Preaching to buy organic is one thing, but many people wonder why. Is it simply labeling, or a small difference that doesn't justify the price jumps? How can you tell when it's best to buy organic, or when it's best to buy whatever you prefer?

Here, we'll share 10 facts that'll hopefully help you decode the mysteries of organic shopping!

1. Labeling Matters

Contrary to popular belief, organic and natural do not mean the same thing! While organic has legally defined terms in the food industry, natural does not, and outside of food regulation, there's even less oversight on who uses what labels.

However, in the food industry, you can be confident that with certain labels and key terms, the food you're buying is organic!

Looking for 100% organic, or organic, rather than something that simply says 'all natural' is the best way to get bang for your buck! All-natural is not a regulated term in the food industry, and thus it doesn't require certification or meeting certain standards to use, even though it conjures similar images to organic.

So, watch your labels and key terms, and make sure they're accurate to your needs!

2. Pro's and Con's

So, why should we try and shop organic?

To start, we'll list the negatives. While organic shopping is fantastic, we know it's not for everyone, and showing unbiased facts, and as unbiased as possible opinions, is one of our highest priorities.

The first obvious con is the price. Organic farming is more labor-intensive, as its lack of use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides requires more hands-on labor! While this increases the price, the lack of chemicals used in the growing process can be more than worth it!

Secondly, with its lack of preservatives, it can go bad much faster than non-organic foods. With no proof of additional nutrition or additional health benefits in food, many believe that the food going bad faster is more inconvenient than having pesticides dumped on their produce. However, the keyword here is 'additional'. While it has the same nutritional value as a regular apple, it has the added bonus of not having pesticides or chemical-ridden preservatives.

However, outside of food, going with natural or organic products can greatly increase their general value. Think of everything we touch or interact with within a day. Now imagine each of those things is slowly giving off airborne chemicals. You don't have to imagine, that's the fact. While we've made obvious improvements, switching from lead paint, for example, there's still a lot of room to go!

So, outside of food, there are definitely more advantages to buying natural and organic!

3. Off-Gassing

As our long-term readers may know, the danger of buying not all-natural comes in the form of off-gassing.

Off-gassing comes from VOCs or volatile organic compounds. These are chemicals that find their way into the air around us, especially in enclosed spaces like our bedrooms or living rooms. This is why it's important to either make sure you aerate these areas often or buy all-natural or organic furniture.

VOC's cause a variety of issues, and are what give off that signature distasteful smell. It's the same thing that causes paint, paint strippers, glue and permanent markers to all have that strong scent.

As anyone who's inhaled paint fumes for too long can tell you, they probably didn't feel the best after breathing those in.

But did you know that there are additional effects than lightheadedness and a headache?

There are! They vary, according to a few factors, but notably, vulnerable populations such as the sick, children, and elderly, feel these effects more than others.

Everything from nose, eye, and throat irritation, to loss of coordination and nausea, and even damage to the kidneys and liver, and even, in extreme cases, certain forms of cancer!

Thankfully, organic, natural, or chemical-free products are made with no chemicals, and do not off-gas at all!