I went off to a local farmers market today, to have a general look around. Obviously I couldn't help but look closely at some of the skincare products. What I found confused me slightly and also made me think that perhaps I should drop the word 'natural' from my advertising and labeling! I went from stall to stall reading ingredients on the labels, most of which advertised themselves as 'natural'. A lot of what I saw on some of the labels was not what I'd describe as natural. I picked up one skincare product to ask about the ingredients, the conversation went like this........
ME: Are you saying all of your ingredients are natural?
STALLHOLDER: Yes
ME: but the label says petroleum jelly?
STALLHOLDER: Yes, that's right
ME: I'm not sure you can call Petroleum jelly natural, can you?
STALLHOLDER: Yes its made from naturally occurring substances
ME: But it's made from the by products of unrefined petrol???
STALLHOLDER: Yes, but petrol is a naturally occurring substance from the earth
ME: So is Arsenic but I wouldn't put it in face cream and say it's natural!!
STALLHOLDER: But as it is actually natural, you wouldn't be wrong to say so...........
ME: ................................ (WALKS SLOWLY AWAY SCRATCHING MY HEAD...................)
So how helpful is it to say "natural", when natural possibly doesn't mean safe? For example COAL TAR, a thick black liquid produced by distilling bituminous coal, containing benzene, naphthalene, phenols, aniline, and many other organic chemicals. Coal tar contains approximately 10,000 chemicals, of which only about 50%, have been identified, and it is considered a moderate cncer hazard, by the EWG (Environmental Working Group). Still it's 'natural' I guess, but safe??
Maybe we need a new phrase, maybe 'naturally safe'?
Perhaps the 'Natura'l word has just been overused and over abused, time to stop using it, or being fooled by it?? Take a look at my page 'Ingredients found in other brands'
ME: Are you saying all of your ingredients are natural?
STALLHOLDER: Yes
ME: but the label says petroleum jelly?
STALLHOLDER: Yes, that's right
ME: I'm not sure you can call Petroleum jelly natural, can you?
STALLHOLDER: Yes its made from naturally occurring substances
ME: But it's made from the by products of unrefined petrol???
STALLHOLDER: Yes, but petrol is a naturally occurring substance from the earth
ME: So is Arsenic but I wouldn't put it in face cream and say it's natural!!
STALLHOLDER: But as it is actually natural, you wouldn't be wrong to say so...........
ME: ................................ (WALKS SLOWLY AWAY SCRATCHING MY HEAD...................)
So how helpful is it to say "natural", when natural possibly doesn't mean safe? For example COAL TAR, a thick black liquid produced by distilling bituminous coal, containing benzene, naphthalene, phenols, aniline, and many other organic chemicals. Coal tar contains approximately 10,000 chemicals, of which only about 50%, have been identified, and it is considered a moderate cncer hazard, by the EWG (Environmental Working Group). Still it's 'natural' I guess, but safe??
Maybe we need a new phrase, maybe 'naturally safe'?
Perhaps the 'Natura'l word has just been overused and over abused, time to stop using it, or being fooled by it?? Take a look at my page 'Ingredients found in other brands'
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