What Does Organic Mean for Beauty Products?

I do have very sensitive skin, my skin gets soo flaky during winter, and when it gets dry, I get rashes. I feel like I have map on my legs that doesn't go away and my scalp gets so itchy and dry that no matter how many head & shoulder and Nizoral shampoos I use, it doesn't go away. I have tried so many products that I was hoping would work but didn't. My used to be favorite brand was Aveeno. I used that for almost two years. But during winter, my skin still gets Super Dry, then I switched to Philosophy 3-in-1. I used it as a shampoo and at the same time as a body wash. It worked fine the first few uses, but I still got itchy, until I discovered Natural products. Currently I am using Goat Milk Soap bar from small businesses (handmade). Finally I found a cure to my overly dry skin. I use it on my body and my face that helps control my acne-prone skin as well. For shampoo I use Natural Shampoo and Conditioner from the Philippines. This is the best natural shampoo I could find in the market and it is uncomparable to those that you can buy at WHolefoods. These doesn't even cost more than $10 each. My shampoo is $5.99 for 200mL, conditioner is the same, the bar soap is roughly about $4. They cost almost the same as the conventional products. So using natural or organic does not really have to be expensive. And in terms of benefit, so far for me Organic/Natural products works. I grew up thinking that I'd forever have these skin problems, but going back, I realized that its not really my skin, but those what I put on my skin.
The conventional products are probably safe in terms of what FDA calls "standard or safe level" but FDA cannot actually monitor these stuff. Cosmetic is something that does not need to have FDA registration. I am also not a fan of products that have "Certified Organic" on them., Big brands pay just to have this stamp in their product.
Try looking for handmade natural products, they do work well, and these products are usually made by those people that have problematic skin and are searching for products that will really work. :)

Castille products rock!!!! I HAVE GREAT SKIN! ;)

You will have to consider the definition and use of "inferior". I have bought and used Burt Bees stuff for almost 6 years and it does exactly the same thing as regular products, but I find it at an advantage because A: I know what's in my shampoo/conditioner/chap stick/lotion because the names are familiar, B: they still do everything that all the chemically enhanced products do, C: the price really isn't that much cheaper than a lot of the other "name-brand" stuff. Even on things that claim to be "organic" I have still found coloring agents in my shampoo and conditioner of "high quality" (and definitely more expensive).

Standardization is a key but that means honesty with education. So many people don't add up the amount of processed synthetic non-recognizeable to the body, products we breathe, eat and drink each day. Attempting to use natural self-made products or from small manufacturers who care about what they make, is the key. READ, and LEARN about ingredients from the kitchen and the garden and how they are resourced. Then make a few basic things for yourself and to give as gifts.

higher prices for sure

It is apparent that Shannon R.(?)is not that knowledgeable of organic companies, organic policies, or the toxicity of conventional cosmetics. Applying carcinogens to your face (etc.) is the same as eating carcinogens. To simply say that there is no difference and that organic products do not work as well) ignores the science that has proven that there is link between cancer and conventional makeup products.
Shannon works for a magazine that gets paid handsomely to promote conventional products.
So this "news article" is simply a bow to the companies that pay her bills.
If you care about your body, the environment, and where your money goes, avoid the companies that make money off of damaging your health.
Also, if you care about animals, most conventional companies torture (yes torture) animals, yet then still sell you their toxic product.
Most organic companies do not test on animals.
Testing products on animals is archaic. Modern computer models and human tissue samples are compassionate, intelligent ways for scientist to test products.

Not so much...

Crap article

The one organic product that is a complete waste of money is soap. Base oils are mixed with lye to form soap and then some essential oils are added. Lye pretty much dissolves any chemical compound, whether it be a pesticide, rancid fat, vitamins, minerals, and even fish bones (true story: found a partially dissolved fish vertebra in a Chinese soap-- that's why I make my own from scratch).

Of course, people can add all kinds of things to soap: goat milk, lavender blossoms, dead sea salt, essential oils for fragrance, but in all honesty, this is not aromatherapy. There's not enough of anything in there to help your skin, other than provide some moisture (if the soap is superfatted), smell decent, and clean your body.

Buy or make soaps that don't contain synthetic fragrances, animal fat, or petroleum products, but don't spend the money on organic ones.

Certified organic means certified organic. If this label is on a product, with a known certification agency (USDA, Oregon Tilth, etc.) then it is certifeid organic.

Look how upset all the tree huggers are that there is an honest and truthfull article on Shine! Its so refreshing to not see a propaganda article here!