What do arsenic, lead and lavender oil have in common? They're all natural

OPINION: Why is it that when we see the word “natural” on a product, we automatically assume it is better?

“Natural” beauty products have had quite the run over the past decade – tapping not only into your wallet because they tend to cost extra, but into consumers’ fear of chemicals.

Arsenic, lead and snake venom are all 100 per cent natural, but I bet you wouldn’t dare apply them to your body. And conversely, just because something is made in a lab or at scale in a factory, does not mean it is bad for you.

Synthetic ingredients are often considered the enemy as part of an anti-science rhetoric that has grown in momentum around the world, leading to many issues such as climate change denialism (and the ridiculous and unfounded rumour that 5G is responsible for spreading Covid-19).

This is a shame, and yet somewhat understandable. People are suspicious and fearful of what they do not understand – which is why so many of us are frightened of flying as we don’t understand the fundamentals that allow us to board a plane and soar through the air.

You need only look to the natural world for examples of things that are not safe. Obviously, things like sharks and jellyfish are natural and can kill you, but that is a silly comparison. Not so silly though is Covid-19, which is 100 per cent natural – and I am keeping my distance from that one.

Some of the most poisonous things known to man are completely natural such as botulinum toxin

(from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum), deadly nightshade (a plant related to potatoes) and radium.

Side note – radium (which is radioactive) used to be added to certain paints to make things glow, which led to painters dying from horrific illnesses like bone cancer. It was thought to be safe because it was natural.

Hands up who uses castor oil in some form or other? You probably use it and don’t even know it. It is actually one of my favourite oils and I use it in a lot of our face cleansing products as it helps dissolve sebum. It is derived from castor beans, which also contain the poison ricin, which is certainly not something to be trifled with and was used historically as a chemical warfare agent.

So the idea that natural is safe, or safer than synthetic, does not stack up when we really look into it.

You’ve seen labels claiming “100 per cent natural homemade soap” right? Sodium hydroxide is used in these soaps and while it is naturally occurring, 95 per cent of it used around the world is synthetic and made in industrial plants.

Very little of it is naturally mined, because making it in the lab is safer and has a much lower environmental footprint. There is no such thing as 100 per cent natural soap if you were to look at it like that. But that doesn’t mean it’s not safe either. In fact, it doesn’t mean anything, other than the fact that it’s not technically 100 per cent natural.

Some of the more well-known natural culprits are essential oils, which are highly concentrated plant extracts that can cause allergic and sensitivity reactions when used improperly or in those who are sensitive to them. These include contact dermatitis, rashes, hives and even allergic reactions that are life-threatening for some people.

There is almost no scientifically validated evidence that essential oils do anything beyond smelling nice, though anecdotally people believe they can influence their mood. Some have antibacterial properties that may be beneficial for certain uses, while others are used for cleaning.

My mum will put straight tea tree oil on something no other cleaning product has been able to remove, and it very rarely fails.

Two very common oils recommended for babies and people with skin issues are lavender and chamomile. Yet, lavender is being reviewed by scientists in the European Union to see if it requires a warning label, and both are known allergens.

Beyond essential oils, many other common natural ingredients can cause you problems.

Ingredients like shea butter, which is considered benign and a sought-after ingredient, for many people it can cause problems for those who have a latex allergy (4.3 per cent of the population).

And natural skincare products are often significantly more allergenic and worse for those with sensitive skin too.

Dodgy marketing messages aside, keep in mind that scientists spend countless hours in laboratories to ensure products actually do what they claim to, and that they are safe. So don’t go rub a mango or papaya fruit on your face hoping that “because it’s natural” it will leave your skin better off than a properly formulated product, which may have spent some time in a lab.

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