The Scoop on "Natural" Beauty/Skin Care Products

As you may know, the distinguishing quality of Terra Dona Skincare is that its products are 100% natural.  Why do we go through the trouble of emphasizing that all of our products are "100% Natural", versus just saying "Natural"?  Isn't the meaning of a "natural" product obvious?  The common misconception that many may have of seeing the word "natural" on a label is that the product is made solely from natural ingredients...and nothing else.  However, the truth is a different story.  

As far as regulating beauty/cosmetic products, there has not been an update to federal regulations of beauty products in over 80 years.  The most recent action was the landmark National Cosmetics Act presented by Congressional Representative, Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) in Washington in November, 2019. This states that in order for a beauty product to be considered natural, 70% of its ingredients excluding water must be natural. (https://www.beautypackaging.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2019-11-06/the-natural-cosmetics-act-aims-to-define-natural/)  So for all the math whizzes out there, that leaves 30% that can be other chemical, artificial, and synthetic ingredients, often used as preservatives or to enhance the feel of a product. (e.g. Phenoxyethanol and Ethylhexylglycerin to name a couple) So the closest thing to any overarching regulation for beauty products that to claim a product is natural, only 70% of the ingredients must be natural, still leaving room for plenty of other synthetic, chemical ingredients to be used.    

Additionally, one has to wonder how beauty and skin care companies can mass produce millions of products claiming they are natural. If a product truly were natural it would need to uniquely packaged and/or stored (such as in a refrigerator) to preserve the integrity and quality of the ingredients which are more sensitive to degradation otherwise. This is not likely the case with large, commercial cosmetic brand products. Having said this, we are not in any way saying, the products themselves are not effective or well-made, but rather, our hope is to educate consumers on what they are actually receiving since the term "natural" has high consumer appeal with respect to beauty and skin care products.  

In contrast, Terra Dona Skincare products are guaranteed to contain 100% natural ingredients and surprise, are packaged in specialty Miron Violet Glass bottles and jars, specifically designed to block out the harmful UV rays which deteriorate the quality of ingredients. This increases the shelf-life while preserving the integrity of the products to maximize the products' benefits. Moreover, our luxurious body soufflés (body butter, in essence) must be stored in a cool (room temp) place away from heat, so as to preserve the rich, fluffy consistency that glides on beautifully on skin and is made to be absorbed into skin quickly.  Otherwise, it could "melt", and while it still contains its amazing skin-nourishing qualities, it isn't quite the same experience!  Lastly, our products are hand-crafted and when purchased online, each product is made-to-order, so that people get a "freshly" made product.  These are the thoughtful measures that get taken into crafting our products, not as selling points, but because our products actually are 100% natural, and these steps are required to provide people with the best-quality product.  In the end, you get to decide what products you put on your skin, but our hope is that you will carefully read the labels and ask questions before making decisions so you actually get what you THINK you are getting. So clearly stating Terra Dona Skincare products are 100% natural seems a minor, but necessary step to serve that very purpose.