Title: Why use natural magnificence and wellness merchandise?
Do you know that merchandise might be known as ‘natural’ and have as little as 1% natural substances? That is the place The Soil Affiliation steps in, with their natural certification which ensures you will discover magnificence and wellness merchandise you may belief. In honour of Natural Magnificence Week, we caught up with them to find why licensed natural magnificence and wellbeing is so necessary.
What’s licensed natural magnificence and wellbeing?
Natural refers to a system of farming that works with nature, by prohibiting using synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. Within the meals trade “natural” is a legally regulated time period, but no such laws exists for utilizing this label for magnificence and wellbeing merchandise. Because of this corporations can legally label merchandise as “natural” even when they comprise simply 1% natural substances!
This is the reason the Soil Affiliation helped to develop the worldwide COSMOS customary for Natural cosmetics, so shoppers have tips they’ll belief. In a COSMOS licensed product, 95% of the substances grown on farms after which bodily processed, for instance by drying and crushing, have to be natural. We even have our Non-public Label Well being & Magnificence customary for non-cosmetic wellbeing merchandise (equivalent to candles, lubricants, and cleansing merchandise) that has related necessities, and the identical thorough checks from farm to the completed product. In search of merchandise with the Soil Affiliation brand subsequently ensures the product meets the gold customary of sustainability.
Why is natural so necessary for magnificence in addition to meals?
The identical arguments for natural meals apply to natural magnificence and wellbeing- it’s a system of farming that’s higher for the planet and the individuals and animals residing on it. As magnificence merchandise are a luxurious, we must be particularly cautious that their manufacturing doesn’t destroy nature and guaranteeing that they’re licensed natural is a method of doing this.
Natural farming gives many options to the present ecological points we face, together with local weather change. Soils on natural farms retailer twice as a lot carbon in them than non-organic[1], holding extra of this out of the ambiance. By prohibiting using nitrogen fertilisers- that are created from fossil fuels- natural farms additionally use much less power than non-organic[2].
This isn’t to say the superb protections natural farming offers to biodiversity. The prohibition of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides means biodiversity is way larger on natural farms than non-organic. On common, natural farms are residence to 50% extra plant, insect, and chicken life[3]. We depend on bugs like bees, moths, butterflies, and others to pollinate our crops. If we wish to guarantee crop progress can proceed to feed us- not to mention present for our magnificence products- such pollinators have to be protected, and natural is the best way to take action.
Why is biodiversity a scorching matter this 12 months?
Sadly, our biodiversity, notably insect life, is declining. Over 40% of insect species are declining and a 3rd are endangered, and intensive farming (as a consequence of using pesticides) has been recognized as the primary trigger[4].
The problem of biodiversity loss has been introduced into the general public consciousness extra this 12 months by the UK Authorities saying that they’re planning to chill out the ban on neonicotinoids. These are pesticides which are notably dangerous to insect populations, equivalent to bees. Only a single teaspoon of neonicotinoid pesticide is sufficient to kill 1.25 billion bees[5]. It isn’t arduous to see how this leisure may wreak large environmental havoc. The Soil Affiliation had been instrumental in first getting these pesticides banned within the EU in 2017, and choosing licensed natural magnificence and wellbeing merchandise is only one manner you may guarantee your purchases don’t go in the direction of supporting such dangerous practises.
Are there some substances that can not be natural licensed?
Sure, as “natural” can solely consult with substances which were grown and farmed by way of the natural methodology. This implies many substances which are present in magnificence and wellbeing merchandise can’t be natural licensed. The COSMOS customary states that a minimum of 20% of the general substances in a product have to be natural, and the explanation this will likely appear low is as a result of water constitutes a lot of the formulation in lots of magnificence merchandise. Water, which isn’t grown, can’t be natural. Nonetheless, as defined above, the usual stipulates that 95% of any substances that come from agriculture have to be grown organically.
There are additionally many pure minerals, together with clay and salt, which are generally present in magnificence merchandise. Once more, these can’t be classed as “natural” as a result of they don’t seem to be grown. Nonetheless, we additionally certify to the COSMOS Pure customary which covers all these substances. Just like the Natural customary, COSMOS Pure ensures that any pure supplies are sourced sustainably.
Is one certification higher than one other?
COSMOS Natural is an internationally recognised customary, which provides it leverage over different requirements that exist. We developed the usual in affiliation with different European certification our bodies. Nonetheless, Soil Affiliation Certification is the one UK physique that certifies cosmetics to this customary.
It’s definitely probably the most rigorous requirements on the market in terms of sustainability. It isn’t only for guaranteeing the agricultural substances in a product are organic- the entire manufacturing course of is inspected.
When it comes to the product formulation, we prohibit sure substances along with certifying those we do allow. Those who we don’t permit embody parabens, phthalates, and artificial plastics and microplastics. It’s price taking a look at our listing of “Horrible Ten” substances for extra perception on among the substances we might by no means permit in our licensed merchandise, however which may truly be present in another magnificence and wellbeing merchandise that label themselves “natural” with out certification!
All magnificence and wellness merchandise offered at Planet Natural are COSMOS licensed, discover our favourites right here.
[1] Gattinger, A., Muller, A., Haeni, M., Skinner, C., Fliessbach, A., Buchmann, N., Niggli, U. (2012). Enhanced high soil carbon shares underneath natural farming. Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences of america of America, 109(44), 18226–31.
[2] Smith et al. (2015) The power effectivity of natural agriculture: A evaluate. Renewable Agriculture and Meals Techniques, 30, 3
[3] Bengtsson, J., Ahnström, J., & Weibull, A. C. (2005 ‘The consequences of natural agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: A meta-analysis’ Journal of Utilized Ecology, 42(2), 261–269. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01005.x
[4] Sanchez-Bayo and Wyckhuys (2019) Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A evaluate of its drivers. Organic Conservation, 232, 8-27
[5] Goulson, D ‘Are crops being devastated with out neonicotinoid safety?’ http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/goulsonlab/weblog/neonicotinoid-protection
