Adopting a ‘clean, green lifestyle’ has been on the rise in recent years as our society becomes more accustomed to our environment, our bodies and the future of our planet. It may be (and is more than likely) attributing to the surge of bohemia (yes, it’s back). Reaching for our roots, being at one with nature and turning our backs on chemically induced products and produce is a growing trend. Now – the beauty market is sitting up and taking note.
By Susan Devaney
It’s now a beauty buzzword, isn’t it? Natural. And organic. This labelling is being used from brand to brand – but what does it actually mean? The key is to look for the Soil Association symbol on a beauty product before you buy. The Soil Association (along with four other European certified bodies) have created the Cosmetics Organic Standard. To gain this certification, 95 percent of a product’s agro-ingredients and 20 percent of the entire product must be organic. Or – look for the Non-EU Agriculture logo this is mandatory for products which have at least 95 percent organic agricultural ingredients. This is a guarantee the ingredients used have been grown and processed under a very strict code of cleanliness, with no pesticides or fertilizers, and no genetically modified organisms. Several products such as Urban Veda’s Purifying Body Scrub or Tata Harper’s Nourishing Oil Cleanser are actively pursuing the use of naturally derived ingredients. This is an excellent start for a part of the industry that is still burgeoning and has lots of questions needing answering. In the meantime, swapping some of your much-loved products for a healthier alternative is a good start for all of us.
