Last Updated February 11, 2025

Your skin is truly a thing of wonder. The largest, most exposed organ you have, your skin is primarily tasked with being the body’s, well, bodyguard. It’s the primary protective barrier, safeguarding us from invading elements, regulating body temperature and serving as a sensory organ that allows us to perceive pressure, temperature and touch. It’s also a key part of your immune system, and it ensures that we retain moisture—never forget, we’re composed of roughly 60% water. Really, there’s a lot going on here. 

But for all its impressive abilities, the skin is rather delicate and, importantly, it can absorb up to 60% of what you put on it. In other words, some percentage of all those products you smear on yourself on the regular eventually make their way inside the body, where it circulates throughout your entire system. Now, ask yourself if you actually know what you’re putting on your skin. All of those expensive skincare products, with their unpronounceable, unrecognizable ingredients—do you know that they’re safe enough to be freewheeling through your body? If you’re buying conventional skincare products and trusting huge corporations, well, that’s not guaranteed. Still, when the question is whether organic skincare matters, the answer is more nuanced than you might imagine. Here’s why.

What Even Is Organic Skincare?

Great question! Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward definition, since savvy marketers toss the term around so carelessly that it kind of loses any real meaning. Essentially, though, organic skincare means that it’s made with products that aren’t treated with chemical additives, like pesticides, fertilizers, or GMOs. In order to be actually certified organic, a product needs to be made from at least 95% synthetic-free ingredients. 

Now, USDA certification is a straight up process that involves meticulous record-keeping, a mandatory transition period, regular inspections, and so much more. For small companies, there can be a very real logistical barrier to entry. And while you can trust that companies that have earned USDA organic certification are selling products free of synthetic ingredients, don’t make the mistake of assuming that it’s the only certification worth having. 

Enter Made Safe from the Environmental Working Group. It’s the only human health and ecosystem-focused product certification program, and it speaks to the safety of individual ingredients in a product from start to finish, from origin to how they’re processed. Consider it a very reassuring sign that a company is crafting products the right way.

A Word On “Natural” and “Clean” Skincare

Natural skincare isn’t the same as organic skincare. It’s generally a reference to ingredients that are derived from nature. But that means a company is free to include something like water—clearly, naturally derived—and then call the product as a whole natural, even if it contains a lengthy list of questionable ingredients. In short, “natural” skincare can very often be a marketing tactic, not a promise. 

Clean skincare has the same issue. While it’s often used to describe skincare products that use safe ingredients and factor for their environmental impact, it’s not a regulated term. That means a company calling its products clean is using their own definition. Maybe it means a lengthy “free from” list of ingredients you won’t find in their products, or a commitment to being cruelty-free.  Maybe it means biodegradable or minimal packaging. The point is, you should make an effort to understand exactly what a particular brand means when it describes itself as clean skincare or clean beauty. If your definitions align, great! If not, maybe keep looking.

To be clear, just because a skincare ingredient is naturally derived doesn’t make it better. Poison ivy is natural, but no one recommends rubbing that all over your face. And by the same token, not every synthetic ingredient is problematic, either. The issue is that a number of the man-made ingredients in your fave skincare products have a lot of negative side effects. Parabens and phthalates, for instance, are hyper common preservatives and softeners used in all kinds of personal care products. They’ve also been linked to serious health problems, and studies show that these chemicals and others are showing up in blood and urine samples. Clearly, they’re getting into our systems—a scenario most of us probably want to avoid. The big takeaway here is that while organic skincare products have the certification to back them up, you need to really trust a company calling its products natural or clean.

So, Does Organic Skincare Matter?

It really depends. An organic label on a skincare product is a reassuring sign that it’s free of the kind of ingredients you don’t want on your skin. But that doesn’t mean it ticks all the other boxes for great skincare, and it’s not a guarantee that all your skin woes will be magically resolved. 

If you’re struggling with symptoms like dryness, excessive oil production, redness, sensitivity or breakouts, you’re probably better off with skincare products that strengthen and support the skin barrier, protect the delicate acid mantle and nourish its microbiome. Look at it this way—while the skincare industry as a whole has never been more advanced, skincare problems are only getting worse. So many products use harsh ingredients that actively strip the skin of its natural oils and good bacteria. It’s a guaranteed way to compromise the skin’s protective barrier and kick off a major skin freakout that you can’t fix by applying more of the same stuff.

The goal should be to use products, whether they meet the USDA standard for organic or not, that support the skin as the living organ it is. And that’s the approach we’re taking here at Shimmer Chef. As it happens, our raw, living formulations are entirely made with ingredients that are USDA certified organic and we’re very proud to have earned Made Safe certification. But more importantly, they’re designed to support your skin barrier with an appropriate pH and nourishing ingredients that actively feed your microbiome. We combine fresh, organic superfoods and botanicals with a proprietary Vitamin C fermentation process to create the microbial magic that powers our plasters and balms. It’s a less-is-more approach—we have a limited collection with a very big reach. That’s because our fermented plasters and balms are wildly versatile. They’re designed to support your skin’s ecosystem, which means they’re suitable and beneficial for all kinds of skin types and concerns. Dry, oil, sensitive, mature? Honestly, all skin types benefit from products that support their barrier.

The Bottom Line On Organic Skincare

Instead of making your decision solely based on an organic label, it’s worth diving into the company itself. What’s their approach to crafting their products? What ingredients do they use? What’s their general ethos? What kind of certifications do they have? Understanding what a company is up to can help you decide whether or not the organic certification—or lack thereof—makes much of a difference.

If you’re struggling with chronic skin issues, look for microbiome-friendly products that strengthen the skin barrier. We really can’t emphasize enough how important it is to work with the skin, not against it, and products that are pH-balanced and nourishing to the microbiome really aren’t that hard to find (you can start right here!).

Chef Jennifer Sanford, the visionary behind Shimmer Chef, fuses her talents as a Health Supportive Culinary Arts Chef and licensed esthetician to develop formulas that radically transform your skin, scalp and hair.  Jennifer brings a holistic approach to beauty and wellness,  drawing on the wisdom of Mexican Folk Medicine passed down through her family, as well as studies of the ancient art of Ayurveda through her yoga and meditation certifications.