Green beauty - July 27, 2018

The difference between organic, natural and vegan skin care

Often when you decide to abandon the traditional skin care, made mainly of chemical ingredients, to go for something more green and suitable for skin subject to irritation and allergies, you are confused by the variety of products of different genres. When you decide to switch to a natural beauty routine for both makeup and skin care, you often come across three terms: organic, natural and vegan. What are the differences between these three types of products? And which ones are better suited to my choices? In this post I hope to answer your questions.

Natural skin care

A product is defined as natural if it’s composed mainly of any plant, mineral or animal ingredients. Often these products are not regulated by any entity and can also contain some percentages of synthetic ingredients. I therefore recommend that you read the list of ingredients well, keeping in mind that those at the top of the list are contained in a higher percentage. It’s important that the first ingredients of the list are natural. Natural products may be suitable for those who have decided to approach green beauty recently and want to try out some more natural products.

Example of natural skin care brand I recommend: Dr. Hauschka (80% of their products are also organic)

Organic skin care

The main difference, compared to natural skin care, is that all the ingredients of a product must have been grown and prepared without using pesticides, growth hormones or chemical fertilizers to make sure that there is no trace of synthetic ingredients inside. Brands that claim to be organic must be regulated by an institution in each country where it is produced. If you are not sure that the product is organic look for the respective logo and always read the list of ingredients. I recommend this type of products for those who have decided to switch completely to green skin care and those who support a type of cultivation that doesn’t pollute the environment and is good for health.

Example of organic skin care brand that I recommend: Annemarie Börlind (their products in addition to being certified organic are also sustainable, carbon neutral and vegan!)

Vegan skin care

The last category I want to talk about is the vegan skin care. A product is defined as vegan if it contains no ingredient of animal origin such as milk or honey. However, a vegan product it’s not necessarily also natural or organic so it’s possible that it contains synthetic ingredients or that it’s even composed entirely of synthetic ingredients. So if you are vegan and you don’t want in any way to use products of animal origin I suggest you to look for the organic and vegan certification logos. A sub-category of the vegan skin care is the cruelty free one that is not tested on animals. Also in this case, it is important to look for both certifications.

Example of a vegan skin care brand that I recommend: Pacifica (vegan, cruelty free and natural brand)

In short, if you want that your products are both vegan and natural but certified organic, the brand that I would most recommend the most is Annemarie Börlind, a German brand now established in the natural cosmetics wich I find really valid. Take a look at their website to see their products.

Photos credits: Violet Fleur, Apotheke zur Mariahilf, Mod by Monique, Red Lipstick Champagne Dreams