I Want Natural. That is a simple and direct statement. It may, however, make you wonder: Why should you want natural? It’s a fair question. The idea of natural products is not really a new one, in fact, it has been around far longer than our 20th Century approach of mass producing everything conceivable. So why natural? Why is “natural” better than “chemical”?
To begin to answer these questions, it is helpful to look at the questions in reverse. Why is “chemical” better than “natural”? Well, from a manufacturer’s point of view, “chemical” means cheaper ingredients with many more options for producing formulas. It means higher profit margins, longer shelf life and more marketing ploys.
Our bodies might have a different point of view than those manufacturers though. In fact, our bodies feel the exact opposite. “Natural” means exposing our bodies to materials that the human body has been around for thousands and thousands of years. “Chemical” means exposing our bodies to materials that are brand new to our bodies, and often composed of ingredients which our bodies have no idea how to process. Many of these “chemical” ingredients can actually remain trapped inside our bodies for years, causing unforeseen and unpredictable results. Many “chemical” ingredients have harmful side effects as well.
“Chemicals” can’t be that bad right? After all, we have a government protecting us and agencies like the FDA looking out for us, don’t we? That misconception is precisely why we are all able to be taken advantage of by irresponsible corporations. The government truly only protects politicians interests, which is illustrated by the tremendous amount of political campaign contributions made each year by corporations lobbying to protect their assets. The FDA only cares about proper labeling and marketing claims, with little or no concern given to how dangerous or harmful any of these ingredients are. Sounds crazy right?
Consider this: the European Union (EU) has banned the use of 1,378 chemical substances from manufacture in cosmetic products while the Unites States has banned only 11. That’s less than 1%. Of all the crazy stories and articles and scientific studies about how many harmful chemicals there are in the world, the US only deems 11 of them dangerous enough to prevent from being used in the manufacture of products we put on and into our bodies every day. Does that sound like protection to you?
For those with a mind to the future, how much damage is done to the environment by producing these “chemical” products, many of which are not even biodegradable themselves? How much pollution is created along with these “chemical” creations? “Natural” products are processed from nature, which, if done responsibly, has very little environmental impact. “Natural” products are also naturally biodegradable. If we care about this planet, we need evaluate this often overlooked area.
In summary, from a corporate standpoint, it’s easy to see why the go to choice is “chemicals”; that is how to make the most money. However, as consumers, human beings and co-inhabitants of the planet, the answer to that one simple question of “Why should I want Natural?” can be answered with an even easier one: why would you NOT want Natural?