‘Natural’ is a word often used loosely by both sellers and buyers alike. Sellers sometimes use it to describe products that use mainly natural ingredients i.e ingredients that are found in nature and are therefore classed as natural. What they don’t or won’t tell you is that some of these ingredients, whilst they can be found in nature, are not always. What do I mean by that? Well, let me try to explain using oxides as an example.
Oxides are used in cosmetics to give rich colour and staying-power to products. They are found in nature, but it would be unsafe to use them straight from the source in their raw form.
Oxides are mined and contain heavy metals, many of which are toxic if used in their ‘natural’ form. It is for this reason that it is far safer for them to be altered or produced synthetically in a laboratory where these toxins can be eliminated, than it would be to use them in their natural form. So whilst it may not be natural as such, it is as natural as is possible to safely get and much safer than using them in their original, unaltered state. In the industry we refer to ingredients made safe in this way as ‘safe synthetics’. I know the word synthetic can have negative connotations, but synthetic is not always bad.
Essential oils are another thing we associate with ‘natural’ but they can in fact be dangerous to humans and animals – I’ve written a blog about are essential oils safe?
It worries me that more and more people are using essential oils (particularly hobbyists who make their own products and often sell them), without understanding the contraindications of the oils they are using or how to use them safely. Using ingredients in their natural form can be great, it can also be extremely dangerous if you don’t have all the information required to make a sound judgement on their safe use.
Why do sellers say their products are natural if this doesn’t mean anything?
Sellers know that ‘natural’ sounds good, and most people don’t question what it really means. Natural means different things to different people and there’s a fine line between not being completely forthright and being legally non-compliant. There isn’t room on a product label for a long-winded explanation, but a reputable producer of cosmetics or home fragrance will be cautious in their use of a term like ‘natural’ and will be open about the source of their ingredients.
I won’t use anything in my products if I’m not confident about its safety or its provenance. There’s a lot of paperwork and hoop-jumping associated with the fragrance and cosmetics industry, but it’s there for a reason. It’s our responsibility as makers to ensure our products are safe and compliant, but there’s definitely room for consumers to give a bit more attention to what they’re buying. Sometimes it’s not always the case that a product does what it says on the tin!