I look at the ingredients on every product I buy, BUT if it has the USDA organic green seal on it, then I know that the ingredients are TRULY organic and not the FAKE organic that can be put on the product. To me, if you can't eat it you shouldn't put it on your body...
I've educated myself to know what ingredients to avoid and which ones are basically safe, but I go the extra mile in reading about the company, how they make their products, and now that I've done that so many times, I pretty much get the feel for if a company truly has my best interest at heart and not hype. Words are meaningless unless it's backed up in some way...ingredient listing is important, smell is important, getting to know the company is important.
Asia - 14 years ago
I put "it depends" because some companies are not able to afford the certified organic logo, but they still manufacture great products. The integrity of the company (are they helping or hurting the community?) and the types of ingredients matter more.
I am a producer of organic soaps and just yesterday was given the word that I can now proceed to be USDA certified through EcoCert Canada. The laws in Canada are lax when it comes to bodycare. I truly believe that what goes on goes in and I'm passionate about my products being the real deal and so against green washing. Consumers in Canada and other countries need to push for more body care companies to go through certification in order to ensure that what they are buying is the safest possible product they can be using.
Yes, it's expensive and very time consuming, but I believe it's totally worth the effort and the cost. I'm proud of my products and can sleep at night knowing that what I claim is true.
In time as the demand for organic produce continues to rise and farmers continue to transition to organic farming the price of raw materials will come down. It takes time for a farm to become organic and with the huge rise in demand there are more and more farms that are in the process and should be going through certification within the next year or two.
Cindy - 14 years ago
Organic is extremely important, not only to our personal health but the health of our environment which then impacts our health. It is all connected. How about the worker's in the fields that have to deal we the use of pesticides or fungicides, etc? I care about the product from start to finish. In lab test I discovered i have parabens a carcinogenic despite that I have been using 'natural' products for many years- of course, this was NOT listed on the label. We need to be upfront about how we are creating products, honest and let consumers choose.
As an Aromatherapist; I definitely think organic essential oils are preferable, due to the fact that pesticides defeat the goal of aromatherapy, but overall the complete list of ingredients is what determines whether I buy a product or not - not whether it's labeled ORGANIC.
I choose natural and plant based over anything else. If something is organic then that is a bonus, but I don't go out of my way to find organic beauty products.
malen - 14 years ago
I wil spend the extra money for organic products if there is even 1 drop of a chemical I don't like in it. Fragrance is a definite no no, I will never buy anything organic with fragrance or fragrance oil listed. Neither if there are any silicone based ingedients, propylene glycol or any other penetration enhancer. I wouldn't eat cookies with a drop of dog doo in them, I won't put junk on my skin.
I agree the word "organic" has become over-used in marketing and its true meaning obscured, but avoiding pesticides and synthetics is hugely important to me, whether it's something I put IN or ON my body. I choose organic over conventional whenever available.
Walter Dullemond - 14 years ago
I'm fascinated by the comments that people will eat organic foods but use conventional 'properly preserved' cosmetic products. Aside from the fact that your skin absorbs everything directly without digestion, causing accumulation of all cosmetic ingredients in your body, you must be aware that you're not a collection of independent organs that have little to do with each other.
A chemical analysis of organic and conventional ingredients is not going to provide a complete picture of the differences, unless you look at contaminants. If you're not going to analyze for chemical residues of pesticides, hormones, fertilizers, extraction solvents etc, you won't find those differences. That doesn't mean they don't exist.
Everything else aside, organic may be a buzz word today, but market trends across the world show continuous growth since inception. The reason is not because it's fashionable, it's because people perceive a very valuable difference that they're willing to pay for. The cost is related to availability of rawe materials. Margings in the market don't change because of organic, they change on supply and demand.
Lastly, don't assume that because something is organic, it can't be properly preserved. Consumers may very well be aware that the 3 year shlef life of a cosmetic is due to the fact that there are so many 'properly preserving' chemicals present, and that by buying organic, they may accept a shorter shelf life.
Safe? EWG's Cosmeticsdatabase.com evaluates the safety of a lot of products. Most of the conventional ones don't look so safe to me!
Eva Savova - 14 years ago
Your skin is your biggest body organ - whatever you eat or put on your skin goes into your body - think about yourself as ONE, not as a blend of organs not related to each other and not affecting each other.. And Organic is not a trend, it is a lifestyle and mindset. It is the only way to preserve Nature and ourselves.
having a safe cosmetic is most important. I am unwilling to sacrifice a properly preserved cosmetic simply for the current buzz word "organic". I see most people using the term are simply piggybacking on current popularity with very selective research to support the purpose.
When the consumers are educated and aware about the organically grown, processed and handled materials, then the next step is to understand what is the difference between different organic standards. The USDA standards are very strict, highly reputable and preferable for companies that want to become certified.
