Organic Body Cleansing

As more and more consumers embrace the idea of an organic lifestyle, many are finding themselves in a veritable minefield of false information when it comes to personal care products. To be truly "organic," any skin care product must be certified under the National Organic Program, just like organic food. Nonetheless, many companies boast that their products are indeed organic when, in fact, they have never been evaluated by United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA.

The Facts

The Environmental Working Group says that the average adolescent girl uses 17 personal care products per day while the average adult woman uses 12. Considering that many personal care products on the market contain questionable ingredients, this seems like quite a burden on a woman's body. According to The Organic Consumers Association, many conventional products contain 1,4-dioxane, a chemical known to cause cancer and "suspected as a kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant." Other products to be concerned about are those "containing myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other 'eth,' PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol."

Organic Body Care Options

There are many companies that do manufacture certified organic body care products and soaps. These products will have the USDA Organic label on the packaging. Body cleansers can also be made at home with certified organic ingredients. Recipes and books that explain how to make personalized body care products and soaps are widely available. Even though craft stores often sell melt-and-pour soap bases to which a consumer can add his or her own ingredients, these soaps almost always contain the same questionable ingredients as standard soaps.

Easy Organic Soap

Organic liquid castile soap can be found at health food stores and some supermarkets. This soap can be used on its own as an all-purpose body wash, but it can also be personalized through the addition of an herbal infusion or a few drops of essential oils. Those who have sensitive skin or a history of allergies should always perform a skin patch test before using essential oils for the first time.

Natural Care for Dry Skin

In her book, "Natural Beauty at Home," Janice Cox recommends an unusual alternative for soap: oatmeal. She says "It is especially well suited for people with sensitive skin because it is mild and soothing...and gently cleans their skin." Cook the oatmeal, add 1 tbsp. of honey and blend the mixture in a blender until a paste forms. Use this mixture just as you would any other body cleanser and rinse off.

Natural Care for Oily Skin

An easy body wash for oily skin is a simple liquid castile soap with a few drops of any of the following essential oils thought to help control oiliness: cypress, juniper, lemon, patchouli, rosewood, and ylang-ylang.

Natural Care for Normal Skin

Again, use organic liquid castile soap as the base and add a few drops of the following essential oils that work well for normal skin: geranium, lavender, jasmine, neroli, palmarosa, rose, rosewood and ylang-ylang.