Is There Really a Difference? 

After some time thinking about a new idea to blog about, I thought I would discuss the differences between organic versus non-organic beauty products. I have a slight idea of what could distinguish the two, but for the most part I don't know much about it. So as I am sharing this with you, and hopefully sharing information that is insightful, I am learning as well.


So, what is organic? Why should I use it? How do I know if it's organic? Why might organic products be harmful for you? Is there really a difference, or is it just a sales tactic? These are some general questions that come to my mind when I think about what people should  know when it comes to choosing organic or non-organic beauty items.


My general assumption on organic versus non-organic beauty products, is that organic would probably tend to have less chemical ingredients which would mean that they are probably better for you and less harmful. But even though they are less harmful why should someone choose organic? Well according to Saffron Rouge (an all organic beauty line) everything that you put on your skin will end up inside your body, so if you are rubbing on lotion that has some kind of synthetic pesticide it will eventually go through your bloodstream, scary!


"Certified organic products are made with ingredients that are grown free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms. They also don't include harmful additives such as petroleum waxes, fillers and artificial chemicals. Simply put, certified organic products are completely healthy and natural, synthetic alternatives are not."


Another benefit of organic products is that it's actually beneficial for the environment. By producing organic ingredients through organic farming, the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers is eliminated. These synthetic chemicals and fertilizers harm out water, soil, and our health. For organic products, the use of organic plants or botanicals are used to replace chemical ingredients. So while using products that not only benefit our health, it can benefit our environment.


Although organic are beneficial to one's health, I've learned that it may be a little harder to distinguish non-organic from organic. While I was reading about the Coming Clean Campaign, it seems like the term "organic" is not regulated as strictly as organic foods. This results with false advertisements and companies claiming to be organic when they may only have a small percentage of organic ingredients.


However, a key strategy in figuring out weather a product is truly organic is checking the labels and reading the ingredients. An article discussing the differences between the two simply stated that "there are products on the market that aren't even certified organic, but if you read their labels, they have less than ten simple ingredients, they are natural and you know what they are." If you can't pronounce the ingredients listed, then it's likely filled with chemicals and probably harmful chemicals at that.


Non-organic products that contain foreign chemicals to consumers have shown to have side effects. Since products such as lotions, perfumes, soap, toothpaste, makeup, and after shave have direct contact with your skin, the substance will sink right through your bloodstream. Itchiness, headache, dizziness, mood swings are  reported to be some short terms effects that could result with contact from any of these products. What is even scarier is that chemicals contained in these products could even lead to cancers and tumors.

So after all this research, I definitely think I will be using more organic products. I currently use organic shampoo and conditioner called Earthly Botanical. What I like about it is that it is free of pesticides, toxic chemicals, and its eco-friendly! Another organic based company is The Body Shop which has a variety of lotions, skincare lines, soaps, and makeup. Juicy Beauty is also a certified organic company that has up to 98% organic ingredients. Research is essential when trying to find certified organic beauty products to insure that it's the real deal!