Some have called me neurotic, others have said I am just plain crazy. However, when it comes to my health and my well-being, and to that of my gorgeous children and loving husband, I am right out there – on a limb, in your face vocal – and yes, very neurotic.

After all, with positive health on your side later on in life, there is much vitality and well-being, but if your health has deteriorated and illness and disease take over, then life becomes difficult, a struggle and toil to get through the days.

Surely any sane and sensible person would want to try and maintain good health for their life, for as long as possible? Surely most people would want to try and avoid disease and incapacity where possible, and would place health above wealth and above image? Surely a clear-minded person would not expose themselves willingly to toxic things or place themselves in the way of harm?

Those are questions that over the last few years have became more and more overwhelmingly answered in the negative. Some strange desire inside people has caused us to place the emphasis on image, on outward appearance, where people are willing to spend thousands and thousands in a desperate attempt to defy ageing, to cheat and trick the inevitable softening, rounding and wrinkling of our outer package. Yet so many of these anti-ageing, 'youth-making' products have the potential to cause harm, increasing the toxic burden in our bodies and resulting in disease and poor skin health.

My relationship with makeup, skin care products and fancy hair products started when I was 16 and began modeling. Then, arriving at a shoot, I would be entranced by the bag of tricks that the makeup artist or hairdresser had to turn me from a plain pony-tailed schoolgirl into a fairy princess for a few hours.

There were creams to hide this blemish and that pimple, glosses to glide on lips, hair colours to transform me like a chameleon from one hair shade to the other, nail polishes to add the vamp and so many pots and jars of promises of everlasting youth.

I grew up gathering a formidable cosmetics and toiletry cupboard. I had night creams, day creams, eye creams, masques, hair colours in a variety of shades, something to cover dark rings, nail polishes by the dozen, lip-colours in shades for every day of the year, and perfumes in as many different notes and fragrances as there are stars in the sky.

At that stage I was not aware that I had a cupboard of chemical warfare.

For many years and into my adult life, when the media spoke, I listened, along with millions of other women around the world. I listened to the messages that TV and magazines preached about, that it is not good to have wrinkles, that crows feet are unsightly and have no place on our face, that looking 10 years younger seems to be the holy grail, and that it is unthinkable to have a grey hair on our heads.

For women out there, the constant, daily and hourly bombardment of our psyche by these images and messages has left us feeling vulnerable and insecure about ourselves, feeling that we just don't quite make the grade as we are, that somehow our natural forms are not socially acceptable.

These deep insecurities have been exploited by major cosmetic houses over the years, growing cosmetics into the multi-billion dollar industry that it has become worldwide. And along with all that power and wealth has come corruption and under-handed dealings where profit and the bottom line have come before the well-being of the consumer.

Many traditional cosmetic formulations were developed to deliver quick-acting, result-driven products, that would quickly plump the skin, lighten, tighten and firm. These instant results would ensure the consumer would become a loyal user. However, many of the ingredients used in these cosmetics to achieve these 'miracle' results were of concern and questionable.

As the cosmetics industry is not officially and legally regulated, the cosmetic houses and formulating laboratories had freedom to concoct a veritable witches' brew in their cauldrons to create potions that would cast a spell over the female consumer, who was blissfully unaware that she had become a chemical cocktail guinea-pig.

My personal journey into the natural and organic world began about 10 years ago, when I started questioning what was in the products that I was using on myself and on our family. Asking those questions opened up a whole new world for me, one that was so startling and alarming that I became panicked at the thought of what we as the consumers were being exposed to and were totally unaware of.

I translated all of this into new business ventures, importing and distributing Natracare, the world's only certified organic cotton tampon and natural sanitary pad range, and Jane Iredale, the world's first range of mineral makeup. The principles for this were that I was replacing my traditional products with cleaner and healthier products that I could use personally with a clear conscience and that I would be happy for my daughter and family to use, ensuring that the ingredients and formulations were acceptable. The well-being of the consumer and the environment are always first and foremost. These are the same principles that still guide me.

About six years ago, the first Natural & Organic Exhibition took place in South Africa. We exhibited at that show with our product ranges, and as I recall the event held in Johannesburg was a really small show with a smattering of exhibitors (mostly from Cape Town, in fact), and the consumers that attended were curious more than anything else.

However, over the years this event has grown astronomically, both in the number of exhibiters as well as the number of visitors. The most dramatic thing we have noticed is that each year the consumer has become more and more educated about ingredients and understanding the correlation between too many toxins in our body resulting in chemical overload and ultimately disease and degeneration.

The growth of the consumers' interest in natural and organic products has resulted in a natural and organic cosmetic and makeup tidal wave of huge proportions. Yes, it is a miniscule market at the moment compared to the traditional giants, however the natural and organic companies are definitely nipping at the heels of the cosmetic giants, reducing their market share and strong-hold somewhat.

The response of many major cosmetic and makeup houses to this growing thorn in their side has been to offer 'something natural', while still pulling the wool over the consumer's eyes as they would simply add 1% of a recognised natural ingredient, yet would retain the basic questionable formulations of the products.

However, the natural and organic revolution has forged ahead with many consumers now being very well informed where reading of labels and ingredients forms part of the shopping experience. Consumers are making a conscientious choice about which products to pick for personal use, based on the principles and standards they have set for themselves and the knowledge they have gained on their journey.

The consumers now have the power to make those choices and are not allowing themselves to be totally sucked into marketing promises of everlasting youth and eternal beauty as they have become aware that, frequently, these promises come with long-term health and skincare problems.

The consumer is now demanding healthy, more natural, ethical and responsible cosmetics and makeup products. My company and many of the other natural and organic companies fulfill those demands. It has long been my wish that everybody should benefit from cleaner cosmetics.

Some of the large cosmetics giants have now responded by buying up international natural and organic companies because the growth and demand in this area are just too great for them to ignore. Sadly, most are not making the changes to be truly natural and organic because their conscience has willed them to, but rather it is a purely profit-driven decision. Still, better this than no change at all. And there is some evidence that a couple of the major cosmetic houses have finally seen their future – and it is in the production of sustainable, ethical and organic products that aren't harmful to the environment, animals or the users of these products.

Whatever the reasons for major cosmetic companies' decisions to finally present something truly natural and organic, we must celebrate it, as it allows more people to have access to healthier products and ultimately better choices for their personal well-being.

The Natracare and Jane Iredale natural and organic ranges that we market, as well as all the other dedicated natural companies in South Africa, represent our dedication and commitment to putting the consumer first and caring about ingredients and what we put in and on our bodies. This approach has finally resulted in major cosmetic houses seeing the light, no matter their reasons. It is a victory for the consumer.

Through combined education and consumer awareness we should be able to help everyone make informed decisions and choices about what we expose ourselves to, ultimately being in control of our own health and well-being, with the aim of driving out as much disease as possible, creating a healthier person and a healthier planet.

I dare you, step out there, burn the bra, ditch the dodgy deodorant, go with the gray, take ownership of your life, your well-being, be a conscientious consumer. Go natural and celebrate it. O