How can you call it natural?

[LadyM]

I don't have a website but I love to look at other people's soap sites,
and see the wonderful artistic variety of soap being made.

The thing that confounds me is that soooo many people make a big deal about their soap being "all natural", non synthetic, etc etc
and then ... their soaps are bursting with oxides and ultramarines!

As far as I know, those that are available are all lab created as per FDA rules to keep out heavy metals etc. isn't that right?
I'm wondering if there is something that I don't know about?

I'm so dang curious how it is that so so many people claim all natural when their soaps just aren't!!

 

[Tabitha]

The FDA has not come up with a definition for the word natural so it is fair game and to everyone's best disgretion. Different people have a different idea of what natural is just like different people have a differnt idea of what being liberal is, or what being a christain means, etc.

 

[AmyW]

One person's natural can greatly differ from another's. I think that's why is SO important to list every ingredient on every product, as well as for allergy reasons.

Slightly off topic, something I noticed when I was in Canada - in the US, "Mike's Hard Lemonade" doesn't list any ingredients, and it's not required by law, but the same product in Canada does list them by law and I was actually surprised to find there wasn't as much "unnatural" junk in it, I expected it to be full of all sorts of icky stuff. The US would do well to follow suit and require everything to have full ingredient disclosure so we can really be informed.

 

[carebear]

It's a matter of semantics. I've given up.

 

[judymoody]

People also make outlandish health claims about how their handcrafted soap can cure all sorts of skin ailments. That's not legal, but they do it.

As said above, everybody has their own definition. For me, "natural would limit me to botanical colorants, clays, and EOs. But then there's sodium hydroxide and that's made in a lab.... So I avoid "natural" altogether and prefer to see "handcrafted" or "artisan" soaps when referring to CP.

Obviously, you are an educated consumer and can see through the hype.

 

[c.a.p.]

I have to say, this irks me, too! Really gets under my skin. I, too, use the word "handcrafted" and I educate my customers about "natural" colorants, including the fact that micas and pigments are NOT natural (at least what we can purchase that is used in soap).

 

[madpiano]

you wouldn't want to use "natural" oxides and ultramarines as they usually contain a whole bunch of heavy metals and other undesireable impurities. In this case natural is not better than man made.

Some people do indeed only use EOs and thinks like Alkanet and other herbal colourants. Considering the very small amount of pigment used, I would still call it natural - at the end of the day, Lye is not exactly natural either.

I checked the new registration program for the EU to have a "registered natural" label and soap only has to contain 10% natural ingredients to register it, due to the way it is made. Water isn't counted there, just like water isnt "organic"

 

[cwarren]

ongoing debate - some can lye, and live with it.

 

[pixybratt]

I would buy something that said it was natural, as long as the ingredients are listed, because for me color and fragrance are a small almost non existent part of buying soap, it's more about texture and the way it makes my skin feel.

I've found in my life that "Natural doesn't always = good for you" and "synthetic doesn't always = bad for you"

less Stress is the only thing 100% good for you

 

[soapbuddy]

I've found in my life that "Natural doesn't always = good for you" and "synthetic doesn't always = bad for you"

Exactly.

 

[SudsyKat]

Amen to that, Pixybratt!

 

[AZ Soaper]

Also using FO's and saying they are all natural. I really want to see a cucumber melon growing or an oatmeal milk and honey EO. Gotta love it!

 

[LadyM]

I've found in my life that "Natural doesn't always = good for you" and "synthetic doesn't always = bad for you"

Oh I agree! I don't have any problem with people using "un-natural" things.
I use ultramarines and FOs myself but I was just confused on how it could be that something clearly made in a lab synthetically could be called "all" natural.

It's amazing to me that only a percentage of the product has to be natural (as someone mentioned) for it to be considered "all" natural.
Doesn't "all" indicate 100%? Disturbing!!

I hope I didn't come off as judgemental, I have no prob with synthetics.
I just felt totally surprised at the number of synthetic containing soap marketed as "all natural".

 

[cwarren]

actually what I found is SOAP is not regulated- or have guide lines as far as claims of all natural or organic .. but they classify soap as being somthing that cleans your body and nothing more.. if claims other than that, you may fall into cosmetic or drug and thats a whole new thing.. if anyone has info different please share link.. heres where I get my info
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceCo ... 074201.htm

 

[Woodi]

It seems to me that there's almost nothing that's 100% natural on our poor, beleaguered planet anymore.

Did anyone watch the BBC's series called "How the Earth Changed History"?

Once you see with your own eyes (even if through a tv camera lens) the many old refineries, the tar sands, the toxic run-off lakes, what has happened to the ocean and floating islands of garbage, landfill sites.....pharmaceuticals, intensive logging, massive-sized animal farms and slaughterhouses......and has anyone ever seen smoke pouring out of crematoriums?.....I figure it's no use worrying about a few additives we may put into our lovely, handcrafted soaps. imho.

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

I think it's hard to make the determination about "all-natural" and natural to begin with and then there are products market saying they are "derived from nature" well, most things are derived from nature, whether they be materials or ideas. I suppose for me it has to do with the context of what natural means to me and the products I use. I read a lot of labels and certainly agree not everything natural is good for me (Hemlock lotion, anyone?) and not everything synthetic is "Bad". I do think that the less something is processed, it can be better not only for me, but the environment also.

I looked up natural soap and found this site for “True Soaps” or “Natural Soaps” please visit: http://www.naturalingredient.org/pledge.htm.

Since soap isn't regulated, the whole natural idea is a matter of a lot of semantics in the end, it seems.

 

[carebear]

I hope I didn't come off as judgemental, I have no prob with synthetics.
I just felt totally surprised at the number of synthetic containing soap marketed as "all natural".

Yea well the thing is that soap itself is synthesized. The whole thing is BS. IMO. This said, it's a powerful marketing word and I understand why people use it.