Unfortunately, buying truly healthy skin & hygiene products is more difficult than you might think. Why you ask? It turns out that most of the beauty industry – from the advertising terms allowed, to the chemical makeup of the product itself – often goes unregulated.
This means that the consumer is responsible for distinguishing which products are truly organic and which products use it as a buzzword to attract customers that (rightly so) don’t know any better.
Here’s where Ujjayi comes in. For the next three weeks, we will walk through some of the biggest “buzzwords” and what they actually mean. We will teach you to be a savvy consumer and equip you with knowledge to pick the best products for your body. Thereafter, we will release a glossary of terms that may have different meanings than you’d originally guess. But by then, you’ll be a pro at spotting the difference.
“Organic” vs “Natural” vs “Chemical-free” vs “Clean”
The first terms we will dive into is the difference between “organic,” “natural,” “chemical free” and “clean.” Here’s a basic overview:
Natural - This term is completely unregulated by the industry. Any company can stamp this label on their product regardless of the ingredients that make it. Furthermore, lots of companies take it a step further by packaging a product in ways that we associate with “natural” like brown, biodegradable boxes or shades of green on the packaging. However, some products really are natural, making it even more difficult to weed out the bad versus the good.
Organic - The term organic is regulated by the industry, but not to the extent you might suspect. Each state has its own laws for how much of a product must be organic for a company to use that term in their marketing. If your product has a USDA seal on it, that means at least 95% of the chemicals used are organic. However, if you buy really local or from small shops, talk to the owner about their products because there is a chance that they may not have the budget to afford the organic certification or they’re in the process of applying for it.
Chemical-Free - This should mean that a product is free of chemicals, but (once again) it’s an unregulated term in the industry.
Clean - This is more of a “slang” term that companies will use for products that are truly good for your body. However, if you see it on packaging, be aware that there is no real standards behind the definition.
At Ujjayi, we know that you care about your body and we want to help you, wherever you’re at on your journey. That’s why we’re committed to using only ingredients that benefit you, inside and out (because these products do have an effect on the inside too).