Increasingly we see ‘Certified Organic’ on natural beauty products, but what does this really mean? And is it important?
I believe the answer is YES.
Many products will carry the word Organic or Naturally Organic or some other combination containing the buzz word. The problem is this labeling is not actually regulated, meaning the product may contain 1 or 2 ingredients that are organic but may also contain some ‘nasties’ – synthetic chemicals that are far from organic.
Organic vs Certified Organic
Products that carry the Certified Organic logo on the other hand have gone through the certification process which involves meeting standards on all ingredients for production, handling, processing and labeling. There is no law or regulation that states these processes must be undertaken by any brand and there is no law that states any action can be taken with brands falsely labeling their products as organic. The whole thing is self –regulated!! Great for the brands who don’t want to bother!
Ah, but for the brands who do bother there is an up-side. The consumer is becoming more savvy, this is a good thing. If you make the choice to go organic with your beauty then don’t always believe what it says on the bottle- look for the logo – then you know!! There are also other certifications that show a brand values the integrity of their products and is completely transparent regarding their ingredients, these are the brands to look out for.
If a brand goes through the certification process then it shows they are bothered about the concerns of their customers and that they value the term organic – it is not something that should be thrown onto all packaging just to make more sales!!
The food industry uses the term ‘organic’ but is regulated, meaning they can’t say its organic unless its certified. The cosmetics industry is a different kettle of fish, maybe one day it will catch up!!
Finding Brands with Organic Integrity
So this is what you should look out for:
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And these are some of my favourite brands providing it:
Weleda
Alva
Suki
Neals Yard
Aubrey Organics
…all giving real results.
You can also find more information at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
If you like this post you can find me at which1works.com and also over on my facebook page. There is so much hype in the beauty industry, integrity is key!!
Photograph courtesy of epsos.de
Louise,
I tried to look for an e-mail address so I could e-mail you privately about this but I couldn’t. So, I apologize for commenting here.
The industry is so deceptive that it has even deceived you.
Aubrey Organics has maybe one or two certified organic products.
Weleda is not certified organic. The USDA organic seal is not on any of their products, that I am aware of.
Suki does not bear the USDA seal.
Neal’s Yard does not bear the USDA seal.
While these brands are for the most part better than the conventional ones, they are not truly USDA certified. For a full list of truly certified organic brands, visit this page: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm#BUY
As a certified organic producer of personal care products, I am passionate about the subject. I personally go through the certification process with organic inspectors, make sure we are on top of our paperwork and organic standards. So, when I see big companies that aren’t organic, being touted as such, it is frustrating!
Neal’s Yard Remedies is certified organic by the Soil Association. They have never needed to be certified by the USDA because the products weren’t available in the United States. Now that Neal’s Yard is available in the US through independent consultants, many of the newer formulations are being certified by both entities.
Here is a link to the SOIL ASSOCIATION website.
http://www.soilassociation.org/
As far as I know, it is every bit as stringent as the USDA, if not more.
Soil Association Cosmetic Standards (COSMOS) are not as stringent as USDA Organic standards. They allow several non-agricultural and synthetic ingredients that are not allowed in USDA organic products. Ingredients include:
Sodium Floride
Talc
Bentonite
Ammonium Sulfate
Benzyl Alcohol
Denatonium Benzoate
Salycylic acid and its salts (closely related to parabens)
Tetrasodium glutamate diacetate
Ingredients list from product chosen at random from NYR Organic
Rose and Mallow Moisturizer
# Aqua (Water)
# Cetearyl alcohol
# Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Almond) oil*+
# Rosa centifolia (Rose) extract
# Polysorbate-60
# Sorbitan stearate
# Zea mays (Corn) oil
# Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) oil*
# Triticum vulgare (Wheat) germ oil
# Glycerin
# Cera alba (Beeswax)*
# Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf juice powder*
# Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow) root extract*
# Rosa damascena (Rose) oil
# Citrus medica limonum (Lemon) oil*
# Cedrus atlantica (Cedar) wood oil*
# Cananga odorata (Ylang ylang) oil*
# Lanolin
# Tocopheryl acetate
# Potassium sorbate
# Benzyl alcohol
# Alcohol denat.*
# Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool. Natural constituent of essential oils listed.
*Organically produced ingredient.
Made with 35% organic ingredients.
+ Nut based ingredient.
Benzyl alcohol=reproductive toxin
Polysorbate 60=ethoxylated compound
Benzyl salicylate=immune system toxin.
