So........ Is it natural?

My journey into the world of making skincare products has been a wonderful journey. Being on a continuous quest for knowledge. One question that has come up time and time again is can we label our product as "Natural".

As a creator of handmade skincare products I want to provide the best product possible for my customers. Ideally I would recommend having your products certified with the NPA or any such governing body. Realistically many of the cottage industry skincare businesses are unable to afford the expense of becoming certified.

So how do we handle this "Natural" thing? Just recently this was the discussion on a Facebook group of which I am a part. Actually this topic has come up so many times. As an artisan I want my customers to be well informed about what goes into my products without diluting the word "Natural". Let's look at the standards required to obtain Natural Certification set by the NPA.

The NPA Natural Standard

As stated by the NPA their standard is based on:

1. Natural Ingredients - A product labelled as "Natural" should be made up of only or mostly only natural ingredients and should be manufactured in a process to maintain the purity of the ingredients.

2. Safety - A product labelled as "Natural" should avoid any ingredient with a suspected human health risk

3. Responsibility - A product labelled as "Natural" shouldn't use animal testing in its development.

4. Sustainability - A product labelled as "Natural" should use biodegradable ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging.

This is meant to determine what "Natural " skincare product is and clarify what it isn't. Some of the NPA standards required to become certified are:

1. The product must be made with 95% natural ingredients (not including water.)

2. May contain only safe synthetic ingredients.

3. A synthetic or non natural ingredient can be used only when a natural alternative isn't available and there is no suspected human health risk.

Some of the banned ingredients include: Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Petroleum/Mineral Oil/Paraffin, Chemical Sunscreen, Glycols, Phthalates, Synthetic Polymers (PVP, Acrylates), Formaldehyde donors, Ethoxylated ingredients (a process where ethylene oxide is added to alcohol and phenols to give surfactants), Ethanolamines (an organic chemical compound that acts like a weak base. It is toxic, flammable and corrosive, colourless with an ammonia like smell. Often abbreviated as MEA, ETA,)

The NIRC has its own Natural Product                              (Photo courtesy trinichow.com)

Labelling Guideline.

100% Natural/All Natural

This can only be met when the ingredients have met the NIRC criteria for natural ingredients.

Natural

Where 95% of the ingredients must meet the NIRC criteria for natural ingredients. The remaining 5% may come from ingredients that do not meet this criteria but must not include synthetic fragrances, artificial colours or ingredients from petrochemicals. The toxicity level of each ingredient must be minimal.

Made With/From Natural Ingredients

These products must contain 70% ingredients that meet the NIRC criteria. the remaining 30% may come from ingredients that do not meet this criteria but must not include synthetic fragrances, artificial colours or ingredients from petrochemicals. These products may not display the NIRC seal.

The NIRC has made an exception for "True Soap" once it falls into the following criteria.

It can only be labelled as "Natural" soap if the ingredients that go into it are lye and 100% natural ingredients according to, yes you guessed it, the NIRC criteria for natural ingredients.

It may be labelled as "Natural " soap only if All the ingredients are listed. Yes. this means nothing is listed as "Saponified oils of". List the lye.

"Natural" soap may not contain any synthetic or artificial ingredients including but not limited to artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, man made vitamins, solvents extracted oils or additional glycerin.

So how to address the the topic of labelling handmade products as natural? This is what I do. I don't put natural on the packaging. For me the word "Natural" just like the word "Organic" doesn't mean anything to me unless it has been certified natural. Don't underestimate the power of the seal. When I first started selling in August last year I was reluctant to d a full ingredient listing. My soap ingredients would be listed as "Saponified oils of". I was never very happy with that. It made me feel like if I was being dishonest. Now I give a full ingredient listing appearing in a descending order of percentage. Customers are capable of reading the list. In fact consumers today have become more product conscious. They are more discerning about not what only goes in their bodies but also what goes on it. Finally on my Facebook page I would use the terms such as home grown  as opposed to "Natural". Despite the fact that more than 95% of my ingredients are natural. It is a word that I have found to be over used and brings little comfort unless it is followed by a certified seal of approval.

Ensure that your labelling is TRUTHFUL and is not found to be misleading. There is no established regulatory definition for the term "Natural" in cosmetics. Don't use terms like "Natural as part of the ingredient statement as they must be listed by their common name without additional description. You are responsible for the ingredients you use. A supplier may list an item as "Natural" or "Organic" but it is your responsibility to ensure that it is safe when used.

For more information on obtaining natural certification or registering with the NIRC see the links below.



NPA Link  npainfo.org

NIRC Link http://naturalingredient.org/

Ecocert http://www.ecocert.com/en/natural-and-organic-cosmetics