Herbs, Roots and essential oils OH MY!!

1. Herbs, Roots and essential oils OH MY!! On the topic of topical first aid, can natural remedies actually heal? Can they cure? Unfortunately, the FDA does not permit medicinal claims on natural remedy product labeling, but that doesn’t mean natural remedies can’t cure even the most serious of conditions. Natural remedy manufacturers are just not allowed to claim any medicinal effects on the label because of lack of regulations on the quality and strength of natural ingredients used in OTC health and wellness products, especially first aid or other ailments such as joint pain or fungal issues. So how do you know what natural products will have positive medicinal effects and which will not? This is an age old problem since most companies are not listing the strength and quality of the herbs and essential oils in their topical product, and there is very little, to no policing of the ones who do. Natural products certified as organic is always a good thing but don’t discount topical products that are not certified as organic. Handpicked and Wild crafted are often organic without the expense and cartwheels of paying for the certification. The odds are that small manufacturers, who specialize in a few products in the health and wellness category, are more apt to have the real deal, though most would have assumed it was the other way around. This is not to say that big companies cannot have a good natural product but there are things stacking against it being so. Big companies mass produce at big contract manufacturing plants who are all slapping different brand labels on basically the same product. Big contract manufacturers often use

2. lots of synthetics chemicals and emulsifier to create pretty colors and smells with flawless consistency and long expiration dates. Unfortunately, “pretty “does not necessarily mean “quality”. Think grocery store boxed cookies vs freshly baked cookies from a bakery. It’s the same with natural remedies. Knowing your ingredients and their medicinal properties are important. Seeing these ingredients in a product means very little if they are not high quality or in medicinal strengths. You also want to make sure you don’t see a bunch of chemicals, additives (such as color), emulsifying agents and a long list of ingredients. A good handful of natural ingredients is all you need for a good remedy that is directed to treat a specific issue. Which brings me to the word “treat”, this is a big bad word to the FDA and also not allowed on natural product labeling. So back to the original question; how can you find the “good stuff” and treat your pets’ ailments naturally if the manufacturer can’t make any medical claims on their product labeling? The answer is, being a savvy pet parent and consumer. Many manufacturer websites, such as PawFlex.com carefully explains their ingredients and manufacturing process. You, as the pet parent can further research the ingredients to determine if this is a company, and product line that you feel good about. Companies that love animals, and believe that our pets are our children, and live that belief and value system are always a good place to start.