Organic Body Jewelry: What are the Pros and Cons of Wearing Natural Materials?

The use of natural materials in body jewelry fashion is a trend that refuses to be ignored. It’s easy to understand why the modified culture has been turning to organic and naturally derived jewelry considering the current chaotic state our climate is in. These types of materials, which include but are not limited to wood, horn, bone, stone, and shell are not only good for the health of our piercings; they’re also amazing for the well-being of our planet.

But how are plugs for stretched ears or semi-precious stone belly rings going to make you any more eco-friendly…or how will something from nature be any better for your body than something man-made?

The creation method of naturally derived body jewelry doesn’t use as much chemical processing or fossil fuel in manufacture. Along with that, the upkeep and aftercare of natural jewelry doesn’t require the use of harsh chemicals or pollutants.

And one of the best perks of buying organic? When you’re all done with the look or you grow out of the specific size you purchased, this kind of jewelry can be recycled or donated to local artists for potential upcycle! Oh, and if by any chance any DO end up in a landfill, they’ll break down over time without releasing harmful pollutants into our Earth.

While plastics and resin may be perfectly fine to wear in fully healed piercings, those materials have no natural pores to allow the skin to breathe while they’re in your piercing. Natural and organic materials are much more porous (meaning that there are tiny holes throughout that allow air through), which provides for better skin health and less of a risk of the dreaded ear stink we with stretched ears know all too well.

Out of all the natural materials we have available on our site, wood and bone plugs have the highest porosity, which means that they’re going to be more compatible with your body’s natural renewing processes. They won’t irritate your piercing or stretched lobes, and since they’re porous, dead skin cells are absorbed by the material rather than sitting stagnant on the plugs and making them smell terrible. The flow of air and oxygen through these organic items gives you and your ears a GREAT opportunity to heal AND look stylin’.

However, this also means that wood, horn, and bone material jewelry for your body piercings should be oiled periodically to prevent cracking. These materials can expand and contract with the weather, so this aftercare tip is extremely important for those who live in cold climates.

The types of organic woods commonly used for body jewelry that are available on our site include: black wood, coconut wood, ebony wood, blood wood, cherry wood, sawo wood, iron wood, crocodile wood, palm wood, olive wood, and sono wood.

Natural wood products should be kept dry to avoid cracking and swelling, so be sure to keep wooden and other porous materials out of liquids such as water for extended periods of time. Sometimes the grain on the wooden jewelry will become raised, especially if it has been exposed to the elements and/or not properly maintenanced. If this occurs, all you need to do is grab some fine grain sandpaper and buff out the rough bits for jewelry that’s good as new.

Using natural stone as a material for body jewelry is a fantastic option for those with sensitive skin who encounter issues with metal materials. It comes in a HUGE variety of colors and patterns and it’s the perfect choice if you’re going for the all-natural look with your modified style. Since these items are natural, there will be slight variances in hue and overall look because each piece is created specially by nature (and who are we to argue with Mother Nature’s fashion sense?!).

Stone jewelry also provides a heavier weight than you would find with wood or acrylic body jewelry, which makes them an efficient choice for ear expansion. However, you may want to be careful with this characteristic as well; heavier weight means that stretching will come more quickly, even if you don’t want it to. Gravity is a force of nature – just like these stone plugs! Also, be sure to check if unknown materials are okay to use in your piercing. While some stones and minerals may be all right to use, others may not be compatible with your body.

Want to keep helping to make our beautifully modified world a better place?

Did you know that when you need to make a body jewelry return you can reuse the original package? When you receive body jewelry from BodyCandy.com and decide to make a return or exchange after speaking to our customer service department, just place your items and return forms inside the original box or padded envelope, tape it shut with packing tape, slap on your stamps and a new address label, and place it in the mail. Ta-da! You’re already making a difference