Organic Confusion

I wanted to post a blog about organics and what that means in cosmetics.
Mineral makeup is a huge trend right now and it's a bit misleading...most powders are mineral-based. (whether it be talc, mica, bismuth, zinc, titanium dioxide, etc.) Liquid makeup is usually water or oil-based and can have mineral or synthetic coloring agents.
So what does that mean when you are looking for a "natural" or "organic" makeup?
Natural will mean that instead of chemical colorants like FD&C colors and synthetic lakes there will be pigments that are derived from plant and mineral sources. Natural can also mean that they avoid preservatives such as parabens and sometimes add anti-oxidants such as pomegranate, green tea and vitamin E to help further protect the skin.
Organic, on the other hand is only referring to the plant ingredients. It just means that any plant ingredients were grown without the use of pesticides. Minerals are mined from the earth and not grown so they can not be labeled organic.
I have discussed this issue a lot when I was working in beauty retail and was motivated to write a blog to clear up some confusion when I read a review about Physicians Formula Organic Wear pressed powder.
The reviewer seemed to think that because it was labeled "organic" and was pressed, not loose like a lot of popular mineral makeup that it was not mineral-based. This line is basically another mineral makeup line with the only difference being that the few plant ingredients are organic. This is not to say that it's not a great thing, I definitely want to avoid nasty pesticides whenever I can, but it worries me that the organic label can be confusing for consumers.