What Exactly is Organic?

Apr 24, 2017
2 min read

If anyone tells you that they have a moisturizer, shampoo, or food item made with 100% organic ingredients they are making false promises. If these products contain salt, minerals and water, and most products do, it can not be 100% organic. Organic refers to agricultural elements or something that is grown. Water for example, doesn't grow and therefore can't be organic. Same with minerals and salt which are a part of many food and beauty products. Unfortunately an organic label can be placed on a product even if it only contains 1% organic ingredient. Very deceiving! However, if a product carries the USDA certified organic seal, then it has been properly classified as true organic.

Nowadays I almost always scan the ingredients of skin, health and food products before purchasing. I'm not a fanatic and I don't only use organic but I've learned to weed out the bad from the good. My main rule of thumb is "the less the better." A long list of ingredients with names I can barely pronounce is a red flag and usually end up back on the shelf. I also take a look at front labels. The words organic, natural, pure, wild don't mean much if the ingredient list doesn't measure up.

As I have researched and trained in the health and beauty industry over the years I have learned that products outside the US tend to be more strictly regulated. For example, the Soil Association is the UK’s largest organic certification body responsible for certifying over 70% of the growing organic market. Organic products are free from pesticides and GMOs, harvested from strong, naturally healthy plants, and contain higher levels of natural antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamins than those which have been conventionally grown.

When I was diagnosed with skin cancer it took me about six months to find products that I would be willing to use on my skin and body on a daily basis and not feel compromised. I settled on NYR Organic (Neal’s Yard Remedies) which started in 1981 in a small depot in central London, driven by the passionate belief that health and beauty should be more natural and less synthetic. NYR Organic is one of the top organic skincare companies in the UK, Japan and Dubai. Their formulations benefit mind, body, and well-being, using potent herbs, oils, and extracts to meet incredibly high standards of efficacy. If you would like to know more about NYR Organic click here.