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Natural, All Natural, Holistically-Natural or Pseudo-natural? - That is the Question

You may have realised that recently between the Aspirin from the Chemist/Drug
everything you look at claims to be store (it's 100% natural...) and the
'natural', but what is natural? Does it Aspirin from the Herbalist (it's 100%
referrer to everything that the product natural...)?Let me introduce a 'new' term
contains? Is it some of the ingredients "Holistically-natural", what do I mean by
in the product that are natural? Or is a this term? I propose, that this term may
single ingredient, which was isolated be of use to describe the type of product
from an originally natural source, the that has not been overly modified. That
only thing that is natural about the means, "Holistically-natural" would
product?These are just some of the accept the alcohol extraction of all the
questions that are confusing customers ingredients, but would not except the
today and in many cases claims by some additional step of extracting the
manufacturers of that their products are Salicylic acid out of the
natural, are misleading, if not totally alcohol-extracted ingredients. Similarly,
false all together.Let's look at what essential oils are extracted from their
natural actually is defined to parent plant by a variety of means,
be:relating to nature,in accordance with including, cold-pressed, steam
the usual course of nature,present in or distillation and others.
produced by nature, rather than being "Holistically-natural", would be
artificial or created by people,not applicable to essential oils, which have
artificially coloured or treated.That been extracted by the most appropriate
does not really tell us all that much, form, but would not apply to further
but let's think about the images that isolation, or manipulation of the derived
this word, natural, may create in our essential oil.The reason for providing
minds.Natural - natural scene, nature's this 'new' term is to differentiate our
playground such as the beach the "Natural Aspirin" from the Chemist with
mountains, virgin woods and forests, the Herbal extract of the White Willow
beautiful lakes and so on. It also bark used by herbalists. Both of products
reminds us of natural substances, smells will help reduce pain, but only the
of flowers, the air just after rain, latter containing a more complete set of
animals in their natural habitat and so the ingredients from the White Willow's
on.When it comes to products, be they for bark will help mitigate the possible
consumption or personal care, we tend to irritating side effect of Salicylic acid
think of 'natural flavours' as opposed to on the lining of the Stomach. Thus, the
artificial flavouring, natural herbalist's version of the product would
preservatives versus artificial ones, but be "Holistically-natural".Now, the skin
what is a natural ingredient and how and personal care industry is full of
could we define it better?Here is where claims of 'natural' skin care products,
things get a little murky because there and many manufacturers are abusing the
are many ways we can think of a substance term natural to the extreme. Using an
as being natural or not natural. For isolated, naturally occurring chemical
example, let's use my favourite - from a plant is, as we've seen, not what
Aspirin. The active ingredient in Aspirin natural implies. Let's look at the
tables is Salicylic acid. Salicylic acid definition again: Natural means present
is naturally found in the bark of the in or produced by nature... Well, a
White Willow tree. Thus, Salicylic acid single ingredient may well be present in
is a natural substance and if extracted and produced by nature, but nature itself
from the bark, rather than recreated does not use it in isolation. Nature uses
synthetically in a laboratory, you could it in balance with other associated
say this is a natural product. But is chemicals - holistically.In the skin care
it?Strictly speaking a liquid made from industry, not only do creams and lotions
say water and Salicylic acid, would be often contain many different ingredients
natural and fit the definition of 'as in order to achieve the claims by the
found in nature', but let's look at manufacturer for a given product, but
another way to get the same therapeutic most of the time, the ingredients are a
effect from the properties of the White list of naturally derived, but not
Willow bark.Herbal medicine uses the holistically-natural, ingredients,
whole bark and utilises traditional together with non-natural chemicals that
methods to extract the ingredients from do not have their origin in nature at
the bark. One of these ingredients is the all. Examples of this would include
Salicylic acid, but it's just one of the emulsifiers, colours, flavours,
ingredients. There are many more which do preservatives, etc.Some manufacturers
not help to numb pain or do very much to bend the rules even further. Any
help relieve pain, but they do work on substance that contains the chemical
balancing the effects of Salicylic element Carbon is by definition an
acid.We know that this acid can and does 'organic chemical'. That is what 'Organic
irritate the lining of the Stomach and Chemistry' (Bio-Chemistry) is based on.
that is why many of the companies that Now, organic skin care therefore, may
make Aspirin will put warnings on their well be skin care that contains
labels and make suggestions of taking Carbon-based chemicals that may not occur
Aspirin with food and so on. Using the naturally in nature, but because they
whole extract however, will include the contain carbon, they can be termed
modifying ingredients from the bark, organic - do you see where I'm going with
which will protect the Stomach's lining this?The term Organic is supposed to
and yet the Salicylic acid will still indicate that there were no artificial or
work on reducing the pain.Now, which do synthetic products used to grow, say
you think is the 'natural' product? The vegetables. Thus, there are no inorganic
one that uses a single naturally derived substances such as inorganic fertiliser,
ingredient in a liquid, or the other one, pesticides, herbicides, etc., present in
which uses the more complete set of the plant or the soil the plant was grown
ingredients found in the White Willow in.Many less ethical manufacturers will
bark? This point could be debated forever use the term organic to attract the
and both these could be called natural, consumers who are looking for 'organic
depending on YOUR DEFINITION.My skin or personal care products', but will
definition is that the products with the actually sell them a product, which is
single isolated ingredient, is not not organic in the true sense of
natural because it misses many of the indicating free of in-organic substances,
naturally contained substances that form grown using organic farming methods, etc.
part of the bark of the White Willow. For Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying
the purpose of this discussion, let's say that all companies that claim to have
that the Aspirin at the Chemist or Drug organic skin care products are misleading
store, containing Salicylic acid, was you, far from it, however, there are some
extracted from the bark; it's not, but that do and it is sometimes difficult to
let's pretend. In addition, let's pretend establish which is the one that uses the
that the Salicylic acid was in pure term organic in the
water, again, this is not the case, but 'holistically-natural' way.We at
just pretend with me for a little longer. Wildcrafted Herbal Products belief that
That would mean, that there are basically holistically natural skin and personal
two ingredients in the Aspirin, the first care products are the only way to go.
is the Salicylic acid and the second is They are safer, better for you and easier
pure water. Thus, you could say that this for your body to make use of. The concept
product was 100% natural or all natural, of holistically natural, follows the
couldn't you? Of course, there is nothing principle of 'the less processed a
artificial, the ingredients are found in product is, the better it is for
nature, so it's natural.So what does that you'.Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of
make the herbal extract, more natural? traditional Chinese medicine and together
Well, it contains more ingredients whose with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist
origins are found in nature. Here is the and Aromatherapist, they have created
dilemma, both are natural, both have Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted
taken all their ingredients from nature, Herbal Products to share their 40 years
so can we find a way to differentiate of combined expertise with you.




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