WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC & NATURAL SKIN CARE?

More and more people have started to realize the wonders of nature. This created the pathway for more research and latest discovery of 'organic' as well as 'natural' products.

Environment-conscious consumers are increasingly moving towards organic or natural skin care products from the chemical treated ones. And to cater to this increasing audience, skin care products’ manufacturers are coming up with new innovations and products of the lot.

Both Natural and Organic skin care products comprise of the same things but they are by no means interchangeable. This is because they are grown differently. Organic skincare products are produced naturally while natural skin care products, though cultivated naturally, use certain chemicals like pesticides and sludge.

For example, fruits are usually grown conventionally but to make them reap better it is treated with pesticides and insecticides. They are natural but they aren’t organic.

Organic skin care products record lesser amounts of nitrates than natural skin care products and it contains a high level of antioxidants and vitamins. The phrase "derived from natural fruits or vegetables…" is often seen on the ingredients list of cosmetic products. But the real truth behind them is the derivation process itself involves the use of certain chemicals. Likewise some companies label their cosmetics as "organic" just because it contains carbon. Therefore it is very important hat you know what you are buying.

Here are some tips that can help you make that decision the next time you are in a store:

+ Look for any organic certification that the product may carry. If the products are really pure and natural, it should carry a certification from some or the other organic industry standards.

+ Read the labels very carefully. Check out the ingredients list of the products and note the first four elements for they make the base. If there is something on the list that you do not understand, its likely it’s the name of some chemical ingredient.

+ If you are not sure about any of the product, run down a search on the Internet with MSDS along with it. MSDS stands for manufacturers safety data sheets. The data sheet will provide more info on the chemicals used in producing the products.

+ Using organic beauty products not only gets you the benefits of natural ingredients but also you can boast of your cosmetics to be environment-friendly. Organic products also make use of natural components that have been used as beauty ingredients since ancient history. But using natural substance to heal your skin and protect it, you can be rest assured that the healing process is totally safe without any risk of chemicals.

Here are some common beauty products that are available in organic forms:

* Cleansers and Toners
* Moisturizers
* Shampoo & Conditioners
* Massage oils
* Baby products and etc.

AVALON COQ10 RANGE

Okay, perhaps I should start with AVALON products.

Seriously, when I saw rows of neat dark purple bottles tucked neatly on a shelf of one organic store not too long ago, I am intrigued to find out more. I was actually looking for organic baby products because my baby skin is pretty sensitive and I wanted to start taking care of her skin with some good organic products. Unfortunately the store ran out of the baby range - so I proceeded to check out the skin care range.

As usual, I reached out to the testers and my! they smell so good! I felt so relaxed, calmed and 'loved'. I turned to the back of the bottle and read out the ingredients, the price is from RM50++ to RM80+, not too expensive and not too cheap. I tried its exfoliating scrub too - which has fine granules to slough off dead skin gently. However, I find its moisturiser a tad oily for me (I'm very particular about moisturiser). The shampoo and conditioner is heavenly! Perfect for that long hard day at work - great smell and relaxing to the soul.

In the end, I bought a bottle of its cleansing gel - from its COQ10 range (never too late to pre-empt that fine lines on my face) and have been using it eversince. My skin felt clean and calmed everytime I use it! I love it because it didnt make my skin feels dry too.

AVALON organic skin care range is definitely a keeper :-)

SAY WHAT? I NEED A PRODUCT...

While you are reading this, I am still looking for a suitable product to review - the first for this blog.

Let's face it, organic products are not cheap, they dont come cheap, and they hardly have samples for us to try at home too. Some stores are kind enough to open a few bottles and label them as 'Tester' for customers to smell and feel the products themselves before buying, and the fact that not many companies in Malaysia produces them makes it harder for some of us to find an affordable range of organic products. There is certainly not much choices of foreign ones here too.

Those who just came back from overseas often stock up on these goodies before returning home, and repeat orders were always made through friends or relatives whose currently based there.


There's probably one or two locally produced organic products that I am familiar with (and is currently using) but most of those that we saw in the organic stores are all imported from overseas.

I always read the labels and this drives my husband crazy, he often wondered what took me so long to 'decide' what I wanted to buy. The fact that I took the time to read, analyze, smell and compare the price and benefits gave me no choice but to prefer going out without him most of the time :-) Its a great way to destress too :-) - minus the long stare :-D

I am contemplating of writing about this soap from Taiwan (I love the fact it is sooo kind to your skin) or something that I had just used ocassionally (Avalon cleansing gel).

Bear in mind that I write my articles based on products that have been tried and tested, and since no two opinions are alike - I would like to keep some of my opinions that way :-)

WELCOME TO PRETTY ORGANIC

PRETTY ORGANIC was born out of love for ALL things organic and handmade.

I started using organic skincare eversince I realised using the generic products that I bought all these while have damaged my skin on continuous basis - only I didnt realise it.

My skin became too oily, congested and at one point of time was extra sensitive when I was carrying my first born. To help solve the situation, I turned to organic products - I was back to basic. The move has improved my skin tremendously and I never look back since. Gone are the days scouring over the mall's beauty counters for expensive creams and serums.

I believe in the saying, " You are what you eat, and what you put on your skin reflects how much you take care of yourself"... You dont have to spend thousands of cash just to do that. When everything else doesnt work - go back to basics.

Afterall, before all those beauty promises and super intelligent products camaraderies decorated our supermarket and hyper mall's shelves - our ancestors once lived on things that are natural and pure. Simplicity is always the best and the safest.

Be kind to yourself, your family and your surroundings. Choose organic products whenever you can. Make a gradual switch - and by doing so, you will help mother earth, protect the environment and all the living beings that depends on it.

PRETTY ORGANIC objective is to bring you products that have been tried and tested (by us, our friends and family), products that are new (worth trying!) and of course, we might sell a few based on request basis. We will also feature organic brands, handmade products that are unique from time to time.