Natural, Organic, Bio-dynamic - What does it mean?

Just because a product says it's organic or natural, or it's in a green bottle, it doesn't mean it really is. Many companies are using the organic/natural labels for marketing purposes. Some companies even put fake labels on their products. Before you buy a product, check the ingredients- they don't lie.

So when is a product Natural?

Natural

A product is Natural if doesn't contain preservatives, it is free of any artificial dyes, perfumes and other chemical ingredients. The product's ingredients must originate from a natural source, but it's not necessarily grown according to bio standards.

Bio-dynamic

A product is Bio-dynamic if the ingredients are bio, but it also came from a farm where the farmers take into consideration to the cycle of the moon, sun, circulation of the year and a planting calendar. The farmer pays attention to the cosmic forces what effects the soil and the organisms.

To make sure if a product is bio-dynamic, look for "Demeter Certified" on the label.

Organic

Organic means that the plant is grown in soil that is free from pesticides, fertilizers or hormones that are chemically based. The ingredients come from a variety of sources: Herbs, trees, barks, flowers, oils and extracts. The entire process of product development is rigorously monitored beginning with the seed.

Monitoring includes:

• How it is grown
• Harvested
• Stored
• Transported
• Processed

Providing each stage is completed according to the international standards then the finished product will display the certified organic logo. There are some different standards according to different certifications are as follows:

• Cosmebio
• USDA Organic
• NSF
• Oasis
• NaTrue
• BDIH
• Soil Association
• Eco-Cert
• Bioguarantie
• NASAA
• Biocosc

I, personally, chose 100% organic products, usually with USDA Organic label, because then I know that the ingredients originate from certified, trusted sources and there is no chance that will contain synthetic ingredients.