How can I be sure that my beauty product is natural or organic?

Our friends at Salt of the Earth explain what to look out for.

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your entire body and that what you put on it is likely to be absorbed into the bloodstream?

Alarmingly, any beauty product can be labelled as organic or natural as there is no legal standards for the use of the term. Therefore, even if it only contains 1% of natural or organic ingredients or materials, it means that it can be called organic.

Water isn’t organic

This may come as a surprise but water cannot be organic. That means that a beauty product such as roll-on deodorant which may contain lots of water, would only have a low percentage of organic or natural materials.

As a result, products labelled as organic or natural could still have lots of synthetic ingredients and have a low amount of natural or organic ingredients.

Certified organic

The exception to this is the certified organic products. These are products that are natural and organic but also guarantee environmentally sustainable sourcing and production as well as only containing natural ethos ingredients.

cosmos natural certification infographic

Infographic explaining which products don't have natural certification

With natural cosmetics rising at a fast pace, many are forgetting what it means to be natural. This has led to lots of misuse and confusion of the word and amplifies greenwashing. It also presents an issue to customers who are purchasing these products with little ways to know if the product is natural or organic.

So, to be sure, only products with independent certifications to a recognised standard guarantee that the product is genuinely organic or natural. Make sure to look out for COSMOS Organic or COSMOS Natural next time you’re shopping.

Salt of the Earth

All Salt of the Earth UK manufactured deodorants and foaming hand washes are certified as COSMOS Natural through the Soil Association. This means you can be assured their products are truly natural and free from harmful chemicals.

Products with this COSMOS Natural certification:

  • have been assessed against a rigorous, third-party standard
  • don’t contain any harmful ingredients

Products with the Soil Association COSMOS logo guarantee:

  • NO animal testing
  • NO GM ingredients
  • NO controversial chemicals
  • NO parabens and phthalates
  • NO synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances
  • NO synthetic micro plastics
  • NO harmful effects to marine life nor the wider environment when washed down the drain
soil association cosmos natural logo

This certification evaluates the entire supply chain for its environmental footprint. It involves scrutinising packaging materials and mandating the use of exclusively non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products in manufacturing facilities. Licensees are required to implement an environmental management plan aimed at minimising waste through reduction, reuse, and recycling.

To uphold these standards, all licensees undergo a rigorous yearly inspection.

Don’t be greenwashed by organic and natural claims; look for a reputable certification logo – such as COSMOS, or alternatively, ECOCERT or NATRUE which have strict certification standards too. These certifications offer a consumer guarantee for buying genuine organic and natural cosmetic products.

Shop Salt of the Earth products.

How to choose the perfect Naturtint shade

For many, the dawning of a new year sparks feelings of wanting a ‘new me’, bursting in to the new year with a fresh new look and hopefully, a fresh new confidence.

One of the ways we can boost our confidence is by making sure our hair is looking the best it can, and for many that means colouring away those pesky greys or enhancing our natural shade.

Naturtint box dye and hair colouring kit

If you’re colouring your hair for the first time or thinking of making the cost-saving switch from salon to home colouring, it can be a little daunting knowing where to start trying to choose the right product and importantly, the right shade.

Well fear not.

It is very easy to make the switch to a home hair colour and in this blog post we’ll share some of Naturtint’s top tips for happy home colouring. 

What type of hair colour do I need?

That depends on what you need the colour to do. If you don’t have many greys and you want to enhance your natural colour a little, a semi-permanent might be best. It washes away in around 10-12 washes.

If you have more than the early signs of fine grey hair or you want to change your colour more dramatically, you’ll need a permanent hair colour. Like the Naturtint Permanent Hair Colour Gels.

How do I choose a shade?

Understanding the colour code on the box is the key to choosing the most suitable colour. The code is simple – almost all (there’s always an exception to a rule!) shades are given a code that consists of a number and then a letter.

The number tells you how light or dark the colour is, with 1 being the darkest and 10 the lightest. The letter after the number tells you what kind of tones you can expect. 

