Greenwasher Exposed: Josie Maran?

Brilliantly written, well done reporting through and through. Lets see more from
*pgUp*
Terri Bly.

Terri,

Thank you so much for educating and shedding light on this subject. I too am shocked by these green and “safe” claims that many brands use and agree that an explanation from Miss Maran is in order. Please continue to write these truthful stories and if you can, recommend brands that are in fact as pure as they claim to be!

Thanks god someone has the nerve to start exposing all these so called green lines…….They even had the audacity in the last issue of Elle Magazine to call Lancome lip glass “green” now………when will this all end. Please continue writing Terri. Women need you.

I think we definitely need to ask Josie what’s going on! Thanks for the heads up on this.

Thank you, everyone, for the positive feedback. It’s a really sad thing to have to write about, to be honest! Truth is, there are great makeup lines out there that are upfront and honest about what they are and are not. They don’t get the press because they can’t afford the celebrity endorsements. My favorite “green beauty” makeup brands that I think are very honest and upfront with their ingredients include Couleur Caramel, rms beauty, Alima, Zuzu, Logona, Hauschka, Sante, and Living Nature.

’tis the year of the TRUTH.
THANK YOU!

We’ve spoken to Josie several times recently since she contacted us about launching her line on Futurenatural. We were all geared up to go but once we started going through the ingredient decks with a fine tooth comb & doing due diligence to make sure it meets our standards, we came across the same thing you did Terri – products that are touted as natural but are full of chemicals and synthetics. Needless to say we’re not adding the brand to our line-up but in all fairness to Josie, when I challenged her about the ingredients, my impression was a)She is very aware that the formulas need to be refined to accommodate a more truly natural stance and a more savvy consumer – to that end they are slowly but surely re-formulating each product to remove the worst offenders and make them as non-harmful/pure as possible; b)she is a very relaxed, nature girl at heart who’s learning a lot about this industry, and was taken by surprise by some of my feedback with the end result being that she’s doing some serious reassessment of the ingredients. In speaking with her, I think the outcomes will eventually be super positive but if you’re looking for a truly natural makeup line, at this stage, Josie Maran is not for you.

That is great that she wants to clean them up, and I had wondered just how aware she was about this. But until she has reformulated, my concern is not so much about what is in the products, but in how she (and/or her company) markets them. They are not at all natural, and shouldn’t be touted as such until they are reformulated. The symbols attached to the products are simply inaccurate, telling customers that stuff is not in the product that most definitely is (and not just in very small quantities). I hope she makes the changes soon, and is more transparent about what is in them.

Thank you for this information. I was a professional makeup artist for over 12 years. Once I was pregnant with my first child over 5 years ago, I switched to more natural lines. Things have changed quite a bit since then. It is a lot of work to get products that are both clean and perform well. What do you think of NVEY, Lavera, Afterglow, 100% PURE, Honey Bee Gardens and Organic Apotek? Some of these I have really enjoyed while others I am waiting to try. I would love your input!

Great work Terri and yet again, an article that absolutely needed to be written. As intelligent women, we need to learn that we can’t take any company’s word for it; even if that company is a gorgeous “nature girl” supermodel who is being labeled “Green Queen”. We need to continually ask questions and stand up for our health, because we are the only ones who will! We deserve better and if we want better, we must demand it. I myself have wondered for some time why not one woman I asked if they had read her ingredients – had not. Perhaps they’re all too distracted by the shiny, glam packaging and supermodel beauty that they forget to look at the ingredients?!? I agree that the icons (like you mention) and branding message are confusing and misleading. Being new to any industry doesn’t excuse anyone or any company from marketing their products in a way that is opposite of the truth.

I really and truly hope she decides to reformulate and ditches the petrochems and toxic ingredients she claims she doesn’t use; that or she changes her marketing material and strategy completely. I also really wish mags like Boho, Organic Beauty and Coco Eco would look deeper into the products they’re promoting before writing huge spreads on brands like this because it contributes to rampant consumer confusion that already exists.

Christy, all of those brands are great and have good reputations – you can’t really go wrong with any of them…

It is sad and unfortunate that those in the environmentally conscious community are cannibalizing their own fellow advocates. As an emerging business in a lackluster economy, I am sure that Josie relies on our community for support as well as encouragement. The thing is, your article is neither supportive nor encouraging. I think that as we (and you) move forward, you need to start considering what is and isn’t helping our movement. Writing a misinformed blog that has the ability to tarnish a brand isn’t helping. I don’t know Josie, but if I were to have a conversation with her (which you probably should have done), I would consider asking her about the ability to have a profitable business and remain green, because often you will find that, at this point, being able to profit and be green do not go hand in hand. What we need to consider is the source of these products. Is Josie well intentioned? Is she truly part of our community? All signs point to yes. Are Revlon, Smashbox, Maybeline on our side? Signs point to no. If it is true that Josie’s products are not fully natural, then let’s help her, not hurt her because by hurting her, we are really just attacking one of us. I appreciate your blog in its intentions to provide some information on this issue and raise the larger question of who we can trust, but I would also appreciate a little more research into seeing exactly what we are criticizing. At this point, it seems that no cosmetic company is fully green, but by stopping someone like Josie from getting there, you stop her and companies like hers from achieving our ultimate goals.