No so organic!
This product wouldn’t even be able to say “made with organic ingredients” on the label according to USDA organic standards. To be able to do so, it would have to contain over 70% organic content, and contain no prohibited substances.
Thanks Stephanie for your comments. I can see you are very passionate about the subject.
Apart from the USDA seal there are other standards around the world such as the soil association mentioned by Jenny and there are organic products that do not have the USDA seal.
I take your point that not ALL the products from all the brands listed are certified Organic. I was also aware of the list at organicconsumers.org which lists USDA certified brands.
My point was to encourage the consumer to think about the term and whether it is taken seriously by a brand.
For instance, here’s an ingredient list for a body lotion of Alva:
aqua, buxus chinensis (jojoba oil), helianthus annuus (sunflower oil), polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate (plant derived emulsifier), cera alba (beeswax), parfum, theobroma cacao (cocoa), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn), citrus nobilis (mandarin oil), cymbopogon martini (palmarosa oil), sodium alginate (gum arabic; thickener), xanthan gum (thickener; stabilizer; emulsifier), citric acid, potassium sorbate (plant derived preservative)
None of the ingredients indicate that they are organic. Additionally, it contains synthetic chemicals that are not allowed in an organic product.
Actually, Aubrey Organics is one of the purest US-based brands out there. The coined their name back 43 years ago when “Organic” meant “noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but that now includes all other compounds of carbon”
Companies such as Aubrey Organics are not attempting to deceive sonsumers: they have been around longer than being “organic” was the cool thing to do.
I would suggest that, aside from the USDA seal, consumers look for the NPA seal to ensure the purity and quality of a product.
I hope this helps.
I do agree; Aubrey does have some good products and a great reputation. But not all of their products are organic. Their shampoos are not, their conditioners are not, their lotions are not. Their fragrances are not. Their facial care products are not. Their baby line is not Their sun care line is not.
Their lip balms, styling aids, two facial oils, and two bath salts are organic. But the majority of their offerings are not organic.
That’s not to say that their products aren’t good, but when talking about USDA certification, it should be clear that the majority of their line is not up to USDA standards.
Allison I agree with your comments regarding Aubrey Organics, they are a long established and trustworthy brand – thank you.
Stephanie, again I was pointing out brands that do have high standards regarding the term ‘Organic’
not necessarily those who whole range is organic.
Here’s a list of ingredients from Weleda’s Diaper Cream:
Zinc Oxide 12% Beeswax, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Calendula Flower Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Geraniol, Glyceryl Linoleate, Hectorite, Lanolin, Limonene, Linalool, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Water.
Not one certified organic ingredient, and a bunch of synthetics like benzyl salicylate and Glyceryl Linoleate that are not allowed in an organic product.
Stephanie,
I couldn’t agree with you more!
I can’t believe that this article was even posted on the CSC page. There is some inaccurate information and this would be it. Isn’t it the first job in responsible journalism to double check your facts? Just because you like a certain product doesn’t make you an expert. It’s when you can provide the research like Stepanie has done to back it up.
Let’s look at Weleda Natural Skincare:
I love it when companies greenwash their own ingredients to make them sound more natural. Take for example Weleda’s use of Coco-Glucoside.
Here’s what they say “This non-ionic tenside is among the mildest tensides from natural, renewable materials”
How many people know what a non-ionic tenside is??? Unless you speak German, Tenside is probably not a name you are familiar with. Tenside is another name for SURFACTANT!
This is my favorite quote from Welda… “ Look through our list of ingredients and you won’t find one synthetic compound or one toxic chemical.”
Really…not one synthetic are they sure about that?? Coco-Glucoside is in fact a synthetic! They use Sodium Hydroxide (lye) in the process of making this Non-toxic ionic tenside..I mean.. surfactant.
Louise, you should write another article about what it means to be truly organic like Bubble & Bee is. You may learn something.
Thanks for the article. I must say that I agree with most of it but I just wanted to add one point: stamps aren’t everything and the idea that the certification process is a litmus test for the concern that a company has for its customers is a bit biased. I am the co-owner of a company that doesn’t display any of these stamps but we do list every single ingredient that goes into our products. So which is more informative – a stamp or a “recipe”? I also have a question: if our ingredients are sourced from organic farms do we have the legal right to display those stamps on our website? If so, then I’d gladly do it…
Thanks for the article. I must say that I agree with most of it but I just wanted to add one point: stamps aren’t everything and the idea that the certification process is a litmus test for the concern that a company has for its customers is a bit biased. I am the co-owner of a company that doesn’t display any of these stamps but we do list every single ingredient that goes into our products. So which is more informative – a stamp or a “recipe”? I also have a question: if our ingredients are sourced from organic farms do we have the legal right to display those stamps on our website? If so, then I’d gladly do it…
I commend you for your full disclosure; in this market it seems to be a rare thing.
