Organic Cosmetics

Organic cosmetics are skincare and beauty products made mostly from plant-based ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides, with fewer synthetic additives such as artificial fragrances and dyes. They include cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and makeup, and the word organic can mean different things depending on the certification standard behind a product.

Using them well often starts with understanding your skin type and sensitivities. A skincare specialist may assess your skin, suggest a simple routine of cleanser, serum, and moisturizer, and ask you to introduce new products slowly. Check-ins every several weeks help adjust the routine as your skin responds and the seasons change, and skin may need a few weeks to settle.

People choose them to keep their routines gentler, to reduce exposure to ingredients that irritate them, to care for sensitive or dry skin, and to align personal care with environmental and ethical values. Some are looking for plant antioxidants and moisturizing oils that suit their skin.

Evidence is moderate and applies to specific ingredients more than to the organic label. Studies support moisturizing, antioxidant, and soothing properties of a number of botanical ingredients, while little research compares organic products with conventional ones. Natural does not automatically mean gentler, because plant extracts and essential oils can also cause reactions.

Patch test new products, and see a dermatologist for conditions such as severe acne, eczema, psoriasis, or suspected infection, since cosmetics are not a substitute for medical care. If you have known plant allergies, read ingredient lists carefully, and look for certified products and knowledgeable advice.

People have used plant oils, butters and herbal preparations on the skin for thousands of years, from Ayurvedic plant oils to European herbal skincare traditions. The modern organic and natural cosmetics category took shape later, as small natural-skincare makers and certifiers in Europe and North America began to set their own ingredient rules in response to consumer interest in ingredient sourcing and the environment.

Because there was no single rulebook, several private and national standards grew up side by side. In Europe, certifiers such as BDIH in Germany, Cosmebio and Ecocert in France, ICEA in Italy and the Soil Association in the UK each ran their own schemes. Representatives of these organizations are reported to have met at a trade show in 2002 to discuss harmonizing, and in 2010 they formed the non-profit COSMOS-standard association to create one shared COSMOS Organic and Natural standard, which they certify through their own bodies.

Outside those schemes the picture is less tidy. The FDA says it has no definition of "organic" for cosmetics. The USDA National Organic Program can certify a personal care product made with agricultural ingredients, and products making an organic claim are expected to meet its rules, but products without agricultural ingredients fall outside its authority. As a result, "organic" on a label can mean a certified product, a product with some organic ingredients, or simply a marketing term, so checking for a named certification is worthwhile.