Organic food and produce have become so popular, that organic farms are having a difficult time keeping up with the demand. However, we`ve also seen this organic trend in the health and beauty section of our local supermarket and it has many of us wondering if it`s a legitimate trend. The good news is that the trend in organic health and beauty products shows that our society is becoming more health conscious and that`s always a good thing! We`ll tell you in this health-seeking effort is worth your money, and if so, what to look for.

What Makes Something Natural?

You would think the definition of natural would be pretty simple and straightforward. Well, when it comes to beauty products, it`s not. That is because almost all health and beauty products must contain at least some synthetic ingredients to make the production process possible, to preserve their life, and to keep their composition. What defines natural versus synthetic? That`s easy; Natural products contain just that and nothing else - natural ingredients that contain no synthetics - and synthetic products contain chemically derived ingredients that are either formulated or result during a process of extraction.

The confusion is caused by the fact that because organic health and beauty products are a fairly new trend, the standards for their production and marketing have not been well established. That means that products can boast "natural" or "organic" when a good portion of their ingredients are still synthetic and chemically derived.

Are Natural Products All Their Cracked Up To Be

In theory, using natural products seems to be much better for us than chemically-derived products. However, the new organic lines are too new to have produced any real scientific proof that they actually have health benefits. There is some evidence suggesting a link between chemically-derived products and certain cancers, so there is no more to sell organic products at this point than just the assumption that avoiding chemicals will help us avoid sickness - but again, still not enough scientific research.

As far as appearance, studies show organic products to be more than ten-times less irritating to skin. However, just because it says "natural" doesn`t mean your skin will like it. I have found a number of different natural ingredients to be highly irritating to my skin, and although I`m still in search of the right natural product for my face, I`m sticking with the traditional products until I find one that doesn`t make my skin protest. Just keep in mind that just because it boasts "natural" or "organic" doesn`t mean it has better results.

Jumping On the Wagon

If you`re not ready to do full-fledged beauty shopping at your local health store and just want to wet your feet a little, there are a lot of mainstream beauty product lines that are trying their hand at more natural products and most supermarkets have a small section for organics. Some lines to try that are adding more natural ingredients are Burt`s Bee`s, Pantene, and even some of the major cosmetic lines.

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