Why You and your Skin Thrive on Certified Organic Skin Care

The scientist in me tends towards the sceptical - perhaps more so when it comes to making claims about our own certified organic products. So when asked the question ‘Is certified organic skin care better for you and your skin?’, my short answer is ‘yes’, but perhaps not for the reason you're expecting. For the long answer, please read on!

What’s special about certified organic skin care?

Certified organic skin care must conform to a particular standard, and when a brand bears a certified organic logo,  you can be assured that it has undergone a rigorous annual audit by an external body to ensure it meets that standard. This is quite different to a skin care brand that simply includes certified organic ingredients in its formula. 

Obtaining organic certification is not just about the certified organic content - it requires meeting standards in a range of areas, including packaging, as well as environmental and social justice standards. In addition, no animal testing either of ingredients or the final product may be performed. However, when it comes to the product itself, you can be assured not only of the percentage of organic ingredients in the product, but also of what is not added to it. Examples of ingredients prohibited from organic skin care include nano-compounds, GMO’s, PEG’s, synthetic fragrances, paraben preservatives and other synthetic ingredients that may be harmful to health (read more below). 

That said, the relatively new COSMOS standard for cosmetics (1) is far less stringent than the Australian Standard (2) - for example organic content of a COSMOS product may be as little as 10% compared to a minimum of 95% for a product certified to the Australian Standard. In addition, the COSMOS standard allows inclusion of petroleum-derived ingredients and a broad range of synthetic ingredients, whereas the Australian standard does not. You can read more on that here.

In summary, organic certification, in particular the Australian Standard, is a guarantee that the product meets a range of ethical, environmental and human safety standards that may not be met by conventional skin care. All Mokosh products are certified organic to the Australian Standard through NASAA.

What harm can be done by ingredients banned from certified organic skin care?

I thought it was worth looking at some of the most concerning ingredients that are widely used in conventional skin care and banned from organic skin care. 

Ethoxylated ingredients, eg PPG (polypropylene glycol), PEG (polyethylene glycol), and polysorbate, and ingredient names ending in ‘-eth’ - may be contaminated with ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen, and 1,4-dioxane, a possible human carcinogen (3)

Phenoxyethanol - a commonly used preservative that is a potent allergen linked to eczema and occasional anaphylaxis, and may cause acute nervous system effects in infants (4)

Paraben preservatives - commonly used preservatives that weakly bind oestrogen receptors and have potential endocrine disrupting effects. They are readily absorbed through the skin (5). Read more here and here.

Petroleum/petrolatum derived compounds - may be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are likely carcinogens (6).

Polyacrylamide - usually contains small amounts of unreacted acrylamide which is a likely carcinogen. It is readily absorbed through the skin (7).

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Teflon - used in a range of cosmetics, particularly anti-aging products. May be contaminated with perfluorooctonoic acid (PFOA) which is a type of PFAS. PFOA is linked to a range of conditions including cancer and endocrine disruption (8).

Phthalates - may be added to synthetic fragrances, nail polish and eyelash glues. Linked to endocrine disruption and likely carcinogens (9).

Because skin care products are applied repeatedly, and over many decades of an individual's life, their effects may be more problematic than regulatory authorities can determine. In safety testing, life-long exposure is not examined, nor is exposure to the cocktail of synthetic ingredients commonly added to skin care. For this reason, the real life exposure to the many potentially harmful ingredients in conventional skin care could be more damaging than we currently understand.  

Are certified organic ingredients better for my skin than ‘conventionally grown’ ingredients?

The term ‘conventionally grown’ means plants grown with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and which may be genetically modified. In contrast, in organic farming, GMO crops are not permitted, and synthetic fertilisers and pesticides may not be used.

A number of studies comparing nutrient content of plants grown in each system have been performed. One showed a 12% higher content of biologically active metabolites (10), and 5% higher levels of micronutrients in organic, compared to conventional foods (11) . Another study showed higher levels of antioxidants (12) and lower pesticide residues and cadmium levels (13). Overall, however, the data is quite patchy with some conflicting results. 

To our knowledge, studies have not been performed comparing the nutrient content of conventional versus organic skin care products, but if the above studies are an indication, it is possible that the content of key actives like antioxidants may be significantly higher in organic compared to conventional skin care. At the same time, contamination with synthetic pesticides and herbicides is far less likely.

Mokosh 100% certified organic products go beyond the rest

Mokosh products are virtually unique, even when compared to other certified organic brands. We use no synthetics in our products, which means we have been able to achieve 100% certified organic ingredients. This is a rarity in skin care because water-containing skin care must include preservatives and emulsifiers, both of which are synthetic. Our reasoning for this? Even ‘safe’ preservatives and emulsifiers can have a negative effect on the skin. Instead, our products are made from carefully formulated organic botanicals that are biocompatible and bioactive. When it comes to nutrient content, they are pure concentrates, compared to the watered-down (typically 80% water) versions found in virtually all skin care, both conventional and certified organic.

Why would you choose to use anything else on your precious body?

REFERENCES

1. COSMOS Organic Standard
2. Australian Organic Standard
3. Ethoxylated ingredients
4. Phenoxyethanol
5. Parabens
6. Petroleum
7. Polyacrylamide
8. Polytetrafluoroethylene
9. Phthalates
10. (10) (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07352689.2011.554417
11. (11) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21929333/
12. (12) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12590461/
13. (13) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24968103/