How Natural Are Most 'Natural' Products?

You've decided to change the way you shop. You want to buy responsibly, spending your hard-earned cash on special gifts and everyday products that really are natural, not just paying lip service to the concept or hijacking it cynically to boost sales. But what does 'natural' really mean in a manufacturing context, and how can you be sure the manufacturer isn't just cynically tapping into the ethical products trend?
You have probably already noticed how the word 'natural' has crept into a remarkable variety of products, sometimes completely spuriously. All it takes, sometimes, is adding a few token essential oils and a product suddenly becomes 'natural'... but it is really?
Figuring out what's natural and what isn't

It's a tricky situation. You can either educate yourself so you know exactly what is natural and what isn't in terms of ingredients, which is a huge and complex undertaking. Or take the simpler route to responsible shopping and identify a collection of retailers and manufacturers you can trust to deliver products that really are as natural as they claim - and save yourself an awful lot of time and effort!
What are 'natural' toiletries?
Take toiletries, an excellent example because the things you put on your skin can easily be absorbed into your body. Because it's good to know exactly what they contain, it's important to track down retailers and manufacturers who really do care what goes into their toiletry products. Ideally, 'natural' toiletries won't contain any animal products and they'll contain as few synthetic ingredients as possible, without any potentially harmful Sodium Laurel Sulphate or Parabens, both of which are commonly used as preservatives.
How can you tell? Look for a retailer that lists every single ingredient in their products. Find a supplier who has their finger firmly on the ethical products pulse, keeping their eyes open for newly discovered ingredients, new brands and revolutionary products that genuinely deserve the label 'natural'. And check their products represent good value for money too - there's no real reason why a genuinely natural product should be expensive.
A great example of genuinely natural toiletries
Take Balance Me, a range of gorgeous skincare products created by a team of experts who are passionate about natural aromatherapy. Their products are naturally good for the skin but they're also luxurious, rich in super-moisturising properties, full of vitamin goodness and bringing the ancient Egyptian embalming agents Benzoin and Yarrow into play, used in ancient times to treat wounds and heal the skin. And they're scented with real, truly natural essential oils.

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