Have you ever bought a cosmetic that you were assured was natural, only to get it home, read the label and wonder what on earth those long names were? Miessence believes it's about time consumers were given the power to make informed choices regarding their personal care.

1. Good for the soil
Organic systems rely on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology and soil science, while also depending on traditional methods of crop rotations to ensure fertility and weed and pest control.

2. Good for the environment
Organic systems aim to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. Organic production aims at all times towards sustainability whilst having best management of the environment and wildlife as a priority.

3. Good for people
Organic based ingredients have been shown in a number of studies to contain more vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants than non-organic ingredients.

4. No synthetic chemicals
Organic systems prohibit the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers.

5. No GMO's
Certified Organic products are produced without GMOs, which are prohibited in the standards for organic food and farming.

To obtain organic certification for a product, a minimum of 95% of all ingredients of agricultural origin must be certified organic. The remaining 5% of ingredients however are also bound by strict guidelines. They are, for example, not permitted to be synthetic chemicals or artificially processed ingredients.

The benefits of certified organic products and processes:

• Independent third-party guarantee of quality, and purity of ingredients.
• Safe, clean and potent plant extracts of high vitality.
• Sustainable agriculture that respects, supports and nurtures the complete ecology and energy of our planet.
• Authenticity and integrity of organic and natural claims.
• Prevention of damage to the environment and humans by the poisonous chemicals used in conventional agriculture.

While 'natural' and 'organic' claims abound, the only way you can be sure is by using a fully certified organic range of products.

Many may claim to use organic ingredients, but none have achieved third party independent certification.

Nowhere do the terms "natural" or "organic" take a more gratuitous bruising than the cosmetics industry! 

True definition of natural: "Existing in, or formed by nature; not artificial."

Commercial definition of natural: "Any ingredient "derived from" a natural substance."

We often see long chemical names followed by the phrase "derived from coconut oil". For example, to create cocamide DEA from coconut oil requires the use of a carcinogenic synthetic chemical (diethanolamine - DEA). It is therefore no longer natural (or safe). To insinuate that it is a natural substance by adding the phrase "derived from coconut oil" is deceitful. Just because vodka can be made from potatoes, doesn't mean it's good for you!

True definition of organic: "Grown, cultivated and stored without the use of chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, fumigants and other toxins."

Commercial definition of organic: "Any compound containing carbon."

The organic chemistry definition of organic, is any compound containing carbon. Carbon is found in anything that has ever lived. So, by using this definition of organic we could say that the toxic petrochemical preservative, methyl paraben is "organic" because it was formed by leaves that rotted over thousands of years to become the crude oil used to make this toxic preservative.