What Does "Natural" Mean?

"Natural" is a word about where something came from. It does not tell you that an ingredient is safe, that it works, or that it is suitable to swallow. If you are worried that someone has swallowed something harmful, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). Call 911 for collapse, seizure, trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat.

Natural does not mean safe

NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, writes that many dietary supplements come from natural sources, but "natural" does not always mean "safe." Its example is kava: a plant in the pepper family, whose supplements can cause liver disease. [1] MedlinePlus adds a plain everyday example: most people are sensitive to the oily sap of poison ivy, oak and sumac, and it causes a blistering skin rash. [2] The FDA makes the same point for cosmetics: an ingredient's source does not determine its safety, and many plants, organically grown or not, contain substances that may be toxic or allergenic. [3]

What the word "natural" means on a US food label

The FDA has not engaged in rulemaking to establish a formal definition for "natural". It has a longstanding policy that treats the term as meaning nothing artificial or synthetic has been included in, or added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in it. [4] The same page says this policy was not intended to address food production methods such as pesticide use, and that the FDA did not consider whether "natural" should describe any nutritional or other health benefit. [4] The page we read was marked current as of 2018, so check the FDA site for newer statements.

For "natural flavor" the FDA's regulation is more specific. It lists sources such as a spice, fruit, vegetable, herb, bark, root or leaf, and says the flavor's significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. [5]

"Natural" on skin and body products

For cosmetics, the sources we read did not describe a legal definition of "natural." We could say only what the FDA states about nearby words: the term "organic" is not defined in the laws and regulations the FDA enforces for cosmetics. [3] Cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA premarket approval, with the exception of color additives. [6] For more, see Natural Skincare Claims Checked.

Natural, organic and synthetic are different questions

• Natural is about origin or processing, and has no single legal meaning across all products.
• Organic is about how an agricultural product was grown and handled under US rules. [7]
• Synthetic means made by people, and can be identical to a natural substance or different.

A product can be natural but not organic, organic but not safe for everyone, or synthetic and well studied. The full comparison is in Natural vs Organic vs Synthetic.

The same ingredient, different forms

Research on one form does not carry over to another. The same plant or substance can be a food, a tea, a capsule, an extract, an oil or a topical product, and each has different amounts and risks. The FDA decides whether a cosmetic is also a drug by its intended use, shown by claims on labeling, advertising and promotion. [8] For labels on specific products, see How to Read an Ingredient Label and Natural Ingredient Quality and Labels.

Traditional use and research

Many natural ingredients have long histories of traditional use in particular communities and regions. We describe tradition on its own terms and label it as traditional use. It is not proof that something works, and research is not dismissed because a use is traditional. See Traditional Use vs Clinical Evidence.

How this library is organized

Start with the A to Z directory to find an ingredient. For safety, see Natural Ingredient Safety: The Essentials and how to check for medicine interactions. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before using a natural product if you take medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney or liver disease, or have surgery planned.