cheaper and give the impression of being more economical and better. These agents disrupt the skin barrier and can cause problems for skin, scalp, and hair. They are environmentally harmful, toxic to aquatic organisms, and difficult for nature to break down. | | | | | | Fragrance substances | Use plant-based essential oils (such as lavender oil) that also have a positive therapeutic effect. They do not burden health or the environment. | Use synthetically produced fragrance substances that accumulate in the body. They often occur together with reproductive-disrupting phthalates and toxic heavy metals for a strong and long-lasting scent experience. | | | | | | Color pigments | Makeup: Natural minerals found in the earth are used. The red pigment carmine (from insects) may also be present. These rarely cause allergic reactions and are free from toxic additives. Skincare and others: Here, naturally active ingredients in a product provide color. For example, blue tansy or Moroccan chamomile oil (blue), sea buckthorn oil (orange-red), spirulina (green or blue), hibiscus (pink), etc. Makeup: Synthetic color pigments often occur together with toxic heavy metals for a more durable result on the skin (especially red pigments). Skincare and others: Mostly synthetic color pigments (see above) that have no positive effect on either the skin or the mind. Used to give products a cosmetic nice color. Preservatives Natural or mild chemically produced preservatives that do not burden health or the environment. Organic beauty products have a potent and bioactive content and should therefore be used as fresh products. They are usually produced in smaller batches for maximum freshness. | Strong preservatives that give a product a very long shelf life. This allows products to be produced on a large scale at lower costs and can sit on store shelves for several years without going bad. Allergenic and hormone-disrupting parabens are used less often now but are often replaced with other health-harming alternatives. | | Stabilizers, thickeners | Natural raw materials are used such as waxes or guar gum for a thicker consistency. Many manufacturers in organic skincare do not use thickeners but maximize the content with skin-nourishing ingredients. Raw materials are treated at as low temperatures as possible to preserve all fatty acids and vitamins intact. Cold-pressed oils are usually used, which can vary in consistency depending on temperature. Therefore, for example, shampoos may feel more runny and balms grainy or harder in winter. | Chemically produced thickeners are usually used because they are cheapest. Products often contain large amounts of substances that do nothing for the skin or hair but are added only for consistency. To maintain a consistent texture regardless of season/temperature, cheap oils from the petroleum industry or chemically refined vegetable oils and fats are used. Heat treatment destroys vitamins, antioxidants, and oxidizes fatty acids. | | “Slow Living” Nowadays, most things have to be done quickly, and for wrinkles, acne, and various skin problems, people want to see quick results. Just as we generally benefit from slowing down a bit, the skin needs time to adapt to new routines and products. Give your skin organic products that support its natural functions and give it some time. You will notice a difference and see a sustainable, long-term result that is good for both you and our environment. | | | | | | |
