10 Reasons to Use Organic Beauty Products

Going green? Start with your face. Using non-toxic beauty products made with organically grown ingredients is the most rewarding and pleasant way to care about the environment and prevent many health risks.

Here are ten reasons why you should opt for organic when it comes to beauty products:

Organic benefits our health. Organic greatly reduces and sometimes even eliminates the use of toxic chemicals such as synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. According to the results of University of Washington study, children who children who eat a diet of conventionally produced food show a level of pesticides in their body six times lower than children who typically eat a diet of organic food. Studies in animals show that even a single, low-level exposure to certain pesticides can cause permanent changes in brain chemistry, as well as changes in behavior, such as hyperactivity. This may mean that early childhood exposure to such chemicals can lead to lasting effects on learning, attention, and behavior. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture helps prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

Organic benefits the environment. Organic manufacturers greatly reduce the amount of toxic sewage and chemicals that ultimately penetrate the water supply and pollute it. Growing food organically emits less carbon dioxide than the methods most commonly used to grow food today. Organic farms don’t use synthetic nitrogen, relying instead on crop residues and manure for fertility. Organic beauty products are usually packed in recyclable and environmentally friendly packaging.

Organic is grown in harmony with nature. Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem. Wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas. Many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds and growing unusual varieties for decades, Organic Trade Association notes.

Organically grown plants contain more valuable elements. Researchers at the University of California-Davis have found that organically grown berries and corn contain up to 58% more polyphenols, natural antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease and cancer than their conventional counterparts grown in neighboring plots. According to Virginia Worthington’s report published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2002 there appears to be higher amounts of nutritionally significant minerals in organic compared to conventional crops. “The organic crop had a higher mean mineral content for all 21 minerals considered in the analysis,” the researcher wrote.

Organic products don’t contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Genetically modified organisms, including plants, animals, and micro-organisms, are created by altering the genetic information of a living organism. The living matter whose genetic material has been manipulated by biotechnological means

Organic beauty products don’t usually contain preservatives from synthetic sources. If they do, such products are not organic. Parabens (propyl, methyl and ethyl) and other synthetic preservatives are not allowed in any of the certified organic products. Preservatives must be derived from natural sources. Certain essential oils, amino acids, vitamins, plant extracts and herbs have antibacterial properties and can be used as preservatives.

Organic beauty manufacturers do not test their products on animals. No ingredients derived from animals are usually used in organic products except for beeswax, bee pollen, propolis, honey, royal jelly, milk, and lanolin. These ingredients are considered acceptable because they do not harm the animal. In addition, a few organic beauty products contain carmine and/or silk are derived from insects. Unfortunately, these two ingredients cannot be derived without harming the insects.

Organic manufacturers must prove that they use quality ingredients. In order to qualify for being truly organic they must provide a certificate from a third party agency concerning their ingredients. Conventionally produced beauty products are usually tested by the manufacturer. Their test results are not substantiated by any other source and not available for an independent review.

Organic manufacturers track origin of ingredients to ensure quality of ingredients. At the same time, manufacturers of conventional beauty products use the same cosmetic-grade ingredients in similar cosmetic products regardless of their price. For example, the same glycolic acid made by Du Pont, world’s leading glycolic acid manufacturer, is used in hundreds of products ranged in price from $10 to $150. At the same time, organic beauty products do not contain chemical fillers, emulsifiers, fragrances or colorings. No paraffin and other petroleum products are permitted.

Organic products don’t promise to erase wrinkles overnight. They don’t make sensational claims and hedge their promises. Most of organic beauty products are not advertised at all, and organic beauty product makers rarely (if ever) spend millions on marketing, promotion, packaging and celebrity endorsements. It has been estimated that over 80% of a price of a brand-name moisturizer goes into advertising and packaging.

At the same time organic beauty products cost as much as research, ingredients, manufacturing and packaging cost the manufacturer – and these can be expensive. Still, orgnaic beauty makers never use snake-oil sales tactics or quote scientific results to prove the benefits of an exotic-sounding ingredient. Organic manufacturers don’t automatically charge customers for marketing efforts and they won’t ask customers to cover their advertising expenses.