Most stamps are meaningless, and usually just mean that the company has paid a lot of money to a trade organization. However, the USDA Organic seal does actually mean something because there is a certification process that is regulated by the government.
To answer your question, if you are using organic ingredients, but do not have organic certification on your production facility and products, you cannot legally use the USDA seal on your website.
I can agree with you on your point that certification isn’t necessarily a litmus test for the concern a company has. There are some great companies that are not organic, but 100% natural.
Thanks again Stephanie and Cas for your comments.
As Stephanie rightly said the production and handling must be certified organic aswell to gain the USDA seal.
Some stamps may be meaningless but the ones mentioned all hold some weight.
However I do take your point Cas that the seal it not an absolute litmus test for the integrity of the company.
>I am the co-owner of a company that doesn’t display any of these stamps but we do list every single ingredient that goes into our products. So which is more informative – a stamp or a “recipe”?I also have a question: if our ingredients are sourced from organic farms do we have the legal right to display those stamps on our website? If so, then I’d gladly do it…<
Of course you don't have the right, and as a co-owner of a cosmetics company, to be blunt, you should already know this. You could have every single ingredient in a bath tea, for example, be from a USDA Certified Organic farm and that does not give you ANY rights as far as making claims for YOUR product unless your processing facility is itself, USDA Certified Organic. The process involves more than just what ingredients are "in" a product, it involves recordkeeping and documentation, good manufacturing practices, and more. This is all EASILY found on the USDA website.
Neal’s Yard Remedies is certified organic by the Soil Association. They have never needed to be certified by the USDA because the products weren’t available in the United States. Now that Neal’s Yard is available in the US through independent consultants, many of the newer formulations are being certified by both entities.
Here is a link to the SOIL ASSOCIATION website.
http://www.soilassociation.org/
As far as I know, it is every bit as stringent as the USDA, if not more.
Thanks Stephanie for your comments. I can see you are very passionate about the subject.
Apart from the USDA seal there are other standards around the world such as the soil association mentioned by Jenny and there are organic products that do not have the USDA seal.
I take your point that not ALL the products from all the brands listed are certified Organic. I was also aware of the list at organicconsumers.org which lists USDA certified brands.
My point was to encourage the consumer to think about the term and whether it is taken seriously by a brand.
Allison I agree with your comments regarding Aubrey Organics, they are a long established and trustworthy brand – thank you.
Stephanie, again I was pointing out brands that do have high standards regarding the term ‘Organic’
not necessarily those who whole range is organic.
Thanks again Stephanie and Cas for your comments.
As Stephanie rightly said the production and handling must be certified organic aswell to gain the USDA seal.
Some stamps may be meaningless but the ones mentioned all hold some weight.
However I do take your point Cas that the seal it not an absolute litmus test for the integrity of the company.
Hi Louise,
The purpose of this post is an admirable one and a topic I’m truly passionate about, but I’m surprised to see some of the brands in your list of “brands providing it” (“truly organic beauty products”). Though I believe your intentions were pure, the content in this post is a bit misleading (albeit, unintentional). To distinguish between “Organic vs. Certified Organic” in one paragraph and right underneath that provide a list of “Finding True Organic Beauty Products” and then to list brands that aren’t certified organic or organic at all, creates consumer confusion.
The first issue is the images of the four seals (USDA Organic, BDIH, Coming Clean, and Demeter) under “Finding True Organic Beauty Products”. The only stamp/seals that fall under a “certified organic”catagory out of the four is the USDA Certified Organic seal and Demeter (Biodynamic certification). While BDIH is a natural certification, it is important to distinguish that it is not an organic certification. The Coming Clean logo is from OCA (Organic Consumer Association) and is not used to identified or distinguish organic or certified organic beauty products – it is used by the OCA in their Coming Clean Campaign and I’ve personally never seen it used on a product for this purpose. The Coming Clean campaign is in no way a certification agency or proof that a product is really organic.
The second issue is the list “Finding True Organic Beauty Products”:
1). Weleda is Certified Natural by BDIH and Certified NSF/ANSI 305 “Contains Organic Ingredients”. (This is the brand I have least issue with on your list – I happen to like their products!).
