Natural cosmetics should serve the beauty and care of the human body using active ingredients from nature. Only products made from environmentally friendly, health-preserving, natural raw materials are used.
Exceptions are, for example, certain nature-identical preservatives and eleven emulsifiers. All other raw materials may not be chemically treated "by definition" and may only be produced "naturally". The assumption, however, that "natural" ingredients are better tolerated or even always safe, is a myth. In fact, there are many plants in nature that have an allergenic or even toxic potential.
For example, pollen extracts are the most common inducers of type I allergies. Here, the phenomenon of cross sensitization by the widespread allergen communities of phytoallergens plays a role. Type IV sensitizations can also be caused by herbal products. An example of a phototoxic skin change caused by a herbal product is the "airborne contact dermatitis" or the so-called meadow grass dermatitis, a photoallergic reaction caused by furanocoumarin derivatives.
Furthermore, it is known that the content of ingredients of cultivated plants varies considerably depending on harvest time, weather conditions, location and local breed. For example, the sugar content of grapes varies considerably depending on the harvest time. The same applies to tobacco plants for their nicotine content.
It can be assumed that the contents of other plants vary in a similar way. This also has a considerable effect on the effect of natural ingredients derived from plants. Here the example of the tomato. Green tomatoes contain the indispensable tomatin (toxic steroid glycoside) and solanin (strong local irritant and protoplasmic toxin), which also occurs in unripe green potatoes. These substances are produced by the plants as seizure inhibitors. They are only broken down enzymatically when the fruit is ripe. Only then is the fruit edible for humans. Finally, impurities can occur during harvesting and the production of phytoextracts.