Visual guide to the Naturtint colours and tones

So, for example 4M is on the darker side of the scale. Five is the mid-point, so think mid-brown. The M means mahogany, so it’s a dark, plummy red brown shade, or Mahogany Chestnut to give it its official title.

What if I want to lighten my hair?

As Naturtint is free from ammonia and designed for at home use, it cannot lighten hair by more than two shades.

To use the colour code to determine which shades you can effectively use, start by deciding which N shade is closest to your natural colour.

If, for example you think you are closest to the 5N Light Chestnut Brown, you will have a base 5 shade. So, if you want to go lighter you can use a 6 or a 7. If you want to go darker, you can go as dark as a 1 but most skin tones generally suit one or two shades darker than the natural colour.

If you decided you wanted to go lighter but also a little warmer, you could then look at colours like the 6G and 7G. These colours are lighter than a 5 but also rich in warm golden tones as they are from our ‘Gold’ family of tones.

The Naturtint codes follow industry standards. So, if you are already colouring your hair and want to make the switch to Naturtint, chances are the codes will be very similar.

How do I use Naturtint hair dye?

Read the instructions first. It may sound obvious but it’s important that you read the enclosed instruction leaflet carefully and completely before you apply the colour.

You should carry out a skin sensitivity test 48 hours before every application. Even if you have coloured your hair or used the same shade before. Hair colours are complex products and sensitivities can develop at any time so plan ahead and take the time to carry out your own skin sensitivity test.

What will the colour will look like on my hair?

We recommend that you carry out a colour strand test at the same time as your skin sensitivity test. Particularly if you are colouring your hair for the first time or trying a new shade.

A colour strand test will show you just how the shade you have chosen will develop on your own, unique base shade. The same colour will always look a little different from one person to the next. The final colour result will vary based on the colour, thickness and condition of your hair.

You can also use the colour strand test to determine how long you need to allow the colour to develop. If for example your grey is quite stubborn, you will need the full 40 minutes development time.

What’s in the box?

In every box you’ll find a 60 ml bottle of colourant and a 60 ml bottle of developer. The developer bottle can be used as a mixing vessel and colour applicator, so it may look half empty This is so the colourant can be added and there is room for the two liquids to be blended by shaking the bottle.

You’ll also find a Quinoa Mask in every box of colour. This is designed to prolong your new shade and boost shine.

Lastly, attached to the instruction leaflet you’ll find some protective gloves – make sure you wear them throughout the colouring process to prevent staining.

Visual and text description of the contents of every naturtint box.

So now you know how to choose the perfect Naturtint shade for you, we look forward to welcoming you to the growing tribe of Naturtinters!  

In celebration of Veganuary, get 20% off Naturtint hair dyes until the end of January.*

*Offer ends 23:59 31st January 2024.

Brand Story: Zao

Zao create premium certified organic, 100% natural, vegan, cruelty free, sustainable and refillable makeup.

Zao makeup is owned by Cosm’Eika France and was co-founded in 2012 by four friends, David Reccole, Phillipe Donnat, Yvan Rouvier and Salima Macozzi Reccole. All four friends love nature and are passionate and conscious of the impact of consumption on the environment.

This is where the idea of Zao came from. The brand was created to align with the strong values of its owners where there was a passion for creating the first rechargeable makeup brand. It was important that the products were 100% natural and because of this they were also certified organic by Ecocert.

Continue reading Brand Story: Zao

How Mineral Sun Cream Protects your Skin

We all know that it’s important to get out in the sun as much as possible to get your recommended dose of Vitamin D and increase seratonin levels. It’s equally important to use sun protection every day to stop your skin absorbing harmful rays and to protect against burning whilst reducing the risk of skin disease or cancer.