2). Alva doesn’t appear to be certified organic, nor do their ingredients look like they qualify as a “Truly Organic Beauty Product”.
3). None of the products from Suki have any certifications whatsoever.
4). Neal’s Yard appears to offer some products that are certified by Soil Association.
5). Aubrey Organics has a very limited amount of Certified Organic products and many of their products don’t contain any organic ingredients at all. The brand may have been around awhile and many believe the products to be “organic” by association with the brand name, but they like to hide ingredients by using vague (non-INCI) terms like “Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base”. (What is that anyway?!)
I certainly acknowledge that there are other Organic Certifications in the world other than USDA, but when compiling a list of “brands”, not products – in the future I hope the brands are researched a bit more to confirm they are indeed organic and/or hold an organic certification.
I commend your desire to educate others and appreciate your thirst to learn more about this important topic – because knowledge is truly power
Important clarification Stancie… Louise, great topic to raise. Every time I think we’ve covered this enough and people know by now, the truth is it’s probably something we’ll continually have to clarify and refine and revisit.
I just wanted to weigh-in here and I appreciate Stancie’s reply and totally suggest that all brands need to assume an ‘open kimono’ approach to their labelling and that certification or a trusted symbol alone doesn’t always assure organic integrity. We have products that are USDA certified organic but also have color cosmetics that could not be certified under the USDA guidelines due to the minerals used to create the color pigments. For us, we felt that it was too confusing to have one collection USDA certified organic and another certified by say, Soil, so instead for our glosses and beauty balms, we chose to disclose both the INCI and common names for each ingredient so that our consumers could actually read (and pronounce) each and every ingredient and identify which one was either certified organic (USDA I might add, and we made sure that it was the highest % we could achieve (85%) to maintain that USDA integrity) or naturally derived or mineral source. Stancie, it is so true what you said, knowledge really is power and it is our responsibility as a brand to disclose all the information we can about our products because we owe it to our customers to let them make educated decisions!
Hi Louise,
The purpose of this post is an admirable one and a topic I’m truly passionate about, but I’m surprised to see some of the brands in your list of “brands providing it” (“truly organic beauty products”). Though I believe your intentions were pure, the content in this post is a bit misleading (albeit, unintentional). To distinguish between “Organic vs. Certified Organic” in one paragraph and right underneath that provide a list of “Finding True Organic Beauty Products” and then to list brands that aren’t certified organic or organic at all, creates consumer confusion.
The first issue is the images of the four seals (USDA Organic, BDIH, Coming Clean, and Demeter) under “Finding True Organic Beauty Products”. The only stamp/seals that fall under a “certified organic”catagory out of the four is the USDA Certified Organic seal and Demeter (Biodynamic certification). While BDIH is a natural certification, it is important to distinguish that it is not an organic certification. The Coming Clean logo is from OCA (Organic Consumer Association) and is not used to identified or distinguish organic or certified organic beauty products – it is used by the OCA in their Coming Clean Campaign and I’ve personally never seen it used on a product for this purpose. The Coming Clean campaign is in no way a certification agency or proof that a product is really organic.
The second issue is the list “Finding True Organic Beauty Products”:
1). Weleda is Certified Natural by BDIH and Certified NSF/ANSI 305 “Contains Organic Ingredients”. (This is the brand I have least issue with on your list – I happen to like their products!).
2). Alva doesn’t appear to be certified organic, nor do their ingredients look like they qualify as a “Truly Organic Beauty Product”.
3). None of the products from Suki have any certifications whatsoever.
4). Neal’s Yard appears to offer some products that are certified by Soil Association.
5). Aubrey Organics has a very limited amount of Certified Organic products and many of their products don’t contain any organic ingredients at all. The brand may have been around awhile and many believe the products to be “organic” by association with the brand name, but they like to hide ingredients by using vague (non-INCI) terms like “Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base”. (What is that anyway?!)
I certainly acknowledge that there are other Organic Certifications in the world other than USDA, but when compiling a list of “brands”, not products – in the future I hope the brands are researched a bit more to confirm they are indeed organic and/or hold an organic certification.
I commend your desire to educate others and appreciate your thirst to learn more about this important topic – because knowledge is truly power
Important clarification Stancie… Louise, great topic to raise. Every time I think we’ve covered this enough and people know by now, the truth is it’s probably something we’ll continually have to clarify and refine and revisit.
