Features

Green grooming

1 May 2007 by business traveller

So you've worked out your personal carbon footprint, bought a few energy-efficient lightbulbs and always put some organic veg in the supermarket trolley. What next?

Organic and natural beauty and grooming products seem an obvious choice and there are lots on the market to choose from. With some experts (and many pressure groups) estimating that we could be absorbing up to a couple of pounds of chemicals into our bloodstreams from everyday cosmetics and toiletries each year, choosing organic seems to make sense, especially against a backdrop of scare stories linking commonly used chemicals to everything from skin allergies to breast cancer.

But, before you panic and bin everything in your bathroom, you should be reassured that there are very stringent safety guidelines on ingredient usage that are regularly reviewed by EU scientific bodies and legislators, which all manufacturers must follow. Thus choosing organic is, at present, more about personal choice.

If you do decide to go the organic and natural route for cosmetics and toiletries, you may be surprised to find that it's not all as straightforward as you might think. To start with, the terms "natural" and "organic" aren't interchangeable, even though they are often used in conjunction, nor do they necessarily mean what you might think they mean. When you see the word "natural" on a label, it can mean that the product contains 100 per cent natural ingredients or only one natural extract among many more chemicals. It could also be part of a product's name only. And a natural ingredient is not always an organic ingredient. It's a loose term and shouldn't be taken at face value.

"Organic" isn't clear-cut either. According to the Soil Association, the UK's leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming, all food in the EU must be certified as organic before it can be sold as such. But the regulation does not extend to non-food goods such as beauty products. That means an organic chicken is organic through and through, but when a cosmetic product boasts that it contains "100 per cent organic essential oils", this could maybe only have one organic component among a host of synthetics. Equally, depending on the formulation, a product may need preservatives and emulsifiers which have to come from an EU-approved list and there may not be a suitable organic to choose from.

What can you do as a consumer? Step one is to look very carefully at a company's website, their policies and ingredients. While you need a science degree to understand the ingredient listings fully, as a general rule if there are a lot of long chemical names, it's fair to say the product probably isn't as natural as the botanical illustrations on the front may imply. While the internet is a great research tool, beware false claims and urban myths – there's a lot of ranting about chemicals which are no longer used in consumer products in the EU.

You could also look out for the Soil Association's symbol on products – it runs an organic certification scheme, which companies pay for. Their principles are that a product which carries the Soil Association symbol and is labelled "organic", must contain a minimum of 95 per cent organic ingredients. If it's labelled as being made with "organic ingredients", it must contain a minimum of 70 per cent organic ingredients. The remaining ingredients must be non-GM and can only be used if the organic version of that ingredient is not yet available or if they are from a restricted list of synthetic chemicals which have no detrimental impact on human health and minimum environmental impact.

Be aware that there are no global organic standards as yet, so if you are buying imported US or Australian goods they'll be subject to different laws and certification schemes. Other European schemes include the French Ecocert.

Many products now highlight that they are free of parabens and sodium lauryl sulphate (the former are widely used preservatives which some have associated with hormone disruption and the latter can be irritating to the skin). Industry experts say this is just as much a marketing ploy as pretty plants on the packaging disguising the fact a product has more in common with a chemical factory than a lush rainforest; however, the EU is reviewing parabens on an ongoing basis.

While people with sensitive skin and conditions such as eczema may well benefit from using products with fewer chemicals, until there's more research on the impact of chemical cocktails, right now what you buy is a lifestyle choice. The good news is that, if you do choose organic or natural products, you no longer have to compromise on style – as well as being feel-good, the new generation of greener beauty products look good too. Equally, they also perform well, with textures that are a pleasure to use and formulations that deliver.

Keep it natural

Care by Stella McCartney 5 Benefits Moisturising Cream, £46 With 100 per cent organic ingredients, no petrochemicals or parabens and certified by Ecocert, this moisturiser hydrates, protects, firms and boosts the skin's radiance. Currently exclusive to Selfridges

Origins Nourishing Oil for Face, £25 Claiming to be 100 per cent organic, this product restores the skin's moisture balance and contains a blend of seven essential oils (patchouli, clary sage, geranium, clove, ylang ylang, lavender and bergamot), plus safflower and grapeseed oils.

Waitrose Organic Refreshing Hand Wash, £3.99 This comes in a number of refreshing and energising blends, each made with a minimum of 95 per cent organic ingredients. All the products in Waitrose's Organic Body and Bath range are certified by the Soil Association.

L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau de Jatamansi, £80 This is unusual among scents in that it is 100 per cent natural and 79.51 per cent organic (most contain many synthetics). Fresh and invigorating with a lingering sensuality, it has Ecocert certification. Visit artisanparfumeur.com

Comfort & Joy Honeymoon Cleanser, £16 This is a great cleanser for all skin types and contains organic Cotswold honey (which is gently antiseptic and exfoliating), jojoba oil and sandalwood. Comfort & Joy's range of products are organic where possible and use mostly natural ingredients. Visit comfortandjoy.co.uk

Moa Balm, £9.50 This can be used as a cleanser and is also good for rehydrating dry skin. Made on an organic farm in Iceland from 100 per cent organic herbs, including yarrow and tea tree, plus oils of coconut, sweet almond and soya, it's also said to help heal burns and scarring too. Call +44 (0)175 3759 720 for stockists

Neal's Yard Honey & Orange Scrub, £8 A blend of ground rice and kaolin, which exfoliates, and sunflower oil and honey, which moisturises and heals. Orange and neroli oils give the scrub its gorgeous smell. Visit nealsyardremedies.com

John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner, £20 This product balances natural oils and combats itchiness, flakiness and frizz, leaving your hair shiny. All the John Masters products are made from organic or wild-harvested ingredients and unnecessary chemicals are banned. Call +44 (0)1874 610667 or visit johnmasters.co.uk

Green People Body Butter, £14.99 This is packed with nourishing 100 per cent plant oils. It leaves your skin smooth and comfortable, and lightly scented with essential oils of rose geranium, mandarin and sandalwood. The Green People range was inspired by the improvements made to the allergies and eczema of the founder's daughter by switching to a chemical-free lifestyle. Call +44 (0)1403 740350, greenpeople.co.uk

Trevarno Organic Eye Cream, £7.10 This eye cream is handmade in Cornwall and certified by the Organic Farmers & Growers, which inspects a variety of organic operations in the UK. Its blend of natural and organic oils and extracts, such as eyebright and rose flower water, nourishes and protects the delicate skin around the eyes. Call +44 (0)1326 555977, or visit trevarno.co.uk

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