My first point: "natural"
The word "natural" doesn't have a legal definition as far as regulating bodies are concerned. So you can call anything natural. I've seem chemically refined, bleached and deodorized ingredients called "natural" on ingredient supplier websites. In one sense, these are natural - the ingredient wasn't made in a lab. It was made from an agricultural product even if it was treated with chemicals.
Consumers all have different expectations on what "natural" means to them as well. Think about beeswax, for example. If a consumer says they want a product with "natural" beeswax, I'm sure they don't want raw unfiltered beeswax. But do they want mechanically filtered beeswax (that still has a smokey smell and yellow color)? Or do they want a beeswax that is white (naturally sun bleached) and deodorized (using clay instead of chemicals)? Do they even know the difference?
I'm currently trying to define what I will mean when I put the word "natural" on a product and how best to educate my consumers so they understand what I mean.
My second point regarding the microbiology of the Lush products you mentioned:
This is where the microbiology depends on the characteristics of the product. Bathbombs don't have very much free water (water available to be used for biological processes like growing), so bugs that would spoil the product won't grow. They also contain citric acid and can act as a "natural" preservative against some bugs.
Specifically talking about the face masks - just picking one, here is the ingredient list from their website: Water (Aqua) Propylene Glycol Honey Talc Kaolin Glycerine Chamomile and Marigold Petal Infusion(Matricaria Chamomilla and Calendula Officinalis) Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus Crispus) Rose Oil (Rosa Damascena) Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla Planifolia) Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax Tonkinensis Pierre) Titanium Dioxide*Coumarin Fragrance Synthetic Fluorphlogopite Iron Oxides Tin Oxide
They say green ingredients are "natural" and black text ingredients are "safe synthetics". (I had a formatting issue, so italics are "natural" - not sure the green will show up)
Looking at this as a microbiologist, right off I see propylene glycol which is used in many industries as a humectant (it absorbs water). Most microbes don't grow or live well in conditions where water is limited. For example, they won't spoil hard candy because the sugar holds onto all the water they would need to live. We say that these products are "low water activity" foods, cosmetics, etc. You can measure water activity, and we know scientifically that there is an actual number where the bugs that make you sick won't grow. The bugs that spoil are limited at a different number. This is the kind of information I talked to above with respect to providing sound supporting data or evidence that your product is safe.
Summary
Anyone can say anything is "natural" and there are many factors that can either support growth and survival of bugs, or limit growth and survival.
Hope this helps explain it a bit without giving you more information than you wanted
I understand that you have doubts, but I take the opinion that if a person has some ability to look for themselves, their understanding increases. A local college here taught the plate count technique in science this year, and all of the students did plate counts from swabs from around their own homes (that was interesting
The suggested plate check isn't meant for presentation to the FDA (or any regulatory body), or to be presented in evidence in any court of law.
I totally agree - anyone can do the techniques. I've supervised many lab techs who were not going to school to be scientists and their lab technique was better than some of the much more experienced lab analysts! Yes, micro is science, but like soaping, or anything else - it can be learned without having to walk out of some institute of higher education with an expensive piece of paper. Totally agree with your points! Sometimes a "quick and dirty" check of stuff in your production area can help you focus on where you really need to spend the money for testing. You just need to be sure you understand the data you are creating. For example, if the plates are full of bugs did it come from the product, or is your air quality just super bad leading to a false plate count?
Thanks for letting me geek out on this stuff
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