Natural versus Organic products

How many times have you heard or seen "natural", "all natural", 100% natural", "organic", certified organic" on the product labels?
Have you ever questioned what is the difference between natural and organic? 
Most people usually assume that "organic" sounds better than "natural". In fact, it is difficult to compare the two of them without any proofs that they are truly natural or organic. Once we see the certification, the answer will be clearer, but not absolutely right.  Organic products are generally better and usually, more expensive. But wait a minute, when we read the ingredients more carefully, how many percents of the product are organic or natural? A product with 95% certified natural ingredients is worth your money or a product with 20% certified organic ingredients is your choice? It all depends on each of us, consumers. However, with this post, I only hope to give you some general ideas about natural and organic products. You may do more research, as I often do, to make a good decision whenever you face a shelf full of personal care products.
I once had a presentation about organic personal care products for my communication class. I did some research to prepare for it and  here are some findings that might be helpful for everyone who is concerned about differences between natural and organic products:

According to the USDA website,(which will be mentioned later on), for a product to be certified organic, it must:

"Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used."

To make it simple, an organic plant which might be extracted and used as an ingredient in your product should be totally free from fertilizers and other harmful substances, as well as unhealthy methods of plantation and production. However, natural ingredients are just from nature ( not synthetical), but it doesn't mean it was grown and produced without any toxic fertilizers and chemicals. Therefore, truly organic products are sold with high price, not only because of their benefits, but because of the producers' marketing strategy as well.
 
There is another point that a smart consumer should know. The manufacturer's decision of bringing their products for certification is voluntary. Not all the products in the market are strictly monitored in terms of labeling and providing ingredient information. The business ethic will decide how honest a manufacturer is when listing their ingredients. Hence, many organizations such as EWG are making effort for stricter and clearer regulations in this issue, in order to ensure consumers' health and safety. EWG website also provides you with useful information if you would like to check the level of toxicity in your products.

In United State, a popular certification agency is USDA. This is also well-known among consumers in other countries as well, whoever care about natural and organic products.  

This organization's stamp for certified organic products means that the product contains at least 95 percent organically produced and processed ingredients. You might also see a label with a percentage indicating how much of the product qualifies as organic. Any product containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the organic label.