How to tell if it?s Natural or Organic Products

Posted by albertareid on September 4th, 2012

These days, lots and lots of people are turning to a greener way of living. They prefer to use renewable energy instead of electricity originating from burning fossil fuels, and choose natural products and use organic products and ingredients. The key here is that green ideas and products are way safer for our own body while aiding our environment to maintain its equilibrium and restore it’s original state.

However, not everyone knows the difference between these two: natural products and organic products.. Here are some points you may want to know to distinguishnatural products from organic products:

1. Take time to read the label closely. Brands build on the misconception of people seeing products with a “natural” label makes them perceive it as something healthy and really natural. You may see a lot of products labelled 100% natural; actually some of it is not accurate. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t have regulatory junctions for the manufacturing and labeling of natural products.

Natural products as defined by FDA are products manufactured and processed without adding any preservatives or additives and also require a long list of ingredients for the products. By simply reading the label you can already discern whether a product is natural or not. Take note of some ingredients that are unnatural such as lead, mercury, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfate.

1. As to organic products, these are regulated ensuring that the ingredients used are grown in a chemical-free environment. The regulatory body imposes strict regulations and standards which should be met by the manufacturer.

An organic product must also be presented as an organic merchandise, you can tell that a product is misleading you if it doesn’t brand their product as organic or do not emphasize it on their product. Companies can buy a membership in an association with the word “organic” in the name and place stickers on their product, therefore misleading customers. For a product to be called organic, it has to be at least 70% organic.

Actually the key-point in determining whether you are using an organic product or utilizing a natural product is checking its label on the back for ingredients. Manufacturers these days put out some clever marketing strategies to mislead consumers with their natural and organic labeling.

While we all gear up towards a greener environment, we must not forget that using natural products and organic products don’t guarantee that they are safe. There are actually numerous natural ingredients and organic substances that are potentially harmful.