After a Google-search for "Natural vs Synthetic" it didn't take too much sifting through the repetitive information to come to the conclusion that the most relevant questions to this topic are the following:
What's the definition of 'natural' and it's synonyms vs 'synthetic' and it's synonyms?
"The USDA National Organic Program defines non-synthetic" (i.e. natural in this case) "as 'a substance that is derived from mineral, plant or animal matter and does not undergo a synthetic process'. They define a synthetic as 'a substance that is formulated or manufactured by a chemical process or by a process that chemically changes a substance extracted from naturally occurring plant, animal, or mineral sources, except that such term shall not apply to substances created by naturally occurring biological processes." - No author, 2006. Natural Ingredient Resource Centre. Available from: www.naturalingredient.org [Accessed 24 February 2011]
Which is safer - 'natural' or 'synthetic'?
"The federal government has yet to define guidelines and regulations governing use of the term, 'natural'. That means marketers can use them any way they choose, irregardless of the ingredients used in their products or the manufacturing processes used to produce those products.
Although a skin care product might very well contain natural products like aloe or vitamin E, what you're not being told is that the processes used to extract these components often utilize many synthetic materials. And even once natural ingredients are extracted, they're usually combined with synthetic products such as preservatives and stabilizing agents that help prolong shelf life.
One of the biggest risks involved with using natural ingredients is the potential for an allergic reaction. Lots of people have food allergies, so putting products containing plants or plant extracts on their skin may increase the risks of an allergic reaction. And even if a full-blown allergic reaction doesn't occur, natural ingredients often cause skin irritation and/or sensitivity." - Joshi, A., 2007. Natural ingredients vs synthetic - Which are better for your skin?. Available from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-Ingredients-vs-Synthetic---Which-Are-Better-for-Your-Skin?&id=774725
This can certainly be the case if the ingredients used are not skin-compatible, or skin-identical - which sounds very much like stating-the-obvious. But what do we mean when we talk about skin-compatible or skin-identical ingredients? The logic is that in order for any ingredient, regardless of source, to have the lowest allergic potential in or on the skin it should be as similar, or identical to, the naturally occurring components of the skin. For example, phospholipids are a fundamental and naturally occurring component of the skin, and therefore a very important ingredient necessary in skin care. It's skin-endemnity is what makes it's allergic potential so low. The fact that skin-endemic ingredients are more likely to be found in 'natural' sources is probably more co-incidental, or in-line with the fact that the skin could be considered 'natural' even. Therefore, although the source of an ingredient can make a big difference, it is not always the case. It is for this reason that we say that an ingredient's efficacy, necessity and safety should really only be discerned according to the skin itself. The standard scientific and biological understanding of the skin's healthy and natural state of anatomy and physiology should be the only standard upon which each and every ingredients it scrutinised.
Currently world-wide Dr Baumann Cosmetic's skincare line known as SkinIDENT is the only product line world-wide that can claim this. There is no other alternative.
To read further please visit the following links:
Point of Skin INCI: Natural vs Synthetic
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