"Natural" is everywhere... Green packaging with birds and bees, advertisements in a forest, and grand claims and promises. The term is used eagerly, but what does it actually mean?
For us, it's not a marketing label or gimmick, but a way of doing things. We want to be honest, transparent, and clear with our consumers, and that's why we choose 100% natural ingredients. Because if something is 98% natural, what's the other 2%?
On this page we delve into the meaning of natural skin care and its nuances.
What does natural skin care mean according to experts?
Natural skincare refers to products made with ingredients from nature: vegetables, fruits, seeds, kernels, plants, minerals, and without synthetic additives such as perfume, parabens, silicones, artificial fragrances, colorants, and microplastics.
It's about origin, processing, and skin effectiveness. Unfortunately, there are no official rules regarding when something can be considered natural. Also good to know: natural doesn't necessarily mean mild and allergen-free. Natural products can still contain many irritating substances.
Why the term 'natural' has become so unclear
In the beauty industry, "natural" has become a catch-all term, slapped on anything that sells. Due to clever marketing and vague claims, the term has been so often misused that it has lost meaning and credibility.
From skin care to sales stories
The demand for natural and organic cosmetics has exploded in recent years. And that's no coincidence. We're becoming increasingly aware of what we put in our bodies and what we apply to them. Just like your body, your largest organ—your skin—also craves nourishment with vitamins and minerals.
People are increasingly choosing products with honest, recognizable ingredients. No unnecessary additives, no complicated INCI lists, just nourishing formulas that feel good and do good.
But when a trend emerges, brands eagerly jump on board. And unfortunately, not always with the right intentions. Terms like "natural," "green," or "clean" are thrown around, even when the product itself has little to do with it. The packaging looks like it's fresh from the farm, but if you read the ingredients list, you quickly realize: this is marketing, not a mission.
That's precisely why it's important to remain critical. To learn what to look for. And to choose brands that are transparent about what's in them and why. Because natural skincare shouldn't just feel good; it should actually be good. For you and for the planet.
Why 'natural' is not a protected term
What makes it even more difficult is that "natural" isn't a legally protected term. The term "natural" isn't legally defined. There's no official body that determines whether a product may use this claim, unlike, for example, organic food.
Any brand can put it on their packaging, even if it only contains a single drop of plant extract alongside a mountain of synthetic fillers. And that makes things unnecessarily complicated for you as a consumer. Because how do you know what's right, what works, and what simply feels good for your skin?
Why isn't it a protected term yet? We think the following.
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Industry pressure. Major players in the beauty industry benefit from vague terminology. This allows them to easily capitalize on trends without actually changing their formulas. A strict definition of "natural" would require many brands to reformulate their entire line.
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Complexity of ingredients. Many ingredients have both natural and synthetic variants, or fall somewhere in between (such as nature-based). This makes a black-and-white definition difficult, and it's easily abused.
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Low priority for regulators. Cosmetics are less strictly regulated than food or pharmaceuticals, especially when it comes to marketing claims. The focus is primarily on product safety, not terminology.
Why the beauty industry needs a reset
As a consumer these days, you practically have to be a chemist to wade through the endless claims, ingredient lists , and "green" promises. Every jar shouts something different. The market is overcrowded, contradictory, and unnecessarily complicated. Instead of peace and clarity, skincare increasingly leads to decision-making stress and overstimulation.
Over-care of skin and consumer
New trends follow one another at a rapid pace. Today, retinol is your savior, tomorrow, you suddenly have to avoid everything with acids. And meanwhile, the products keep piling up: a solution has been devised for every skin part, every time of day, and every "problem." But the skin becomes unbalanced by all these changes and layers upon layers. Often, your skin needs less, not more.
Marketing over skin biology
The packaging is shiny, the cream smells like a tropical cocktail, and it sparkles in the sunlight (great for Instagram!). But all that fuss often does little for your skin. On the contrary: fragrances and dyes are often the first triggers for irritation. So it's time to cut through the glitz and glamour and get back to what matters: skincare that actually works for your skin. It needs rest, a consistent routine, and ingredients that support it instead of completely taking over.
What is the difference between natural, nature-based and synthetic skin care?
It's good to understand the difference between natural, nature-based (or naturally derived), and synthetic.
What do we mean by natural ingredients?
Natural ingredients are substances derived from nature (vegetables, fruits, seeds, kernels, plants) and minimally processed. Their original structure is preserved as much as possible. The final product, therefore, remains close to its original form.
A good example of this is cold-pressed oil. This remains a natural ingredient because although the oil is mechanically pressed from a plant or fruit, no heat or chemicals are used.