Don't read only the list of ingredients, look for the organic logo and standards to which company was certified. Then you can get the truth and will not be mislead.
"Organic" has been over rated lately. Money is a resource that is hard to acquire for a lot of people and I think paying extra for organic cosmetics, personal care products is a waste of resources and personal energy. I definitely prefer organic fruits and veggies, but I don't think it is as crucial for body care or cosmetics to be organic.
As a professional Cosmetic Chemist with many years of experience in the natural, botanical raw material field, I am pleased to see that this poll is turning out the way it should be. Believe me, I am all for using good, natural, botanical oils like macadamia, high oleic sunflower, moringa, meadowfoam, and the liquid wax ester: jojoba oil. But, there is NO need for the ingredients to be "organic". The skin does not know.... and doesn't care if the emollient oil is simply "natural" vs. "organic". If you were to perform Gas Chromatograph anaylsis of the fatty acid composition of a simply "natural" emollient vs. a similar "organic" emollient oil, the material would be analytically the SAME. The same goes for a wax ester analysis, an unsaponifiables test, a slip test, a spread test, a moisture occlusive test and even comedogenic and skin irritation tests. To be quite frank, all the organic movement is doing is causing confusion, with scare tactic marketing, in order to jack up prices needlessly.
I always read labels! However, if the product is useful to me and I want it and can afford it, I sometimes buy non organic. Price is a big factor these days, and I wish it was not so. I always prefer natural but organic in all that that term means like Certified, yada yada yada is not necessarily a deciding factor.
I know ingredients are absorbed through your skin, but to me ORGANIC FOOD is much more important that organic cosmetics. Much much more.
My company products are as natural as possible, but sometimes contain a few synthetic ingredients like skin safe, phthlate free fragrance, if those fragrances are not naturally occuring in nature.
Knowing that essential oils are beneficial to the body and also benefit us emotionally and mentally, it is gratifying to use them to create beautiful smelling and good for you products for the skin.
I always check the ingredients list because "organic" can mean that it has only 1 organic ingredient in it. I check for harmful ingredients, whether organic or inorganic, and then decide if I should buy.
I always read through the ingredients list, if I'm satisfied with the list, then I will buy. Way to many times I've seen "organic" or "natural" or "green" on the packaging & or label only to read through the ingredients and see that its .001%
I look at the ingredients on every product I buy, BUT if it has the USDA organic green seal on it, then I know that the ingredients are TRULY organic and not the FAKE organic that can be put on the product. To me, if you can't eat it you shouldn't put it on your body...
I've educated myself to know what ingredients to avoid and which ones are basically safe, but I go the extra mile in reading about the company, how they make their products, and now that I've done that so many times, I pretty much get the feel for if a company truly has my best interest at heart and not hype. Words are meaningless unless it's backed up in some way...ingredient listing is important, smell is important, getting to know the company is important.
I put "it depends" because some companies are not able to afford the certified organic logo, but they still manufacture great products. The integrity of the company (are they helping or hurting the community?) and the types of ingredients matter more.
I am a producer of organic soaps and just yesterday was given the word that I can now proceed to be USDA certified through EcoCert Canada. The laws in Canada are lax when it comes to bodycare. I truly believe that what goes on goes in and I'm passionate about my products being the real deal and so against green washing. Consumers in Canada and other countries need to push for more body care companies to go through certification in order to ensure that what they are buying is the safest possible product they can be using.
Yes, it's expensive and very time consuming, but I believe it's totally worth the effort and the cost. I'm proud of my products and can sleep at night knowing that what I claim is true.
In time as the demand for organic produce continues to rise and farmers continue to transition to organic farming the price of raw materials will come down. It takes time for a farm to become organic and with the huge rise in demand there are more and more farms that are in the process and should be going through certification within the next year or two.
Organic is extremely important, not only to our personal health but the health of our environment which then impacts our health. It is all connected. How about the worker's in the fields that have to deal we the use of pesticides or fungicides, etc? I care about the product from start to finish. In lab test I discovered i have parabens a carcinogenic despite that I have been using 'natural' products for many years- of course, this was NOT listed on the label. We need to be upfront about how we are creating products, honest and let consumers choose.
As an Aromatherapist; I definitely think organic essential oils are preferable, due to the fact that pesticides defeat the goal of aromatherapy, but overall the complete list of ingredients is what determines whether I buy a product or not - not whether it's labeled ORGANIC.
I choose natural and plant based over anything else. If something is organic then that is a bonus, but I don't go out of my way to find organic beauty products.
I wil spend the extra money for organic products if there is even 1 drop of a chemical I don't like in it. Fragrance is a definite no no, I will never buy anything organic with fragrance or fragrance oil listed. Neither if there are any silicone based ingedients, propylene glycol or any other penetration enhancer. I wouldn't eat cookies with a drop of dog doo in them, I won't put junk on my skin.
