(And why “chemical” isn’t a dirty word)
If you’ve ever picked up a skincare product, squinted at the label, and thought “Right… but what does natural actually mean?” 🌿
You’re in excellent company.
At Primal Essence, this is one of the questions we hear most often. Natural. Organic. Clean. Chemical-free. Synthetic. The skincare world loves a buzzword ✨ — and unfortunately, clarity doesn’t always come with it.
So let’s slow things down and unpack it properly 🌿💬 — without fear-mongering, miracle claims, or greenwashing.
Is “natural” actually defined?
Short answer: no.
There is no legal definition of natural in cosmetics. It’s not protected, regulated, or standardised. Which means that what one brand proudly calls natural may not match another brand’s idea at all.
Rather than a box to tick, natural is best understood as a spectrum. At some point, each of us has to decide where we feel comfortable on that spectrum — and that’s a personal choice, not a moral one 🤍.
The “as natural as it gets” end of the spectrum
At the most straightforward end, natural means ingredients taken directly from nature.
A good example is a cold-pressed plant oil. Seeds or fruits are pressed, the oil is collected, and that’s it. No complicated chemistry, no dramatic transformations. Simple, elegant, and very close to its original form 🌿.
This is usually what people imagine when they think of natural skincare — and it’s a perfectly valid starting point.
Why skincare can’t live on oils alone
But skincare is rarely that simple.
The moment you create a cream or lotion, you’re asking water and oil to get along — and they famously don’t. To bring them together, you need an emulsifier. To keep the product safe over time, you need a preservative.
This is where the term naturally derived comes in.
What “natural derived” really means
Natural derived ingredients begin their life in nature — usually plants — but go through some processing so they can actually function in a cosmetic product.
That processing isn’t a flaw; it’s what allows your cream to stay blended, stable, and safe. Without it, products would separate, spoil, or become enthusiastic homes for bacteria, mould and yeast. 🧫.
Which, to be clear, is not the kind of “natural” anyone wants on their skin.
This is also why you’ll often see labels mentioning the percentage of natural ingredients. These percentages relate to sourcing, farming methods, and processing — not to quality or safety by themselves.
Nature-identical: the most misunderstood category
Another term that often raises eyebrows is nature-identical.
Nature-identical ingredients are chemically the same as substances found in nature, but they’re created in a laboratory. This is usually done for sustainability reasons, not shortcuts.
Some plants are rare, endangered, or incredibly resource-intensive to harvest. In those cases, scientists can analyse a natural molecule and reproduce it without damaging ecosystems 🌍.
You see this a lot in fragrance. Certain essential oils — such as rare rose varieties — can cost hundreds of euros and require enormous amounts of plant material. Recreating those scent molecules protects nature while delivering the same aromatic result.
When “natural” and “synthetic” blur together
Things get even more interesting when research starts with fully natural raw materials and transforms them into ingredients that are technically synthetic.
So where do we draw the line?
This is where rigid definitions begin to fall apart, and curiosity becomes more useful than labels 🧠🌿. The future of cosmetics is less about absolutes and more about thoughtful choices.
Our approach at Primal Essence
At Primal Essence, we work within two parts of the spectrum:
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Natural
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Naturally derived
We choose this intentionally. Our creams need emulsifiers. Our products need preservatives. And preservatives, contrary to popular belief, are not villains — they are your skin’s quiet protectors 🤍.
Without them, you don’t get “pure” skincare.
You get microbial ecosystems.
No one wants that!
Final thoughts
Natural skincare doesn’t need to be confusing, extreme, or fear-driven. It’s about understanding what’s in your products, why it’s there, and deciding what aligns with your values and comfort 🌿.
If you’d like to hear my full thoughts (and the quick, practical examples behind them), watch my video next! 🎥.
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