Organic beauty products

Organic beauty products, unlike organic food and drink, are not heavily regulated, so a shampoo made with a small amount of an organic ingredient could legally label itself organic.In 2002 the Soil Association, one of the UK's leading organic certification bodies, launched its own standard for health and beauty products based on the principle of the maximum amount of organic ingredients with the minimum amount of synthetic ingredients, and any other ingredients must be non-genetically modified. A product carrying the Soil Association 'organic' label must be made up of 95% organic ingredients, while a product labelled as 'made with organic ingredients' must contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients. It will also have gone through a minimal amount of processing and will not contain toxic chemicals or those which have detrimental effects on the environment. They will also be biodegradable. A product like shampoo and conditioners need some chemicals to preserve them, as well as emulsifiers to stop the oil and water separating. While some organic preservativesare available, the Soil Association permits the use of chemical preservatives, providing they comply with various criteria. The use of natural preservatives are encouraged and to prevent the fast spread of bacteria the products can be heat-treated or vacuum-packed. When you're sourcing organic products, try to buy those carrying a certifying mark from a recognised certifying body, such as the Soil Association.