Understanding Organic Certified Beauty Products

Organic or natural cosmetics can be expensive, and sometimes not effective. Here is some important information to know before buying organic beauty products:


USDA Organic certified
Through the National Organic Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates food ingredients found in cosmetics, and the Certified USDA Organic symbol is one of the most trustworthy labels around, especially on foods. But because the USDA only has jurisdiction over farm-raised ingredients, not all beauty product ingredients are regulated under this program, and there are more than enough ways to get confused. Here's a quick guide:

• Not regulated: Plant-derived ingredients and essential oils.
• Regulated: Ingredients like honey, cinnamon, avocado and other foods.

The term "organic," as it appears on beauty labels, has 4 variations:

1. 100% Organic: The product must contain only organically produced food ingredients, and the label will display the USDA Organic seal.
2. Organic: The product must contain at least 95% organically produced food ingredients, and the label will display the USDA Organic seal.
3. Made with Organic Ingredients: The product must contain at least 70% organically produced food ingredients. While the front of the product can list up to three organic ingredients or one organic food group, the label will not have the USDA Organic seal. Individual ingredients on a product's ingredient list will be labeled as "organic".
4. Organic Ingredients: Products which contain less than 70% organically produced food ingredients can only include organic ingredients on its ingredients list, but these products cannot display the USDA Organic seal.

Source: thedailygreen