“Natural” skincare: why the word means nothing, and what to look at instead

There is no legal definition of “natural” for cosmetics in the UK or the EU, and the rules on cosmetic claims ask that a claim is truthful and backed by evidence, but they do not define the word. A brand can print it on a bottle that is mostly the same base as everything else on the shelf, with a little plant extract added. There is a voluntary international standard that lets companies calculate a “natural origin” percentage, but it does not have to be on the label and it counts water. So the word tells you about the marketing budget, not the formula.

Is natural skincare gentler on your skin?

No, natural skincare is not automatically gentler, and some of the most common skin allergens in cosmetics come from plants. This is the part that matters for your skin. Fragrances are a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and many fragrance ingredients are natural. Limonene and linalool come from citrus and lavender, and once exposed to air they form potent skin sensitisers. An analysis of 100 natural personal care products found fragrance allergens such as citral, limonene and linalool were frequent components of the natural ingredients used. Essential oils are entirely natural and are also some of the most irritating things you can put on your face. Poison ivy is natural. Arsenic is natural.

Meanwhile, some of the best-tolerated ingredients in skincare are made in a lab precisely so that they are pure and predictable. Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides. Your skin does not check the origin story. It reacts to the molecule.

What should you look for instead of natural skincare?

Look for fragrance-free instead of natural, because fragrance is one of the common causes of skin allergy and it is something a label lets you avoid.

Fragrance-free. UK and EU cosmetics law requires named fragrance allergens to be listed on the ingredients list when they are present above a small threshold. If you want to avoid the ingredients most likely to cause a reaction, this is the filter with actual evidence behind it. It is the one we offer.

Free of essential oils. A second, stricter version of the same idea, for people who know their skin does not get on with them.

A short ingredients list you can read. Not because short is always better, but because a product that tells you plainly what is in it is easier to judge than one hiding behind “botanical complex”. Our guide to reading an ingredients label shows what to look for.

How does MyAgenix decide a product is fragrance-free?

MyAgenix only marks a product fragrance-free or essential-oil-free when we hold its full published ingredients list and have checked it. If we do not have the list, we say we do not know. We would rather show you an honest “unknown” than a guess with a leaf on it. You can set fragrance-free as a preference in the MyAgenix questionnaire.

General information about skin, not medical advice. MyAgenix offers cosmetic guidance to help you choose products. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. For anything that needs treating, see a pharmacist, your GP or a dermatologist.