I often have clients looking for high performance products with the request that they are "all-natural". But what does "all-natural" actually mean anyway? And is it possible to get high performance with simple, natural ingredients? Let's explore.
From a regulatory standpoint there are no real guidelines that define what "all natural" means. So that leaves the definition of "all natural" up to the formulator.
Ingredients used in skin and body care products can be derived directly from nature, can be naturally derived, or nature identical. All three could be considered "all natural" or "natural".
Let's look at coconut for example. One could pick a coconut from a tree and use the coconut water in a formulation without modification. Possibly quite expensive to use in a formulation but definitely all natural.
Taken a step further one could process the coconut to produce coconut oil. The processing could be minimal or involve solvents but coconut oil is considered naturally derived and would fall under the umbrella of "all natural".
Coconut is often used to create surfactants. Surfactants are surface reducing agents that can be used in a wide range of applications. For example Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is considered 100% natural origin and I use such naturally derived chemicals to create shampoo bars, face washes, and more. But it is definitely a bit removed from picking a coconut from a tree. But at the same time if you're looking for a bubbly, lather-rich product to cleanse and clean, coconut water or even coconut oil may not cut it.
Then there are nature identical ingredients. For example citric acid is found in citrus fruits and can be naturally derived or synthesized in a laboratory. When made in a lab it can often be very pure and free of any pesticides or herbicides or other impurities and sometimes more sustainable to produce.
So as you can see "all-natural" and "natural" ingredients can mean different things.
And be rest assured there are many suppliers looking to create high performing ingredients that are natural and sustainable. One of the ingredients I'm excited about reformulating with in 2022 is a microbiome friendly, naturally derived preservative.
And I'm excited to be an Indie brand looking to combine both science and nature to create beautiful skin and hair care products. For me "all natural" includes products picked from nature, naturally derived products, and nature identical products. I use a combination of nature and science to create clean, effective products.
My goal for 2022 is to not only offer conventional "clean" products but to also offer EcoCert and COSMOS quality skin and hair care for both retail and wholesale.
Aromatic blessings my friends,
Tricia