WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COSMECEUTICAL, ORGANIC AND NATURAL SKIN CARE

There are so many terms given to skin care it is difficult to know sometimes which skin care product and category is right for you. Natural skin care vs organic skin care and cosmeceutical or medical grade skin care are terms given to differentiate skin care brands amongst the masses. 

Cosmeceutical skin care is mostly found in skin care clinics and not as readily advertised and available as department store skin care brands. I would love to see Cosmeceutical Skin Care make more of a presence in the department stores to bring awareness to this category of skin care. Unless one visits a Cosmetic Clinic one may never experience the benefits of this category of product. The same said for organic, yet I am pleased to see this category of skin care now more readily available in health food stores, salons and supermarkets.

Natural Skin Care:
For a skin care line to be labelled as Natural it uses ingredients available in nature. Natural products can also include animal products including beeswax and minerals. They can be blended with preservatives, surfactants and emulsifiers. Be aware though as “natural” skin care is not regulated by any government body. You would think if a product states natural on the label then it must be 100% natural. Not so. The best advice here is to grab your lotion or potion, read the ingredient list and do your homework. Ingredients are listed in order of potency. If you really want natural, make sure your natural ingredients are listed first. Don’t be fooled by synthetic sounding words though as they may be natural. Eg. Benzoyl Alcohol – sounds synthetic but is naturally derived from plants and is a popular natural preservative. A natural ingredient can still be farmed with pesticides, chemical fertilisers, growth hormones or antibiotics.

Organic Skin Care:
Organic Skin Care must be certified in Australia by the Australian Certified Organic association (ACO) to ensure it meets with their stringent guidelines. The ingredient must not be farmed with pesticides, chemical fertilisers, growth hormones or antibiotics. Look for the Australian Certified Organic Logo on your product to give an indication that it has met with the strict guidelines set by the ACO. Good to know if a product contains between 70-95% certified organic ingredients they can claim “made with certified organic ingredients” but they cannot use the ACO Logo.

Only Certified Organic Skin Care that contains 95-100% Certified organic ingredients can claim “Certified Organic” and use the ACO Logo.
Products containing 100% certified organic ingredients can claim 100% organic and use the ACO Logo.
Skin Care containing less than 70% organic ingredients cannot make any certification claims or use the ACO Logo, but they can list ingredients on the back of the products as “organic….”

Cosmeceutical Skin Care:
Cosmeceutical Skin Care do not claim to be natural or organic, their claim or main selling point is the use of medical grade skin care ingredients to give a noticeable positive change in the skin. However, there are all-natural Cosmeceutical Ranges. They target skin conditions such as ageing, acne, pigmentation and rosacea or sensitive skin. Some contain more natural ingredients than others. Cosmeceutical Skin Care is a blend of science and nature. The combination of medical grade synthetics with highly active natural ingredients like AHA’s, retinol and antioxidants. For example, Retinol is a gentle form of Vitamin A that is natural, it is found in egg yolks and fish liver oil. Whereas Retinoic Acid is a prescription only product is synthetic. Green Tea, CoEnzyme Q10 and Peptides to name a few are all-natural ingredients that work to improve the appearance of the skin and its texture.