That's why we use cold-pressed oils as much as possible at Food for Skin. This way, we stay close to nature and ensure the oils are as pure as possible. Moreover, valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds are well preserved with the cold-pressed method.
What does nature-based mean?
Naturally based products always start with a natural raw material, but are then processed. Many ingredients are processed to make them safe, stable, and effective for use on the skin. An extract is a good example: it is extracted from a plant, often through water extraction or drying, which concentrates the active ingredients.
We consciously choose the gentlest possible processing methods to preserve the original composition and function of the plant as much as possible. Minimal intervention means that what is naturally present remains intact and functional.
When a naturally occurring substance is so extensively processed that its original structure can no longer be traced back to nature, it is considered synthetic. The limit isn't a fixed point in time, but rather the degree of processing: the more steps, the more artificial the process, and the further an ingredient shifts from nature-based to synthetic.
Are synthetic ingredients always bad?
No. Synthetic doesn't necessarily mean harmful. Some substances are more stable in a synthetic form. The effectiveness of an ingredient depends more on how it's formulated and composed in the final product than its natural or synthetic origin.
The problem arises when synthetic ingredients are added purely for texture, durability, or marketing value, without contributing anything substantial to the skin. Some synthetic ingredients may also be hormone disruptors or carcinogenic. Sometimes these are substances that were permitted for years and then banned.
Examples of these are:
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Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) - a substance that causes the gel to harden in gel nail polish and other UV products. This will be banned in the EU from September 1, 2025, because it is classified as potentially harmful to reproduction (CMR).
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Lilial – a commonly used synthetic fragrance banned in cosmetics in the EU since March 2022 due to reproductive concerns.
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The Three Os - Octocrylene, Oxybenzone, and Octinoxate - in sunscreens are increasingly coming under fire for potential hormone-disrupting effects, skin irritation, and environmental damage, particularly to coral reefs.
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Hormone disrupting effect (especially oxybenzone and octinoxate)
Besides potential skin problems, there's also a problem for the planet and nature. Synthetic substances like microplastics (also known as "forever plastics") are disappearing down shower drains and polluting the planet.
When is skin care no longer natural?
The definition is clear to us: a natural product should contain only natural and naturally derived ingredients. As mentioned, we therefore choose 100% natural, so you can be sure it doesn't contain a small percentage of unnecessary silicones, microplastics, or excessive fragrances.
There are several apps and websites that help you scan ingredients so you can make choices based on what's important to you.
What is Food for Skin's view on natural skin care?
At Food for Skin, everything starts with the skin itself. How does your skin barrier work, and how can you ensure you support it and don't completely take it over?
Skin biology as a starting point
Your skin is your largest organ and a living mechanism. A natural layer ( the microbiome ), invisible to the eye, covers your skin, where natural oils, viruses, and bacteria live to ensure the functioning of your natural ecosystem. Treating this skin barrier with harsh, drying ingredients can compromise, destroy, or even halt this delicate ecosystem. This results in an unbalanced, sensitive skin barrier that can cause skin problems. That's why we believe in supporting it with natural ingredients.
Why we work with plant-based ingredients
Those of you who have been following us for a while know: at Food for Skin, we don't fall for ingredients that suddenly go viral on TikTok. We investigate what really works, and we do it thoroughly. Sometimes trending ingredients are justifiably popular, but more often than not, they're used as a marketing tool.
We work with plant-based ingredients because their active ingredients, long history of use, and scientific backing align with a functional approach to skincare. Not because it's a trend, but because it works.
These days, natural ingredients are often broken down into peptides and amino acids. Niacinamide is one of those trending ingredients. But did you know that niacinamide (B3) is found in natural chia or rice bran oil? Peptides are small chains of amino acids that can support your skin—they're also a hot topic. Instead of adding them synthetically, we use oils like sunflower, pumpkin, and wheat germ, which contain it naturally.
Cosmetics giants are constantly seeking innovation because that's what sells. "Sunflower oil" might not sound as sexy as "high-tech peptide complex," so you'll quickly see shelves filled with new creams. It's also trendy to promote vitamin C as a separate ingredient, but most fruits and vegetables already contain it.
We don't participate in that. We prefer to use pure oils that naturally contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
We also avoid fillers: no water or microplastics as cheap fillers. All ingredients are there for a purpose. Read more about the benefits of waterless skincare here.
Conclusion: What natural skin care really means
Natural skincare isn't about a green label with empty words, but about effectiveness, provenance, and honesty. At Food for Skin, we believe in simplicity, transparency, and ingredients that actually work. Not because it says so on the packaging, but because they work. Choose consciously; read on to discover how to recognize and apply natural skincare, tailored to your skin type.