You can protect your skin by covering up as much as possible while outside and seeking the shade. It’s also important to use sunscreen every day to limit the damage done by the sun. It’s a common myth that people with darker skin don’t need to use as much or any sun cream – this is absolutely not the case as sun cream is the only thing that can protect your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Mineral sun cream is a great way to protect your skin if you prefer products with fewer ingredients. Regular sun cream is made with ingredients that protect your skin by absorbing the suns rays, whereas mineral sun cream reflects them. Mineral sun creams are made with zinc oxide and titanium oxide, and offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays – which is something you definitely want from your sun protection.

Traditionally people didn’t like using mineral sun cream because it left white residue on their skin. This isn’t the case anymore, advances in technology have meant the mineral particles can be just as effective at a smaller size and are no longer visible.

If you want to give mineral sun cream a try, have a look at our ranges from natural beauty brand Green People, Alba Botanica, We Love the Planet and Shade for some zero waste options too.

Brand Story: Milly & Sissy

Milly & Sissy produce a range of unique powdered beauty products where you simply need to add water to activate them.

Milly & Sissy was founded by good friends Milly and Sissy who both have a passion for animals and the environment. Milly has had a career working in the health and beauty industry and has lived abroad in Asia and Europe. Sissy lives in the Midlands with her family and growing number of animals which includes sheep, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and horses. Combining their passion and talents they were able to create the Milly & Sissy brand. They are always looking for ways to improve our way of living that will have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. They believe that every single person can make a difference based on the small changes that we can make to our lifestyles.

Their aim is to try and reduce our negative impact on the environment.

Continue reading Brand Story: Milly & Sissy

How to Build an Organic Summer Night Skin Care Regime – Green People

Charlotte Vøhtz was a pioneer for the organic skin care industry when she launched her beauty brand Green People back in 1997, but it was on turning 50 that she started to formulate her signature Age Defy+ by Cha Vohtz range, to address the needs of mature skin.

Here she guides us through the most effective organic ingredients for building a natural, anti-ageing summer night skin care routine.

Continue reading How to Build an Organic Summer Night Skin Care Regime – Green People

Summer Skin Care Tips

As the weather changes, so too should our skin care routines. What is good for your skin in the cold months isn’t necessarily beneficial in the summer. Using natural, organic skin care products is so much better for you as there are no potentially harmful chemicals in the products that will be absorbed into your body. Continue reading Summer Skin Care Tips

Natural care for dry skin

We have a handy guide to caring for dry skin, courtesy of our friends at Green People. For people with dry skin, sometimes using an everyday moisturiser isn’t enough, no matter how rich the ingredients are – I have personal experience with this, and know that caring for dry skin can be pretty time-consuming, and upsetting when nothing seems to work. One of my favourite brands, Green People were actually formed by founder Charlotte Vøhtz when her young daughter Sandra was battling skin allergies and eczema. Continue reading Natural care for dry skin

Introducing Organii – Natural Health & Beauty

Let me introduce you to one of our newest health & beauty brands – Organii. Committed to creating effective ethical bath & body products, the company sources certified organic ingredients and works with manufacturers who share their ethical views.

Organii believe that everyone should be able to benefit from organic products, which is why they constantly strive to achieve fair priced toiletries for you. Their collection includes sun protection, shower gel, soap bars, hand soap, plasters and mouthwash, suitable for the whole family. Not only are the products certified organic, they are also suitable for vegans which means no animal ingredients, no animal testing and generally no animal exploitation. Enjoy your bath or shower with a clean conscious.

Let’s talk about the packaging too. It’s absolutely gorgeous. These are some beautiful looking toiletries that you wouldn’t mind having out on your bathroom counter. The clean white packaging with bright colours in different shapes makes it fun to use for everyone.

Since Organii uses natural formulas in all products there are no harsh chemicals so they will always be kind to your skin, especially sensitive skin. They are also free from parabens and SLS!

What makes Organii even better is that it comes in a wide range of fragrances, from liquorice to fragrance free, so there is something for everyone!

We love Organii because of the ethical credentials, commitment to protect the planet and because the products are affordable. Have you tried it yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!