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I remember a conversation I overheard at college with my organic chemistry professor, the late Dr. Jackson. “I don’t understand why all of these commercials say this product for your hair or skin is “organic” what does that mean? I don’t know what that means, do you know what that means?” Haha! the head Professor of the Chemistry department can’t figure out what “organic” means. He actually told us in class that “organic” as in “organic chemistry” refers to molecules that contain carbon.
Chemistry is the science that deals with matter and the changes it undergoes. There are several categories within chemistry such as Inorganic chemistry or the study of inorganic molecules, Organic chemistry or the study of carbon-containing compounds, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and so forth.
So what does "organic" mean with regards to beauty products? I think the marketing community wants it to mean "healthy" and "harmful chemical free". Most cremes and lotions would have a shelf life of 14 days if they were completely preservative free. They could be kept a little longer in the refrigerator. Can you imagine having to go to your refrigerator to get your shampoo, conditioner, and lotion every time you take a shower? Well, no! This is not feasible in daily life so preservatives are added to extend the shelf life of products. Some preservatives, such as parabens are seen as "bad" and some preservatives are seen as "good" aka "healthy" or "organic" such as phenoxyethanol. What does a pharmacist aka "drug expert" say? Well, less harsh chemicals are always better- you will notice this from the way a product feels and smells- or by reading the label. I don't see parabens as being in the axis of evil, however, I like products that are less harsh and abrasive, hence I like to use phenoxyethanol in my products.
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