Where To Buy Organic Skin & Hair Care Products
The organic skin care and hair care products industry is booming. Once a niche market, it now has a high profile thanks to celebrity endorsement plus commercial success thanks to the general consumer becoming more aware of what they put on their skin and better informed of the ethics behind the manufacturing processes. So, buying organic is a win-win situation but why should you ‘go green’ with your skin care and where is the best place to find organic beauty products?
Why choose organic skin care products?
Firstly, who wouldn’t want to eliminate as many harmful toxins from their body as possible. Non-organic hair care products and skin care products are produced using chemicals which the body absorbs and consumes through the scalp, hair and skin. This can never be a good thing for your long-term health.
A common chemical found in beauty and personal hygiene products (shampoos, toothpaste etc.) is sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). This product boosts the amount of foam produced when in contact with water but has long been associated as a skin irritant. The chemical is similar to detergent and it removes natural oils from the skin. Daily use and prolonged exposure results in dryness and peeling.
Mineral oil is a commonly used alternative to more expensive skin care oils but it is in fact a by-product of petrol. The oil acts like a barrier preventing the hair and skin from absorbing other ingredients of the product and is a known cause of acne.
Preservatives called ‘parabens’ are used in deodorants and have been linked to breast cancer as well as being a known irritant to eczema sufferers. Another preservative called methyldibromo glutaronitrile (MDGN), is also considered an irritant. There are many more ingredients that are potentially harmful not just as allergens but also as carcinogens (substances involved in the development of cancer).
Secondly, the manufacturing of organic products is a more environmentally friendly process which is kinder to the planet and without the inhumane animal testing methods used by the major health and beauty companies.
Many people are now switching to organic skin and hair care products to protect themselves from harmful chemicals and distance themselves from morally questionable production methods.
Where to buy organic beauty products
Due to a loophole in the law, health and beauty products can be described as ‘organic’ yet contain potentially harmful chemicals. With no certification, a product can have one ingredient from organic agriculture and promote itself as being ‘organic’ even if the remaining ingredients are synthetic. Even the aforementioned sodium lauryl sulphate is often labelled as being ‘derived from coconut’ but its properties are so far removed there is little resemblance.
So, find a retailer who only stocks and sells organic beauty products that are certified by a respected certification body or buys from a supplier that is working toward certification. In the UK, the Soil Association certify organic products using these criteria:
- If a product has 95% organic ingredients then it can be marked ‘organic’
- If it has 70-95% organic ingredients then it can be marked ‘made with organic ingredients’
- If less than 70% then the product does not receive certification
Find an online store selling organic beauty products as they will lay out their code of ethics in simple terms telling you exactly where their products are sourced from and what certification they look for from a supplier.