The difference between natural, organic, clean beauty
🌿 Natural cosmetics
So-called natural cosmetics primarily contain ingredients derived from nature:
- plants, vegetable oils, butters, natural extracts
- limited transformation (preserving the natural origin as much as possible)
- 👉 Important:
- “Natural” is not always regulated
- A product can be 95% natural… but contain some permitted synthetic ingredients
🌱 Organic cosmetics
Organic cosmetics are more regulated than natural cosmetics.
It must comply with a set of specifications (labels such as COSMOS, Ecocert):
- ingredients from organic farming
- ban on numerous pesticides and controversial substances
- minimum percentage of organic ingredients in the formula
👉 Donc :
✔ bio = naturel + règles strictes + certification
✨ Clean beauty
clean beauty is the most ambiguous of the three.
It does not depend on an official label but on a philosophy:
- formulas deemed “healthy” or “uncontroversial”
- exclusion of ingredients considered irritating or suspect (parabens, harsh sulfates, etc.)
- transparency of formulas
👉 But:
❗ Each brand defines its own rules → it is not standardized
🧴In quick summary
- Natural = derived from nature (minimal processing, minimal regulation)
- Organic = natural + certified + strict rules
- Clean beauty = without controversial ingredients (but definition varies)