Unmasking natural beauty

SWAPPING out a face serum with an ingredient list longer than the telephone book to a cream labelled "organic" may sound like the easiest way to becoming a natural beauty. And with established British organic and natural skincare behemoth Neal's Yard Remedies opening a standalone store here next month, stocking up on green skincare will be even more of a breeze.

But just because a skincare potion claims to be "natural", "organic" and even "vegan" does not automatically make it a miracle in a jar. As it turns out, the level to which a product is organic varies as much as Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's relationship status.

"Skincare, unlike food, has few legal regulations preventing it from being falsely labelled 'organic'," explains Calum Mackay, Neal's Yard Remedies director of international sales. "This means that a product can be marked as 'organic' without containing any organic ingredient at all."