Organic skin care products are made from natural ingredients that are easily absorbed and provide skin care benefits and vital nutrients to your body. By using organic skin care products, you can minimize the amount of chemicals taken into your skin.

There are hundreds of skin care products that claim to be organic. However, just because a product says it's organic doesn't mean it's all organic. By reading the labels of organic skin care products, you will know how organic a product is.

Organic is a term regulated by The United States Department of Agriculture. It includes ingredients that are not artificially flavored or colored that are grown or produced without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, insecticides, or herbicides within the last three years.

The United States Department of Agriculture classifies organic products as follows:

100% Organic - Contains only organic ingredients.

Organic - Contains organic ingredients of at least 95%.

Made with Organic Ingredients - Contains organic ingredients of at least 70%.

The term organic skin care covers a wide range of organic ingredient percentages. By reading the labels and understanding The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) seal classifying how organic a product is, you will better know which organic skin care product to select.

Even though organic skin care products are classified by The United States Department of Agriculture, they are not regulated by The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Technically, any product containing at least one organic ingredient can call itself natural. The benefits of natural or organic products are not evaluated, tested, or approved by The United States Food and Drug Administration.

When reading the label of your prospective organic skin care product, look for the following chemicals. If you see any on this list, avoid the product if possible. The negative effects of these ingredients cancels out the positive benefits of an organic skin care product.

Butyl (a chemical derived from alkane and butane)

Ethyl (a chemical derived from alkane and butane)

Formaldehyde (a common chemical preservative)

Imidazolidinyl Urea (a chemical preservative, commonly found in cosmetics)

Isopropyl Alcohol (a petroleum product)

Methylisothiazolinone (chemical preservative)

Methyl Paraben (a chemical preservative, commonly found in cosmetics)

Paraffin (a petroleum wax product)

Propylene Glycol (a petroleum product)

Propylparaben (a synthetically produced chemical preservative)

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (a chemical detergent)

Xenoestrogen (a suspected chemical carcinogen)

Buying organic skin care products takes a lot of label reading and understanding organic classifications. There is a simple way to avoid all of this confusion - by making your own organic skin care products. By mixing up your own skin care products containing all natural, organic ingredients using rejuvenating skin care recipes, you can ensure that you mix up a truly organic skin care treat.