Differences between Non Organic and Organic Cosmetic Products

DDifferences between Non Organic and Organic Cosmetic Products

The manufacture of a cosmetic product is relatively complex: numerous ingredients are carefully dosed to obtain an effective and harmonious mix of the emulsion, suspension, foam or gel type. A traditional cosmetic product contains 4 ingredients :

• An excipient: a substance that acts as a vehicle for active principle(s). By its composition it will modulate the penetration of the active ingredient into the epidermis.
• Active principles : these give a cosmetic product its effectiveness
• Adjuvants: often essential, adjuvants are preservatives (anti-septics, anti-oxidants), stabilisers (gelling and thickeners agents) and moisturising agents which prevent the preparation from drying.
• The additives: they are sometimes optional, sometimes essential and are mainly fragrances and colourings.
• Other ingredients essential for the formulation: emulsifiers and surface active agents

A few examples of ingredients used in traditional and organic cosmetics :
Type of ingredient	Non Organic cosmetic	Organic cosmetic
Excipients	Mineral fats and oils, petroleum sub-products (paraffin, vaseline) and synthetic products (silicon) and/or vegetable fats and raw materials of animal origin	Vegetable oils and fats (Olive, Argan, Apricot…)
Active principles	Molecules isolated by extraction or synthesis	Natural active ingredients: oily extracts, hydroalcohols, plants, hydrolates, essential oils, etc.
Surface active emulsifiers	Petroleum derivatives, synthetic chemical products	Derivatives of sugar, vegetable raw materials, transformed by gentle chemical reactions with a very substantial natural part.
Adjuvants	- Synthetic preservatives - Stabilisers (synthetic polymers) - Moisturising agents	- Natural preservatives or “identical natural ” preservatives (citric acid or benzoic acid) - Natural stabilisers (derivatives of sugar and cereals) - Natural moisturising agents
Additives	- Synthetic fragrances - Synthetic colourings	- Fragrances: organic essential oils (lemon, rose, geranium, etc.) - Natural colourings

Each of these ingredients themselves contain several ingredients which are of synthetic or natural origin but very often the proportions of synthetic to natural are not shown on the packaging.