When we think of natural ingredients, our minds often automatically transition to imagery from nature. But that may not always be the case.
Because many natural ingredients undergo some sort of alteration, we decided to establish a standard which outlines clear criteria for what constitutes natural ingredients.
Origin
When applied to cosmetics, “natural” can mean many different things. It could refer to ingredients which have not been processed at all or minimally processed as well as products containing such ingredients; or simply being free from petrochemical sources.
Unfortunately, no clear definition has yet been set forth for what constitutes natural products; however, standards such as COSMOS and Natrue as well as ISO standard 16128 have taken steps towards creating more specific definitions.
According to this standard, an ingredient can be classified as “natural” if more than 50% of its molecular weight consists of carbon moieties originating naturally or from renewable resources. However, products containing “natural” ingredients must fulfill all other requirements specified within this standard; otherwise they do not qualify as natural items.
Purity
Organic or natural cosmetic ingredients have long been associated with positive associations and perceived as more safe. Unfortunately, their term ‘natural’ does not fall under EU or UK cosmetic regulations and thus cannot be certified safe. All ingredients have an inherent molecular structure defined by chemical analysis; regardless of where their molecules originate; iron oxide for instance is both natural mineral as well as being produced synthetically in laboratories.
Although there is no standardized definition of “natural,” many companies utilize ISO 16128 standard to calculate their percentage of naturally derived ingredients in their products. Unfortunately, this standard excludes water as one of its natural components – instead only considering plant, mineral, animal or microbial-derived materials as natural. It may be possible to achieve natural-sounding fragrances using natural or synthetic molecules like amyl acetate diluted into extracts; such as Purity’s natural soap which includes essential oils of clove, rosemary lemon eucalyptus and cinnamon bark which help cleanse skin deep.
Safety
The term “natural” can be deceiving to consumers. People mistakenly associate it with products that are healthier for them when in reality all products contain chemicals derived from plants, animals or bacteria – and many natural ingredients given chemical names rather than biological ones can further mislead people.
Though the FDA does not formally define natural for cosmetic personal care products, manufacturers bear legal responsibility to ensure their products are safe for use. Manufacturers should take note that for safety purposes concentration of natural ingredients in finished products should be carefully considered (high concentration may have adverse health effects) while chemical composition can vary based on harvesting region and season; making evaluating their safety more complex.
Precautions
Though many consumers perceive natural ingredients to be safer, this doesn’t necessarily translate to actual safety for humans and the environment. They still must undergo a stringent safety evaluation just like synthetic ones.
Safety in natural cosmetic ingredients depends on multiple factors, including their collection and procurement methods. Some plants, like Foxglove and Hemlock are known for being poisonous or have toxic properties; its preparation procedures must ensure they don’t harm either people or the environment.
Chemically altering an ingredient can also help ensure its quality and purity, by giving more precise control over production conditions like climate or impurities. Thus some chemists consider the term “natural” or “of natural origin” to refer to products which have undergone chemical processing; nonetheless consumers remain loyal to products with natural flavor profiles.
