Wildcrafted Versus Certified Organic

As more and more people are becoming aware of the health hazards of chemical-laden products, the global demand for organic personal care products dominate the market according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc.¹

The organic skincare market alone is predicted to grow over 10 percent between 2016 and 2025.² As consumers are changing their lifestyle and choosing skincare products that contain ingredients like herbs, natural oils and butters, essential oils, fruits and vegetables, they’re also faced with the choice of organic and wildcrafted botanicals.

Let’s explore the characteristics of both so that you can choose wisely for yourself.

Organic Botanicals

• Organic herbs and plants are grown on a controlled farm.
• They are often produced for a purpose – revenue.
• Organic herbs and plants can use approved natural pesticides and fertilizers, usually mineral- or oil-based.
• No GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are allowed to enhance growth.
• They are grown in a monoculture (a single crop population); therefore, they do not develop all of their phytonutrients (beneficial properties). Alternatively, when grown in a companion planting, they fully develop their phytonutrients because they have to fight with competing plants and insects for survival.
• Organic herbs and plants can be hybrids (combining/cross-pollinating of two plants to make a new species).
• Organic herbs and plants must pass strict government criteria for organic certification.

Wildcrafted Botanicals

• Wildcrafted, or wild harvested, herbs and plants are gathered in their natural environment.
• They are as natural as you can get.
• No herbicides, pesticides, detergents, or other harmful chemicals are used.
• Because they are grown in their indigenous environment, they have to fight environmental stressors like weather, competing plants, and insects to survive. Therefore, they fully develop all of their phytonutrients.
• Some people believe the body responds better chemically to wildcrafted plants because they grow naturally.
• There’s a belief that wildcrafted is a step above organic and of a higher quality.
• Wildcrafting is eco-friendly. Wildcrafters must follow the wildcrafting guidelines which include, but are not limited to: only take fruits, flowers, or branches of the plant and not the whole plant, only take what you’re going to use so you don’t damage the environment by taking too many plants, and don’t take from environments near highways, factories, areas that are sprayed or from areas that may have pesticide run-off from nearby farms.

Now that you understand the difference between organic and wildcrafted botanicals, the choice is yours. Be confident in knowing that either way you choose, your skin will benefit.

"Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals will never stand in favour compared with the products of nature, the living cell of the plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, the mother of all life." –Thomas Edison