Organic, Natural and Vegan Cosmetics

Organic, Natural and Vegan Cosmetics We live in an age where all types of organic and natural content have gained considerable importance. It is quite common to hear these concepts in many areas such as organic food, organic clothing, organic packaging, natural soaps, and vegan cosmetic products. Therefore, let us first clarify what these concepts mean and then provide details about these alternative cosmetic products, which is our main topic.

What is an Organic Product?

For a product to be qualified as organic means that it contains no harmful chemicals and has been certified as organic by relevant institutions. Some of these certifications include: ECO-CERT Certification, ICEA Certification, BDIH Certification, Cosmebio Certification, and Eco Garantie. All products used on the skin are absorbed and enter the body. Since all harmful substances contained in products with unclear contents enter the body (studies indicate that approximately 60% of the product is absorbed by the skin) and the process of elimination from the body is quite lengthy, there has been a shift toward organic, natural and vegan alternative cosmetic products.

What is Organic Cosmetics?

Although organic cosmetics are often used interchangeably with natural cosmetics, they actually have very different meanings. Organic cosmetics are a form of agricultural production that uses no harmful chemicals or ingredients, with every stage from production to consumption controlled and certified. At the same time, not only the contents of organic cosmetic products, but also their storage conditions and place of production must comply with organic product standards.

What is Natural Cosmetics?

Natural cosmetic products are generally products whose formulas are based on plant-based ingredients and do not contain ingredients that could be harmful to the skin. Natural cosmetics are products made from natural raw materials of plant, animal and mineral origin. Synthetic dyes, silicones, paraffins and other petroleum products, perfumes and alcohol and other chemical ingredients are not found in natural products.

What is Vegan Cosmetics?

Vegan cosmetic products are based on contents that differ from natural or organic products. These products contain no animal-derived substances such as gelatin, glycerin, cholesterol, carmine, lanolin, guanine, collagen, and the like. Moreover, for a cosmetic product to be called vegan, it is not sufficient merely to not contain animal-derived ingredients; it must also not have been tested on animals. If a cosmetic product has a Leaping Bunny logo on it, you can understand that the product is vegan. Additionally, cosmetic products bearing logos from the European Vegetarian Union, PETA, Vegan.org and Vegan Society are also vegan. An end consumer can only form an opinion about the contents of all these products after they have been packaged. It is not very possible for a non-expert individual to determine the contents of an unpackaged product. For this reason, we can understand whether an acquired product is organic, natural or vegan only by looking at its label and the information that must be on the label: organic farming logo, control and certification body code and logo, statement of compliance with regulations and certification number. Prepared by: Dila Taşcı