Looking a little closer at “natural”.

A word, not a complete answer

The word natural tells us little on its own about whether a health product works or is safe. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains that naturally derived products can have side effects, and that evidence must be considered for the particular product and use.

Better questions to ask

What is the ingredient? What is the intended use? How much is present? Who is the product intended for? What evidence supports its claims, and what is still unknown?

For our developing collection, these questions also mean looking at the complete formula, packaging and testing, rather than judging a product by one appealing ingredient.

Tradition and evidence both need context

A cultural story can tell us why a plant matters to people. A personal experience can describe what someone noticed. Research asks a different question: what can we reasonably conclude beyond that individual experience?

We want to make those distinctions clear, while keeping a sense of respect and wonder.