What is organic skincare?
The Soil Association is a charity working with everyone to transform the way we eat, farm and manufacture our beauty products and care for our natural world.
This month we celebrate Organic September. Run by the Soil Association, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of organic to nature, wildlife and the planet. 2023 marks 50 years of organic certification, meaning there will be even more to talk about, share and celebrate. This year's theme is 'Organic is Climate Action' to highlight the role farming plays in the climate crisis, and encourage more people to choose organic.
The campaign will be targeted to inspire public pressure on government and encourage people to make ‘one small swap’ and choose organic beauty and wellbeing products that support the planet.
From their inception, Nourish London has been organically certified because we believe that good skincare does not need to cost the earth. Here we help you navigate your way to an understanding why organic skincare is better for you and the planet! We believe that ‘healthy skin is beautiful skin’ and have a great selection of organic formulas to help you to healthier skin.
Organic skincare
Everyone has heard the term 'organic skincare'. But what does that mean?
You may be wondering precisely what makes a skincare product organic, and is organic skincare the same as natural skincare?
We're are on hand to answer those questions.
What does organic mean?
In the beauty industry, 'organic' means that some or all of the ingredients in the product have been grown and farmed organically, i.e. without using artificial substances, such as chemical pesticides or fertilisers.
The standards of organic farming vary globally, but typically, organic farms do not use laboratory-made substances including the following:
- chemical fertilisers
- chemical pesticides
- antibiotics
- hormones
- parabens
- sulphates
- GMOs
Organic farms keep their produce healthy using natural substances which are less harmful to the environment.
What makes a skincare product organic?
So what is organic skincare, exactly? For a skin care product to be organic, it must contain organically farmed and processed plant-derived ingredients.
At the moment, there is no legislation in the UK to monitor the use of the word ‘organic’ in beauty. This is why having organic products certified is so important.
What is the Soil Association?
At Nourish London we choose to certify our organic skincare with the Soil Association. Renowned as the world’s strictest organic authorising body, gaining Soil Association COSMOS Organic approval is no mean feat.
Every ingredient is checked before being certified organic – looking at how it’s grown, harvested, processed and traded.
Every product is then examined, checking that every ingredient that can be organic is organic, there are no GM ingredients or ingredients produced through processes that are not good for the planet.
The Soil Association logos are your reassurance the product carrying them is made with pure natural ingredients organically-grown to protect wildlife, biodiversity and you. Which is why you’ll see this hard-won logo displayed with such pride.
It means you’re getting all the exceptional product performance and quality with the beautiful textures and fragrances without the unwanted optional extras. The table below summarises it nicely!
Is organic skincare the same as natural skincare?
‘Natural’ is not the same thing as 'organic'. Natural ingredients can come from organic or nonorganic farms. ‘Natural’ also does not necessarily mean safe or environmentally friendly.
The Soil Association also have a certified natural logo which we use when we can’t certify something as organic such as toners, masks and bath salts that are made with high levels of pure natural water, clay and salt – none of which can be ‘grown’ and so can’t be certified organic.
Soil Association COSMOS Natural certification guarantees a product contains at least 98% natural origin ingredients, with no ‘nasties’ produced from process not accepted by their rigorous standard.
What are the benefits of organic skincare?
Choosing organic skincare means choosing better care for our planet, wildlife and skin's health, but also an uncompromising approach to skincare.
Organic ingredients are packed with naturally occurring antioxidants, vitamins & minerals to deliver all the essential nutrients necessary to the skin's processes.
Organic skin care has some key benefits as follows:
Better for your skin. Organic ingredients work in harmony with the skin’s natural processes and do not contain optional extras like pesticides which have no place in skincare.
Better for biodiversity. Organic farms do not use chemical pesticides, which can harm wildlife and reduce biodiversity.
Biodegradable. Organic ingredients are biodegradable, which means they break down quickly and do not accumulate in the environment.
At Nourish London we're passionate about inspiring people to reduce the toxins and synthetic chemicals in their skincare products and to experience the benefits of clean, green, cruelty-free skincare. We believe this has benefits for both our skin and our planet.
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