1. Become a ‘Bottle-Turner’

Don't take too much notice of the front of the bottle- brands can often put whatever they like on the front of the bottle or box, labelling products with Organic or Natural is not regulated. The only place they have  to legally tell the truth is the ingredient list- so become a 'bottle turner' and look there first.

        2. Don’t trust the Hype

Remove all your preconceptions about what natural or organic looks like- don't trust brands just because they are green, white or beige in colour; have leafs or flowers on them  and have names which appear to tell you they are botanical and therefore clearly natural.

       3. Check for nasty Preservatives

Check the shelf life. A certified organic skincare product will have a batch date and a best before date just like food but this is unlikely to be over 18- 24 months. If it is higher than that then start to ask some more questions about what is in there preserving the product for such a long time. How can a moisturiser stay bright white for 48 months in your humid bathroom with your sticky fingers going in it?

      4. Check the Ingredients

The only real way to know if something is what it says it is on the label is to check the ingredients. The best way is to learn which ingredients to look out for. As a good rule- if you can not decipher a word then question whether you want it on your skin with the potential to be absorbed into your body.

       5. Look for Certification

Is there a genuine Organic certification standard such as Soil Association on the bottle? For us this is the only way to really trust a skincare product. Beware, product houses have started to make their own circular logos stating 'Free from Parabens' etc but these do not mean they are organic and have no governmental authority.      

6. Look out for the ‘ssssss’- cheating snakes about

Many brands are starting to make badges where they say Made with Organic ingredients. The ‘s’ is what you want to watch out for as this makes it look like all of the ingredient list but it could only be one or two things