Natural, organic, green, eco-friendly, holistic — most of these words sit on pet products with no regulation behind them. Here’s what each one actually means.
A forest of buzz words
“Made in USA.” “Natural.” “Organic.” “Eco-Friendly.” “Green.” Walk into any pet shop and the shelves are covered in this language. Most of it is doing more work as marketing than as description.
For owners trying to make a genuine choice — and for retailers trying to give straight answers — it’s worth knowing which words mean something and which are decoration.
Eco-friendly
A general claim that a product or process inflicts minimal damage on the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency has called the term useless as a way of judging whether a product is genuinely green. There is no certifying body and no official emblem.
If you see “eco-friendly” on a label, treat it as marketing. Look at the actual ingredients and the actual packaging.
Natural
A loose definition: a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism and found in nature. The catch is that a substance can still be called “natural” even if it was produced by total synthesis — built from scratch in a lab — provided the final molecule also exists in nature.
The term is unregulated. It exists to suggest serene forests and clean rivers; it does not certify anything.
Organic
Heavily regulated, in contrast. In the EU, UK, US, Canada, Japan and a long list of other countries, producers must hold specific certification to label a product organic.
Certified organic production avoids:
- Most synthetic chemicals — fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives
- Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
- Irradiation
- The use of sewage sludge
Certified manufacturers are subject to periodic on-site inspections. When you see a certified organic mark, it means something concrete.
Locally manufactured
A feel-good phrase. It implies “made nearby,” but isn’t defined or regulated. In a genuine sense, local manufacture means a lower carbon footprint — no shipping fuel burned moving the product across continents. As a guarantee of anything else, it’s marketing.
Green
“Green” marketing started in Europe in the early 1980s, when specific products were found to be harming the atmosphere. The idea: bring out alternatives that did less damage. Recyclable packaging, biodegradable materials, energy-efficient operations, better pollution controls.
The important word is less. “Green” is a relative term. It does not mean no damage is done, and it isn’t regulated. Greenwashing — slapping green-sounding language on a product without the substance to support it — is widespread.
Holistic
A treatment approach, not a label that should be sitting on a product. Holistic means treating the body as a whole system. An itch on the skin might genuinely originate in the gut. A coat problem might be a thyroid issue. Holistic vets look for the underlying cause rather than treating each symptom in isolation.
Homeopathic
A specific school of alternative medicine. The principle: substances that produce symptoms of illness in a healthy animal can have a curative effect when given in very dilute quantities to a sick animal showing those same symptoms. Like the holistic approach, homeopathy is classed as alternative medicine.
Naturopathy
Also called natural medicine — an alternative veterinary practice that avoids antibiotics and routine vaccinations in favour of supporting the body’s own healing systems.
The market — and the caution
The natural products market is large and growing. Trade shows have dedicated natural-and-organic sections, and owners increasingly search online specifically for these terms before they buy. Manufacturers know it. The pressure to appear natural — whether or not the formula actually is — is significant.
The honest advice: read the ingredient list. Look for the organic certification mark, not just the word “natural.” Be sceptical of “eco-friendly” with no evidence behind it. Caveat emptor.
Where Dermagic sits
Conventional skin treatments — including steroids — relieve symptoms in the short term while leaving the pet exposed to side effects in the long term. Dermagic was built around the opposite premise: formulate with only safe, natural and certified organic ingredients that genuinely relieve itching, fight fungal and bacterial infection, and let the skin and coat rebuild themselves.
The products are non-toxic, veterinarian-approved, and made in the USA. Natural and organic isn’t a label here — it’s the whole reason the company exists.
For specific guidance email info@dermagic.eu or call 01624 829575.