If you’re looking at switching to organic, and starting with your skincare (food may come later), then you’re already on your way to reducing the presence of harmful chemicals or synthetic ingredients in your day-to-day.

As we know, the skin is our largest organ, and behaves similarly to our digestive system in that it has the ability to absorb what’s put on it. So considering the products we use is actually quite important, but it can be hard to know where to start. For instance, what’s the difference between organic and natural skincare? Is there a difference? Let’s unpack it.

What makes skincare ‘organic’?

There may be some brands that claim they’re organic, however don’t have the Australian Certified Organic Certification. This is a third-party guarantee, which means the ACO will verify ingredients and test them to ensure organic status. Many skincare products will be derived from plant materials, so this will test whether any pesticides or fertilisers were used during the growing of the materials which are used as skin care ingredients. However, the ACO state that products must be 70-95% organic, so read the label to make sure your product is labelled 100% organic.

If a product doesn’t have certification, which may be the case for smaller companies who cannot afford certification, make sure you read the ingredients to know if all materials are 100% organic or just a small percentage.

Ingredients to watch out for in skincare products

Just because something is organic doesn’t mean it won’t have other nasties in it such as preservatives, chemicals or fragrances—always read the label. Good quality organic products should include naturally occurring nutrients that behave similarly to synthetic ingredients. For example, coconut oil is a great stabiliser, it is also a great preservative due to its antimicrobial action.

The difference between natural and organic skincare

Labelling a product as ‘natural’ can be described as green washing, it sounds good, but do we really know what we’re buying into? Just because a product is labelled natural doesn’t mean it’s organic. Unfortunately, the word natural is not regulated, so anyone can use it on their packaging and not have a governing body certify that it is. Natural essentially means it could have been derived from a naturally occurring mineral, animal by-product, plant, gas etc. but a product could still contain synthetic materials.

Are organic skincare products better?

Just because a product is organic doesn’t mean your skin will enjoy it. Like anything we eat, not everything agrees with us, so testing a product may be the way to go. Often beauty stores will have samples of products to try before you buy, that way you may avoid the possibility of paying hard-earned cash on a 100% organic product (which are often at a higher price point) only to find that your skin is fussy and doesn’t react well to it. The best way to test what you buy is to place a small amount into the crook of your elbow (where the skin is thinnest) and leave it for 24hrs; if all clear—then it’s likely good to use!

Everyone’s skin is different and there is no one product, or type of product, that will work well for everyone. But doing your research and getting informed is a great first step to finding the right products for you!