Thank you for your input, V, and at the same time, I have to disagree with you a bit in your take on my post. If I were to support and encourage companies that claim to be green but are in fact packed with chemicals, I do not consider that helpful to the green beauty movement. I consider that a) encouraging more companies to create semi-natural products and market them as organic and pure and b) a slap in the face to companies that have successfully made cosmetics that are wayyyyyy more natural than ones like Josie’s. I absolutely should have spoken with Josie first, you are correct. My post was not, however, misinformed. I pointed out what anybody could have discovered on their own. No interpretation was necessary. And i certainly have primary sources for everything I stated about the chemicals, and can provide them if you’d like. Like the one from British Petroleum discussing the history of the certain type of polybutene used in Josie Maran’s plumping lip gloss. Believe me, I did hours of research before printing this. My background is not in chemistry, but I do hold a doctorate in clinical psychology and am very experienced in writing research papers and seeking out reliable sources of information to support my theses.

I believe in helping companies, but more than that, I believe in helping consumers navigate their way through the treacherous waters of a very complicated industry.

Well done. Keep it up. Exposing green-washers is a worthy line. I’ll check back because I’m sure you’ll find more!

Thanks for a great, eye-opening article!

“Green” and “Organic” are big money marketing buzz words these days that may or may not mean something. That’s why I think the whole point of the article, to call a spade a spade rather than to pretend it’s something else, is a good one that I, as an informed consumer, am behind.

I agree that it would have been better for the writer to have interviewed Ms Maran prior to publishing this article but it’s unreasonable to say that it should have been written with a more supportive and encouraging perspective. As far as I can see, “Josie Maran” the brand is a business like any other in the business of selling a product to make a profit. To ask that she be accountable to what she is promoting and presenting is not an unreasonable expectation.

You say, “If it is true that Josie’s products are not fully natural, then let’s help her, not hurt her because by hurting her, we are really just attacking one of us.” Seriously? Hello. I have to respectfully disagree and say, ridiculous. If the brand wanted to be more natural, don’t you think it would be? Everything is a choice in life.

Having said that, would I use a product with Polybutene in it? Probably and without prejudice. But if I was choosing a product that presented itself as “free of petrochemicals” and then found it in the ingredient listing, my natural conclusion would be that the company was less than truthful. Why should I support and help that?

It’s all about promises and expectations.

It is very easy for companies to “pretend” that they were not aware of the extent of toxins in their products. Paying ignorant is what marketing is all about. As long as no one notices or complains this is going to continue, after all, big business has to make their money$$$$$.

As an owner of a business that sells products, whether it be cosmetics or what-not, you should be aware of the ingredients and what their affects can be on the consumer. If I, as a simple consumer, do my reasearch, why can’t they?

Our society has turned into a money-making circus, where no one cares about the welfare of the human being. The cosmetic industry is just one of the many enterprises that add to the burden of the health system where more and more people are being diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, the drug companies make their billions to treat these ailments.

I had to let out my frustration, since I have seen / read so many articles about companies that claim to be organic or natural and mislead the consumer on their packaging.

Diana

Thanks for this enlightening review Terri. Companies that brand their beauty products as “Natural” or “Organic” need to be held accountable for the claims they make and the fact that their ingredient list will be up for scrutiny. Rather than aiding in the fight for clean cosmetics these companies that make misleading statements only serve to bring the rest of us down and confuse the consumer. If Josie is cleaning up her ingredient list that is fantastic news and should be applauded, but don’t say you are something when you are not. If you make false claims be prepared to be called out.

And V – there are green companies out there that stay true to their ethics and make a profit. We do exist and we are proud of the quality of our products. We don’t want to be tarred with the same brush, so to speak, and will continue to speak out when a beauty company misrepresents itself.

thank you so much loved your web site it is so exausting to find a makeup line that does not lie….i am still searching for that one that suppose to be a natural and healthy for you as you know 75% of what you put on your body goes into your bloodstream thats scary……

Thanks once again, Terri. This is yet another line I rejected at my boutique for containing a few too many synthetic ingredients. (There are also lake colors in the lipsticks- that’s right, petroleum derived). If I read one more article about “organic” Josie Maran cosmetics I may scream.

what is a safe products to wear i am getting married soon…thanks

For a wedding, I think Jane Iredale and Couleur Caramel make the best makeup – boldest pigments, long-lasting, really made for weddings and the like. Also, Alima’s shadows are gorgeous and rich in color. Feel free to email me at terri@natureofbeauty.com if you’d like a more personal recommendation!

THANK YOU! I was duped into buying the same earth day kit, as i had heard so much about Maran’s line – and was so disappointed. But most of all, it angers me that she blatanly lies and so-called “natural/organic” beauty shops still sell her line – making me wonder if I am the only one who reads ingredients, or am just crazy!

This is an outstanding article. It is amazing how many magazines and articles tout Josie’s products when the reality is her products are not that green.

It all goes to buyer beware.

Interesting-I have encountered similar experiences as well. I have companies emailing me daily requesting me to review their "natural" products but their ingredients are sometimes more brown than green:(