Understanding Natural Product Lingo. What Does It All Mean?

So, you want to be more conscious about the ingredients that you are using on your body. Or, you might be experimenting with making your own skincare products. You have noticed that there are some terms that you may not be quite clear on their meaning. What is natural product lingo and what does it all mean?

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In this article, we will clarify some common terminology used to describe natural products and their natural product lingo. The USDA states that if a product is considered “natural,” the label must include a statement explaining the term’s meaning. For example, “no artificial ingredients, minimally processed, etc. This doesn’t always mean that it is completely natural or organic. It would be best if you went a step further and read between the lines when it comes to natural product lingo. 

UNREFINED VS REFINED

I think this is one of the most common of the natural product lingo. If you’re new to the world of nontoxic, natural products, this may confuse some. A good example is coconut oil. You will typically see this somewhere on the label. But what does it mean? According to the Cambridge dictionary, the definition of unrefined is: in a natural state, without having been through a chemical or industrial process to remove unwanted parts. When the product is unrefined, it is extracted or produced in its most natural form. And with the least amount of processing possible, not refined.

Being unrefined limits the processing. This allows the nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other natural benefits that the product offers in its most natural state. We can think of this process when referring to “virgin” and “extra virgin” on labels as being similar. The pure scent of the oil or butter is left when it is unrefined. This may not be desirable for all, depending on the product.    

REFINED

When a product is refined, there is more processing that goes into its production. Likely, there is bleaching, deodorizing, and baking going into it. This may reduce the beneficial attributes of the product. Using the coconut oil example again, when the oil is refined, it is processed at a higher temperature instead of unrefined. Unrefined is processed at either cold-pressed or expeller-pressed, which we will cover. The oil is then processed further, being treated at higher temps up to 450 degrees. Sometimes bleached to remove natural colors and scents.

Another form of refining oil or butter is through chemical extraction. This process uses a chemical solvent to remove the oil from the seed, nut, grain, or legume. Refined oils and butter are often less expensive than unrefined ones. But they will have lost active components that you may be seeking for your benefit. If you are looking to use certain oils for cooking, refined oil may be better to consider, given the ability to heat to high temperatures. On the contrary, if you’re looking to enhance nutritional content and health benefits, be careful in the amount of processing that may have taken place in the refining procedure.

COLD PRESSED VS EXPELLER PRESSED

When oil or butter is cold-pressed, the oil is extracted by pressing it mechanically from the seed, nut, grain, or legume. It is done with very low heat (below 120 degrees F), caused by friction. The heat that is produced is very closely controlled when during the cold-pressed process. Nutrients and antioxidants are retained with this method. You are getting the ingredient in its most natural form.

Like the cold-pressed process, expeller pressed is also mechanical in nature. It uses pressure to extract the oil from its source. No heat is applied. However, the friction from the action causes temperatures to rise as the extraction process is occurring. Temperatures usually rise between 120-200 degrees F during this process. This is substantially less than the temps used in refining processes.

FAIR TRADE

You may see a fair-trade label on some products that you purchase. Most people only have a vague idea of what that actually means. Common products falling under fair trade certification in the US are coffee, clothing, and chocolate. Just to name a few. Many products come from less developed countries and may use unfair labor laws. They may even produce products in a hazardous, non-eco-friendly fashion. Fair Trade practices insist on fair labor. They assure that producers are using limited harmful pesticides and fertilizers. It also assures they are providing proper management of clean water and energy.  Having the fair-trade certified label ensures that the producers of that product have adhered to certain standards. First, working conditions inhibit child and slave labor and provide safe working conditions and proper wages for all. Secondly, the products should be free of genetically engineered ingredients.

Through the licensing fees, the fair-trade act gives back to the communities in the country of origin for economic and environmental development. It allows for partnership in international trading, while also providing equity through respect and transparency.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC

The easiest way to ensure your products are organic is by looking for the seal of certified organic, especially with food. This seal will ensure that during harvest and production, certain standards are upheld. What are these standards? According to Food and Water Watch, these standards must apply:

• Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, or sewage sludge.
• Organic crops cannot be genetically engineered or irradiated.
• Animals must eat only organically grown feed (without animal byproducts) and can’t be treated with synthetic hormones or antibiotics.
• They must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants (hoofed animals, including cows) must have access to pasture. 
• The animals cannot be cloned.

ESSENTIAL OIL LINGO

When looking to buy your oils (or maybe you already have oils in the home), you may see certain terms on the bottle. These terms include essential oil, therapeutic quality, or certified therapeutic grade, to name a few. To be quite frank, what is stated on the bottle does not make a difference. It really is just a marketing term created by essential oil companies. Not to say that the oils are not that of “therapeutic grade” or “100% pure”.” They may very well be. The point here is, there is no specialized department of therapeutic grade essential oil specialists. No one is telling the company to place any one of these terms on the bottle. It is the consumer’s responsibility to know what to look for in the company. 

It is also the company’s responsibility to provide you with a rundown of what is in the oil. This is important because you don’t want adulteration of the oil. What is adulteration? When some other oils or synthetics are added to the essential oil to add as a “filler.” They don’t belong there and make the oil unauthentic. This is why you can buy a $2.99 bottle of essential oil at Dollar General. It might smell OK. But it will not provide you with any benefit. Depending on what it is adulterated with, it may even cause you harm.   

GC/MS REPORT

Reputable companies will provide you with a GC/MS report. This report will tell you the exact components of the oil. This is how you will know what is in your oil and that the company is providing you with quality. You can find them on their website or contact them and request a copy. For more on this, check out our blog post on what an essential oil actually is. 

ESSENTIAL OILS

A word on organic essential oils. Obviously, this is going to ensure better practices with the way the oil is processed. The most important essential oils to purchase organic are citrus oils. This is the distillation process (the way the essential oil is expelled from the plant material) used for oils obtained from the rind of a fruit. The process is cold-pressed. This process begins with the rind being rolled over a trough that punctures the cells, where the essential oil is found. The fruit is then pressed to squeeze out the juice and essential oil. If there are harsh pesticides on the outside of the fruit, there is a chance of some making it into the oil.  To read more on essential oils, and how they can help boost your mood, read 7 Essential Oils And How They Can Boost Your Mood.

In conclusion, I hope this article has helped clarify any confusion about the natural product lingo commonly used to describe many of your natural products.  If you need help, book a call with me, I will be glad to assist you.