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They’ve been buzzwords for the past couple of years, but the natural and organic trend is not going anywhere. Sales of the global natural personal care market increased by nearly 10 per cent in 2014, and Brazil and the Asia-Pacific were the fastest-growing regions - both racking up double-digit rates.
This rise in popularity has fuelled curiosity and questions about the eco-friendly category. To answer all the tough questions, BD chatted to and ’s botanical chemist Annabelle Personeni about all things natural and organic. Since both brands create pure, effective and luxurious products using naturally-derived botanical ingredients, who better to keep us informed?
1. Key benefits of natural ingredients
The main benefit offered by natural ingredients is they’re generally much less processed than synthetic ingredients and therefore have less undesirable impurities. They’re bio-compatible and there’s a lot of literature demonstrating that a particular active ingredient is more effective when present in a plant extract than when purified. The extract as a whole enhances the efficacy of many active ingredients.
2. Long-term outcomes
Mainstream haircare is generally based on high levels of silicones, which have an instant superficial effect (similar to the instant gratification fast food gives to a hungry stomach!). In the long-term, these haircare products don’t necessarily provide the deep nourishment natural haircare does. Natural haircare is similar to a healthy diet in that you know it will benefit your general health and beauty in the long-term. It builds the strength and health of your hair gently and slowly.
3. How to make the switch to natural and organic products
Haircare: The best way to switch to naturals in haircare is to swap to products progressively: change to a natural shampoo and conditioner first, as these are the products that come in direct contact with your scalp. It is good to note that natural shampoo’s often lather less than mainstream versions as they are free from sulphates. Keep using your mainstream styling products, but try reducing the use of hair serums, which tend to contain a high level of silicones.
Skincare: Switching to natural skincare can be done immediately, and your skin will most likely thank you for it. Natural skincare products are generally slightly heavier to apply than mainstream ones, as they rely on natural oils rather than silicone-based oils for deep nourishment.
4. Australian regulations on organic products
Organic certification is regulated and manufacturers have to undergo a strict process to prove they use organic ingredients, and that their supply chain and manufacturing process is segregated from non-organic products. There are different categories though and products can either be organic or contain organic ingredients. An organic product has to contain more than a certain percentage of organic-approved ingredients to be called an “organic formulation”.
5. What is classified as “natural”?
“Natural” is not a certified term and the definition is open to interpretation, but it typically covers products based on plant extracts and ingredients derived from plants. Depending on the brands, some “natural” formulations may also contain a significant level of synthetic ingredients, which is why it is important for the consumer to educate themselves about ingredients.
6. Determining the extent to which a product is natural or organic
It is not compulsory for a brand to disclose the level of natural ingredients and how concentrated the ingredients are. Some natural companies will list a large number of plant extracts, but these could all be very diluted. In comparison, you can have only a couple of very concentrated extracts, which can be more effective but from a label perspective, don’t look as “natural”. Unfortunately, there’s no regulation to help the consumer - it comes down to the honesty of the brand.
7. What to avoid
“Nasties”, basically. This encompasses silicones, parabens, sulphates, ethoxylated petrochemicals, phthalates, mineral oils, PEGs, DEA, artificial colours and fragrances. You should also avoid products involving animal ingredients or animal testing. While silicones coat the hair shaft to deliver instant shine, they do not allow any of the goodies to penetrate the hair shaft and be absorbed for maximum benefits.
8. Be aware of hidden “nasties”
It is not compulsory for a manufacturer to declare preservatives that come with some of the ingredients or plant extracts. A shampoo could contain a chamomile extract which contains parabens as a preservative. It is up to the product manufacturer to fully disclose this type of information or better, have strict criteria for all ingredients used and scrutinise that none of the “nasties” are included. This procedure is followed stringently with all and products.
9. The efficacy of botanicals versus hardcore chemicals
Many synthetic drugs have been discovered by looking at plants and how traditional remedies worked against certain diseases or skin problems. The benefit of plant extracts is these extracts are like “soups” that contain a blend of beneficial active ingredients that act in synergy with each other to deliver benefits. In fact, the natural products can be clinically tested and demonstrate similar efficacy than mainstream products, but often, this is happening in synergy with the skin and with no “nasties”.
10. The ultimate natural ingredient for a haircare and skincare regime
If I had to pick just one, for haircare it would be shea butter. This pure ingredient is rich but not oily and when you apply it in its pure form, it merges into the epidermis and is so biocompatible!
For skincare, I would choose Echium oil, because it has amazing properties to fight both inflammation and stimulate collagen in skin.
11. What to look for in natural oils
The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids, as well as how many vitamins have been extracted with the oil. The extraction process of the oil is almost as important as the choice of oil itself, because different extraction processes produce different qualities of the same oil (take olive oil, for instance). The best extraction process is carbon dioxide extraction, as it prevents oxygen contamination (hence rancidity) and is the optimal way to extract all the richness of the oils. This is the standard extraction process used across the and brands.
12. Storing natural products
Natural products do not contain ‘less’ preservatives but may contain different kinds of preservatives than conventional hair and skincare products. They have to be as resistant to bacteria as mainstream products and unless there are clear instructions on the packaging, they do not need to be stored differently.
13. Expiry dates
There shouldn’t be a shorter expiry date for most formulations. Having said that, some crèmes that are rich in natural vegetable oil can become rancid more rapidly than formulations containing silicones, for instance. But adding antioxidants to the crèmes should prevent that.
14. Skin and age suitability
Organic products are beneficial to all skin types and ages, but some organic products contain essential oils that have a high level of potency and active plant extracts. It is well know that such high levels could be problematic for sensitive skin, pregnant women and babies and should be used with precaution.
15. Natural haircare and skincare brands vs. mass market beauty brands offering “natural” products
Many mass market brands offering natural products are practicing ‘green washing’, and these products are what I call “pseudo naturals”: a few natural ingredients amongst a variety of non-naturals. Many of our customers tell us that their hair and skin feels amazing when they use our products, and that it’s difficult to return to mainstream ones. Natural ingredients at meaningful levels make natural hair and skincare products more expensive to try and that is a challenge, but I think we compete by making our customers’ hair and skin feel healthy.
16. The next big trend in natural hair and skincare
Haircare: Crambe abyssinica seed oil is the next big oil trend entering into the haircare market and is due to be introduced across the range, in particular our conditioners. It originates from the Mediterranean and is known to condition, moisturise and thicken the hair shaft. Crambe oil also contains a higher percentage of erucia (a fatty acid ingredient) than jojoba oil, which is hailed as the hero haircare oil.
Skincare: Turmeric and ginger for their inflammatory and antibacterial properties. They are good for acne-prone skin, and help to stimulate and detox skin.