Many of us are making a serious switch up for 2021. Everything from our exercise routines, the food we buy and the products in our bathrooms is being re-examined. Often the main criteria prompting skincare loyalty change is to move towards organic ingredients. Let’s be honest, it’s always been on the ‘if we were being better people’ to do list that we’ve never quite got round to but more and more this is changing. It also doesn’t make you a ‘bad’ person if your sceptical about how organic skincare can be just as beneficial for our complexions as more traditionally scientific formulas. From what actually qualifies a skincare product being organic, to the benefits it can have and the myths that just aren’t accurate, at Young LDN, we’re here to clean up the confusion on natural beauty. Here’s your bespoke guide to everything you need to know before you make the switch to make sure your products continue to work as hard as you do…

WHAT DOES ORGANIC ACTUALLY MEAN?

The beauty industry is quite frankly REALLY confusing for consumers. Over the years it has splintered into various different factions all vying for your undivided attention.

Traditionally, ‘Organic’ products are untouched by pesticides, GMOs, or synthetic chemicals. Unfortunately, poor labelling laws mean that there are very little restrictions on allowing the word ‘organic’ to be front and centre on a product’s packaging which can make it incredibly hard to know exactly what you’re buying into. However, all is not lost: there are in fact four loose levels of certification to look out for when it comes to what’s included on Organic product labels:

• ‘100% ORGANIC’: The product contains only organically produced ingredients. Finito.
• ‘ORGANIC’: The product contains at least 95% organically produced ingredients.
• ‘MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS’: The product contains at least 70% organic ingredients. Products that contain less than 70% Organic ingredients are not permitted to use the term ‘organic’ anywhere on the product packaging but are allowed to identify organic produced items in the ingredients list.

With that in mind, the next logical question is what makes a skincare product NOT organic? The answer this time is surprisingly simple: when it contains ingredients that are not actually grown organically.  In short, there is very little preventing brands claiming a product is ‘organic’ even when a limited number of ingredients on the inci-list (at a tiny percentage) within a formula is actually organic.

Now, before you completely lose all faith in the industry, hear us out. A top tip we give our clients is to almost ignore the front of product packaging (thereby circumventing any marketing jargon) and instead go straight to the ingredients list at the back. Often, it’s a little bit like going food shopping, the front is full of enticing images and phrases, but the back is where you need to go to see what’s actually in the product you’re buying. The takeaway? In order to make sure your skincare still is effective AND organic – its vital to read the complete ingredients list and (if possible) study the sourcing of each ingredient.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

You’d be right in thinking that sourcing effective organic skincare does seem to require some added leg work, but the benefits definitely are worth it. Just like with the food we eat, organically grown ingredients often are more nutrient dense and are without any nasty chemical residues that can irritate skin (sensitive skin types listen up!) or, in the worse cases, potentially cause long term harm in the body. Harping back to school level biology, the skin is the body’s largest organ and absorbs whatever you put onto it so it makes sense that many of us are embracing a similar philosophy for skincare as we would in our diet. No pesticides or unnecessary chemicals thanks very much.  

MYTH BUSTING TIME...

1. ORGANIC SKINCARE IS A GOOD THING, BUT IT’S NOT AS EFFECTIVE

This is the one we come across time and again, essentially you can’t have both things: good for the you and the planet and good results. Whilst its true results orientated synthetic skincare is a powerhouse for a reason that’s not to say that organic or natural skincare is not as effective. You just have to know what to look for and not be sucked in by (very well paid) marketing teams.

2. ORGANIC SKINCARE IS ALL ABOUT WHAT’S NOT IN IT

This is one of the biggest challenges that this so called ‘Green’ area of the beauty industry has to overcome. So much marketing and focus has been pointed towards identifying the ‘no’ lists and what isn’t present in products that many consumers find it hard to identify what is just so special about the fresh and potent ingredients that DO exist within formulations. That’s why we at Young LDN are focusing on trying to shift this narrative from a defensive stance to one of celebration! These formulas and brands are really worth shouting about for everything that they DO contain, not about what they don’t!