Natural Nuts

I'm bothered by this whole "natural" craze.

Natural products are in no way safer, better, or more "natural" than products whose names are more difficult to pronounce.

In fact, in most cases they are more dangerous because most plants contain natural irritants and unless they are doing serious damage to humans, these products are unregulated by the FDA.

What is it that makes people equate "natural" with safe? Is it the fact that it is something they would eat? Or that it reminds them of folk remedy which reminds them of home? Maybe they don't like chemicals they don't understand in the ingredients list.

I trust testing to tell me when things work and when things don't. The cosmetics/pharmacutical companies can make just about any outrageous claim they want to (and do) but at least the FDA regulates them through testing somewhat. They don't regulate "Natural" products! Sure, there are things that work that aren't your standard american chemical formulas (a lot of Eastern medicine, for example), but those things should be just as effective under testing conditions!

I'm ticked. Every time I go to the store and look at the beauty isle it makes me roll my eyes. The other day I heard this salesclerk convince a customer to buy a $60 container of moisterizer claiming to erase scars and eliminate wrinkles (nope.) What do you guys think?

I wish there was a certified "no bull" sticker for beauty & health products - one that garunteed substantiated claims.