Buying Health and Beauty Products with Organic Ingredients

Americans are increasingly striving to "go green" in their everyday lives. More and more of us are keeping in mind the three basic principles - reduce, reuse and recycle. One of the best ways to make an impact is in our weekly shopping routines. So, many of us are taking reusable shopping bags to the grocery store, choosing products with minimal packaging, or buying natural and organic foods.

Now, the green trend is moving to the health and beauty aisle of your neighborhood store as well, as companies introduce "natural" and "organic" lines of cosmetics.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you think about buying these products.

The term natural is not regulated by the government in any way except as it applies to food. Therefore, almost any health and beauty product could be called "natural." Countless ingredients could be considered natural, and an item that says it "contains natural products" isn't making much of a claim. If you truly want natural health and beauty products, check the list of ingredients. Look for botanical items and avoid products that contain additives or preservatives.

Remember, the government requires that ingredients be listed on product labels in the order of how much the product contains. The most-used ingredients are listed first, and ingredients that are present in the smallest amounts are listed last.

The term "organic" is a little more reliable. Most health and beauty manufacturers who sell organic products follow standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Natural Organic Program." If you see the "organic" seal, you can rest assured that it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. In fact, if the product is anything less than 100% organic, it will likely say so on any product displaying the seal.

The USDA has set a minimum of 70 percent organic material as the benchmark for a health and beauty product to say it is "made with organic ingredients."

Why do environmentally-conscious people choose natural or organic health and beauty products? Organic products are typically grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and the growing process is therefore better for the environment. Often, the organic ingredients in a health and beauty product are used in place of petroleum-based ingredients as well. In those cases, botanical ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil or coconut oil are used as moisturizers.

Because organic health and beauty products do not contain preservatives, they should be used more quickly than other products. Typically, they will keep for two months or less once a container has been opened. So, buying smaller containers is preferable, and those that come without resource-wasting extra packaging are the best choices of all.