The answer is…that depends. Why? Because all natural means different things to different people. Some people believe that a product is all natural if there is no preservative in it. Others believe that a product is all natural if the ingredients are pronounceable and that they are derived from the earth. Still others believe that while the ingredients have funny chemical sounding name, they really do come from the earth and there for are “natural”. Still others will say that if it contains parabens(as do many preservatives), stay away from it! So let’s explore these different meanings.
No preservatives – great! What happens to a product that uses water in its formula either as in the case of a lotion that is premixed when you receive it or a sugar scrub to which you introduce water when you use it?
BACTERIA! Water provides a medium for harmful bacteria, mold, yeast and fungi to grow over time.
In the case of lotion, we can mix up a batch of oils, emulsifiers, fragrance and water without a preservative. Shelf life goes to about 2 weeks without refrigeration(sometimes even with refrigeration). So from our point of view and our retailers, that is not an option; probably from your point of view too. Do you want to refrigerate your lotion or throw it out because it developed mold?
In the case of a salt or sugar scrub, no preservative means that when you introduce water to the scrub, you introduce bacteria, now what do you do with that wonderful product you just paid $12.00 or more for, throw it out after one use? So you can see why we use a preservative in our products.
Unpronounceable ingredients – must be chemicals! Not necessarily. The rules for ingredient labeling say that you should list the INCI ingredients. (The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, abbreviated INCI, is a system of names for waxes, oils, pigments, chemicals, and other ingredients of soaps, cosmetics, and the like, based on scientific names and other Latin and English words.) So what is in the product if you see Tocopherol or Lavandula Angustifolia or Butyrospermum Parkii translated they are (in the same order) Vitamin E, Lavender Oil and Shea Butter. Pretty harmless, huh?
This is also the response to the third point – funny chemical sounding names that really do come from the earth.
I do not mean to imply that all items that are unpronounceable are harmless but I am pointing out that you need to do the research yourself or hopefully the manufacturer can find room on the label to print both the INCI and common names.
Parabens – first let’s define the word - taken from
Wikipedia-
"Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bacteriocidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives."
There is a lot of controversy around parabens. Again from Wikipedia
“Parabens are considered to be safe because of their low toxicity profile and their long history of safe use; however, a few recent controversial studies have begun to challenge this view. Studies on the acute, subchronic, and chronic effects in rodents indicate that parabens are practically non-toxic. Parabens are rapidly absorbed, metabolized, and excreted The major metabolites of parabens are p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA), p-hydroxyhippuric acid (M1), p-hydroxybenzoyl glucuronide (M3), and p-carboxyphenyl sulfate (M4)”
“One controversial scientific study reports that parabens were found in samples of breast tumors. The validity of the conclusions of this study have been debated in the scientific literature. Nevertheless, this study has fueled the belief that parabens in underarm deodorants or other cosmetics migrated into the breast tissue and contributed to the development of the tumors. However, no causal link with cancer has ever been proven and so far there is no scientific evidence to support any link with any form of cancer. A recent review of the available data has concluded "it is biologically implausible that parabens could increase the risk of any estrogen-mediated endpoint, including effects on the male reproductive tract or breast cancer" and that "that worst-case daily exposure to parabens wou d present substantially less risk relative to exposure to naturally occurring endocrine active chemicals (EACs) in the diet such as the phytoestrogen daidzein." In addition, the American Cancer Society
(see discussion) has concluded that there is no good scientific evidence to support a claim that use of cosmetics such as antiperspirants increase anindividual's risk of developing breast cancer.”
Please read the
entire article on Wikipedia.
The final word then is
DO YOUR HOMEWORK and buy what you feel comforatable with. In all our products, we work hard to balance the need for natural ingredients against the need for products you can trust. I hope this discussion has helped to make you a smarter consumer.
Read another informative
article on all natural.
One last comment on all natural-
I spent a little time at the natural body care products section of the local grocery store yesterday. What I discovered is that most of the products on the shelf had preservatives in them, many with a paraben of some sort. These are large companies that have names you would recognize. One company said its products were 98.6% natural. So until someone comes out with a natural preservative that doesn't change the fragrance of products, we are all in the same boat, large and small companies alike
Labels: INCI, lotions, natural, parabens, preservatives, scrubs
