What is the difference between bio, eco, organic, and natural cosmetics?

Published on December 31, 2021 By Gentle Touch

Natural or organic cosmetics are one in which the products are made with raw materials of natural origin. These ingredients can be of animal, mineral, or vegetable origin. All its assets have undergone a simple transformation process and do not contain chemical components, perfumes, additives, or artificial preservatives. In addition, they do not use techniques that harm the environment and health. Some of the natural assets usually used in natural cosmetics are vegetable and essential oils, plant extracts, or butter. 

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Natural cosmetics provide many benefits to the skin and do not produce side effects, so it adapts better to the characteristics of your skin and respects it. Therefore, natural cosmetics are perfect for the most sensitive skin, and as they do not contain synthetic products, their effectiveness is higher. 

You are clear that cosmetics that contain parabens, dyes, or mineral oils are not good, and that is why you have decided to include more natural beauty products in your bag. However, you almost have to take a master's degree to choose between bio, organic, ecological. In this article, we will discuss some of the differences between these products so that you can determine which one you should use. 

Local, ecological, and ethical products are increasingly appreciated. For example, we are increasingly attracted to eco food, ethical fashion, or cruelty-free cosmetics. But what do all these concepts that we hear so much mean? Are organic cosmetics, natural cosmetics, and bio cosmetics the same? 

How many types of cosmetics are there? 

The truth is that we are getting used to hearing different denominations about cosmetics and beauty products. For example, few of us are surprised by natural cosmetics or bio cosmetics. However, do we know what each of them means? 

We have industrial, natural, ecological, biological, and organic. We know that you understand what industrial cosmetics is. But what differences are there between all these types of cosmetics? 

Natural cosmetics

The base of the formula is natural. It comes from nature (water, alcohol, or paraffin), but the ingredients do not have to come from organic farming. Real natural cosmetics are mainly formulated with ingredients of natural origin such as vegetable oils, pure essential oils, plant extracts, and components of animal origin such as milk, beeswax, or honey. 

All those products that use raw materials of natural origin (animal or vegetable) and that have gone through a simple transformation process, with the minimum intervention of additives or chemical transformations, have used only those processes that are not harmful to the environment. Environment and health are natural cosmetics. But can makeup be natural if it only contains lavender and all its components are synthetic? 

That is why the cosmetic must be certified eco, bio, or organic, so we will make sure that it contains at least 90% of its ingredients of natural origin. Beware, there are non-certified cosmetics that contain 90% of natural origin ingredients and are just as good as those that are certified. For this, we will have to put ourselves in the hands of professionals who guide us. 

Eco, organic, or bio cosmetics 

The three terms refer to the same modality, but one adjective is used more than another depending on the country. While in France, it is common to call it organic cosmetics, in the United States, it is organic cosmetics, and in Spain, eco cosmetics. 

It is a seal that certifies, for example, that this product contains 95% or more ingredients of natural origin (50% of vegetable origin) and, of those, 5% from organic farming. There are different kinds of certifications, such as Cosmebio (popular in France), BDIH (Germany), Soil Association (Great Britain), or ICEA (the most used in Italy). 

These seals also try to ensure the biodegradable or recyclable nature of the packaging and the absence of GMOs, parabens, phenoxyethanol, or some ingredients of petrochemical or synthetic origin. Aromatica is one of the brands with the Ecocert certificate in many of its products. Of course, it is essential to note that a product can be organic, bio, or eco without having the certificate. Still, it is a bit complicated to know it just by reading its ingredients unless you are a professional in the sector. 

Why are these cosmetics relevant? 

We are increasingly aware of the products we use, and we are more interested in their benefits. At the same time that we are also concerned about the environment, we want to take care of it and protect it since we are part of it and we are all related. 

When using any cosmetic, it is in contact with our skin which absorbs them. That is why it is so important that we know what products we put on our skin and our hair since if we use the wrong ingredients, this will harm us. 

For this reason, natural cosmetics are made with natural products. The natural ingredients that we use in its preparation come from nature's plants according to the season of the year and from organic crops. 

When we refer to natural cosmetics, we are talking about makeup in which all its ingredients are directly obtained from nature. 

In the market, we find many products and brands that say they are natural, but they may not be, even if they contain natural ingredients, since what matters is the amount of those ingredients they have. 

Your skincare is very important, for this reason, we recommend that you choose the best cosmetic products but also keep in mind that with special techniques you can improve your skin appearance.  

If you have questions about our skin services do not hesitate to contact the Gentle Touch Team to get a FREE CONSULTATION. For more information about our services, please call (860) 216-6225 to schedule your appointment or email info@GentleTouchCT.com.