What Is Organic?

What is Organic? If a product says it is made from organic and natural ingredients, can we trust that it is true?

If you have walked through a pharmacy or supermarket recently, you would probably be amazed at the range and variety of personal care products that proudly claim to be organic, natural or made without chemicals.

If you pick up an OTC brand of shampoo, body wash or moisturizer and looked at the ingredients label, you might observe a number of innocent-sounding ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, essential oils. Next to the long and unpronounceable names of cosmetic chemicals and synthetic chemicals in the ingredient list, the "natural" ingredients certainly add a comforting familiarity, suggesting that the product is safe to use.

Does it really matter what is Organic and who uses the term?

According to a leading Australian maker of certified organic personal care products, the definition of Organic is all-encompassing. It refers not only to the final product (e.g. the moisturizer or body lotion), but includes how it was made, how it was packaged, stored and shipped, the conditions under which the ingredients were grown etc. It involves the whole system.

To call something Organic is meaningless unless the product and manufacturing process have been independently certified by a trusted certification body, such as the BFA, ACO and NASAA in Australia and the USDA in the United States. Only products that have a Certified Organic label can properly claim to be made without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

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What some manufacturers do

Currently, there is no requirement for personal body care products to comply with the stringent organic food standards maintained by certification bodies such as the BFA and NASAA in Australia and the USDA in the United States. This has undermined the meaning of what is organic, and made it possible for an increasing number of manufacturers to claim that their body lotions, shampoos and hair care products are organic, natural, chemical free and safe to use.

A close look at the ingredients label will show that synthetic chemicals such as fragrances, FD&C colour pigments, lanolin, paraben preservatives and PEG compounds are commonly found in OTC personal care and body care products.

Reference

List of toxic ingredients commonly found in personal care products

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A Better Solution

If you understand what Organic actually means, you will see why Organic is so much better for you and your loved ones. As much as possible, choose Certified Organic when you shop for your family, whether it is personal care products, food or cosmetics.

There is too much at stake when you buy something simply because it is cheap or comes with funky packaging, because you recognize the brand from a magazine or TV advertisement, or because it claims to be 100% organic and natural and safe for children.

Check every claim. Besides checking the nutrition label when you shop for food products, look out also for the Organic Certification (e.g. Australian Certified Organic) that assures you that you are getting the quality product you paid for. It only takes two seconds to look for the organic certification label on the organic hair care and organic makeup packaging.

Support ethical companies that take the trouble to bring you health-enhancing Certified Organic products. You deserve optimal health and well-being.

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