Is Natural Skincare Better?

Many cosmetic companies sell products that claim to be natural, which in principle is good and preferred. However, it's essential to understand that the term "natural" has been abused and overused by the personal care industry because of its lack of regulation and the marketing hype around it.

This lack of regulation around what constitutes a "natural" ingredient for the marketing and labeling of personal care products confuses consumers and allows companies to greenwash their formulas. Unfortunately, a brand can use just one or two natural ingredients and still put the word "natural" on its packaging. 

The term “natural” means that a product is made with ingredients that are exclusively produced by nature. However, it’s important to understand that some natural ingredients must be extracted, synthesized, or distilled in a lab, and furthermore, any product that contains water (this can be water, aloe vera, flower waters) requires the use of preservatives to avoid bacteria, fungus, and mold.

For us, it’s important to clarify what this term means and how we apply it to our products. Let’s start by saying that there are different levels of what a natural ingredient is:

The most purist of all is when an ingredient is obtained from natural resources and maintains its original chemical structure (like cold pressed oils that are obtained without the use of chemicals). These types of ingredients can get the 100% organic certification because they don’t contain any type of emulsifiers or preservatives. This is one of the reasons why we like and use certified organic ingredients.

A second level of natural is when the ingredient comes from nature and undergoes chemical changes like fermentation, hydrolysis, etc., which can include ingredients like emulsifiers and solubilizers that are not derived from nature. These ingredients would more accurately be called “naturally derived”. In this category we have our marine collagen peptides and our plant-derived hyaluronic acid.

The third level is when an ingredient is “natural identical”, these are not derived from nature, but are chemically identical to that same ingredient found in nature. A good example is ascorbic acid (vitamin C): it can be found in many plants and fruits, but most brands use the version that is produced in the lab. We don’t use these types of ingredients, and, in fact, our vitamin C is provided by our fruit extracts. There’s nothing wrong with “natural identical” ingredients if they are manufactured without toxic chemicals, but it’s just not part of our ethos.

Companies like ours that want to remain faithful to the closest definition of natural ingredients, use extraction and fermentation methods that respect the plant's integrity and restrict certain chemicals that can be toxic or irritant. But this is made by choice, and there is no way to check if other companies that claim to have "natural" ingredients are abiding by the same methods.

There is a hint, however: as we mentioned, any organic ingredient has to abide by those methods in order to be certified, so look for organic certifications in the ingredient list or certification stamps on the packaging. We are certified organic by the USDA.

As you can see, the term “natural” is not standardized nor regulated by official entities, in our perspective, at the very least, brands should be clear with respect to what they mean by it and get the necessary certifications to ensure honesty in their processes and claims.  

If you are looking for truly natural skincare, welcome! Our formulations are made with organic certified plants and fruits from South America, and clean, safe, naturally derived ingredients that will protect, repair and improve your skin.

Try our Complete Rejuvenation Kit: Everything your skin needs in 3 simple steps! from moisture, to nourishment, including anti-aging and wrinkle prevention!