I agree the word "organic" has become over-used in marketing and its true meaning obscured, but avoiding pesticides and synthetics is hugely important to me, whether it's something I put IN or ON my body. I choose organic over conventional whenever available.
I'm fascinated by the comments that people will eat organic foods but use conventional 'properly preserved' cosmetic products. Aside from the fact that your skin absorbs everything directly without digestion, causing accumulation of all cosmetic ingredients in your body, you must be aware that you're not a collection of independent organs that have little to do with each other.
A chemical analysis of organic and conventional ingredients is not going to provide a complete picture of the differences, unless you look at contaminants. If you're not going to analyze for chemical residues of pesticides, hormones, fertilizers, extraction solvents etc, you won't find those differences. That doesn't mean they don't exist.
Everything else aside, organic may be a buzz word today, but market trends across the world show continuous growth since inception. The reason is not because it's fashionable, it's because people perceive a very valuable difference that they're willing to pay for. The cost is related to availability of rawe materials. Margings in the market don't change because of organic, they change on supply and demand.
Lastly, don't assume that because something is organic, it can't be properly preserved. Consumers may very well be aware that the 3 year shlef life of a cosmetic is due to the fact that there are so many 'properly preserving' chemicals present, and that by buying organic, they may accept a shorter shelf life.
Safe? EWG's Cosmeticsdatabase.com evaluates the safety of a lot of products. Most of the conventional ones don't look so safe to me!
Your skin is your biggest body organ - whatever you eat or put on your skin goes into your body - think about yourself as ONE, not as a blend of organs not related to each other and not affecting each other.. And Organic is not a trend, it is a lifestyle and mindset. It is the only way to preserve Nature and ourselves.
having a safe cosmetic is most important. I am unwilling to sacrifice a properly preserved cosmetic simply for the current buzz word "organic". I see most people using the term are simply piggybacking on current popularity with very selective research to support the purpose.
When the consumers are educated and aware about the organically grown, processed and handled materials, then the next step is to understand what is the difference between different organic standards. The USDA standards are very strict, highly reputable and preferable for companies that want to become certified.
Don't read only the list of ingredients, look for the organic logo and standards to which company was certified. Then you can get the truth and will not be mislead.
"Organic" has been over rated lately. Money is a resource that is hard to acquire for a lot of people and I think paying extra for organic cosmetics, personal care products is a waste of resources and personal energy. I definitely prefer organic fruits and veggies, but I don't think it is as crucial for body care or cosmetics to be organic.
As a professional Cosmetic Chemist with many years of experience in the natural, botanical raw material field, I am pleased to see that this poll is turning out the way it should be. Believe me, I am all for using good, natural, botanical oils like macadamia, high oleic sunflower, moringa, meadowfoam, and the liquid wax ester: jojoba oil. But, there is NO need for the ingredients to be "organic". The skin does not know.... and doesn't care if the emollient oil is simply "natural" vs. "organic". If you were to perform Gas Chromatograph anaylsis of the fatty acid composition of a simply "natural" emollient vs. a similar "organic" emollient oil, the material would be analytically the SAME. The same goes for a wax ester analysis, an unsaponifiables test, a slip test, a spread test, a moisture occlusive test and even comedogenic and skin irritation tests. To be quite frank, all the organic movement is doing is causing confusion, with scare tactic marketing, in order to jack up prices needlessly.
I look at the ingredients and organic ingredients add value, IMO... but only if it's not full of other ingredients that I look for (organic or not.)
I have become a label since starting my adventure in Body Care, I agree Organic has become over rated
I always read labels! However, if the product is useful to me and I want it and can afford it, I sometimes buy non organic. Price is a big factor these days, and I wish it was not so. I always prefer natural but organic in all that that term means like Certified, yada yada yada is not necessarily a deciding factor.
I know ingredients are absorbed through your skin, but to me ORGANIC FOOD is much more important that organic cosmetics. Much much more.
My company products are as natural as possible, but sometimes contain a few synthetic ingredients like skin safe, phthlate free fragrance, if those fragrances are not naturally occuring in nature.
Knowing that essential oils are beneficial to the body and also benefit us emotionally and mentally, it is gratifying to use them to create beautiful smelling and good for you products for the skin.
Hope this helps.
I always check the ingredients list because "organic" can mean that it has only 1 organic ingredient in it. I check for harmful ingredients, whether organic or inorganic, and then decide if I should buy.
I always read through the ingredients list, if I'm satisfied with the list, then I will buy. Way to many times I've seen "organic" or "natural" or "green" on the packaging & or label only to read through the ingredients and see that its .001%