“the content in this post is a bit misleading”
Really excellent reply Stancie!! Over the weekend, I went into Whole Foods with my adult daughter, who joins her father and I in trying to buy certified organic, natural, sustainable products. I have been getting her up to speed on the mislabeled “bogus” organic brands (many of which are featured in this BLOG). After looking at all the brands and finding nothing but “fake” organics, I asked the sales clerk(s) {there were three hanging around} “Do you have any certified organic shampoo and conditioners?” The reply; “Well, you really can’t have certified organic shampoos because they have water in them.” I was blunt (no surprise) – “No, you are completely wrong about that, there certainly ARE USDA Certified Organic Shampoo and Conditioners, and Whole Foods recently had a press release about how they are going to adopt new standards and stop carrying the fake organic brands…I guess they haven’t started carrying any yet…but to be clear, there certainly these products available.” What a shame that a store that claims to be a leader…certainly has not taken any positive steps to at the very LEAST educate their staff about this important issue.
I’ve also been disappointed with the staff’s knowledge in the Whole Foods beauty department. I was looking for SLS free shampoo, and the fellow had no idea what I was talking about or why that was a concern.
I just wanted to weigh-in here and I appreciate Stancie’s reply and totally suggest that all brands need to assume an ‘open kimono’ approach to their labelling and that certification or a trusted symbol alone doesn’t always assure organic integrity. We have products that are USDA certified organic but also have color cosmetics that could not be certified under the USDA guidelines due to the minerals used to create the color pigments. For us, we felt that it was too confusing to have one collection USDA certified organic and another certified by say, Soil, so instead for our glosses and beauty balms, we chose to disclose both the INCI and common names for each ingredient so that our consumers could actually read (and pronounce) each and every ingredient and identify which one was either certified organic (USDA I might add, and we made sure that it was the highest % we could achieve (85%) to maintain that USDA integrity) or naturally derived or mineral source. Stancie, it is so true what you said, knowledge really is power and it is our responsibility as a brand to disclose all the information we can about our products because we owe it to our customers to let them make educated decisions!
Hi,
I absolutely agree that it is important to have a certified organic label. Too often big companies have shown us that ethics fall by the way side when there is big money to be made. It is also really important for consumers to demand truly organic because then companies will be forced to comply with the need.
I love how this topic has created such a fabulous discussion. It’s really up to the consumer to read the labels and take responsibility for what they are buying. My organic skin care range contains, organic and certified organic ingredients all of which are fully disclosed on the website and the packaging. It’s amazing how many companies omit disclosure of ingredients, one in Australia just got fined for misleading labelling on baby products! check your labels, and if unsure about the ingredients, google them. xKaren Wood
Absolutely Yvette, its all about making the consumer more aware…..xx
Hi Louise,
Yes it is about that – but as editors, it is our responsibility to not add to the rampant confusion that already exists about what “organic beauty” is. I’m afraid this post adds to the confusion more than answers the original question you posed, “Increasingly we see ‘Certified Organic’ on natural beauty products, but what does this really mean? And is it important?”
Also, are you using affiliate links in this post to make a commission? It appears as though you may be for Weleda, Suki & Neal’s Yard since you are linking to a retailer’s site and not the manufacturer. If that is the case, by law, you need to disclose that information at the bottom of this post per FTC Blogger Disclosure Regulations.
Hi,
I absolutely agree that it is important to have a certified organic label. Too often big companies have shown us that ethics fall by the way side when there is big money to be made. It is also really important for consumers to demand truly organic because then companies will be forced to comply with the need.
I love how this topic has created such a fabulous discussion. It’s really up to the consumer to read the labels and take responsibility for what they are buying. My organic skin care range contains, organic and certified organic ingredients all of which are fully disclosed on the website and the packaging. It’s amazing how many companies omit disclosure of ingredients, one in Australia just got fined for misleading labelling on baby products! check your labels, and if unsure about the ingredients, google them. xKaren Wood
Absolutely Yvette, its all about making the consumer more aware…..xx
Hi Louise,
Yes it is about that – but as editors, it is our responsibility to not add to the rampant confusion that already exists about what “organic beauty” is. I’m afraid this post adds to the confusion more than answers the original question you posed, “Increasingly we see ‘Certified Organic’ on natural beauty products, but what does this really mean? And is it important?”
Also, are you using affiliate links in this post to make a commission? It appears as though you may be for Weleda, Suki & Neal’s Yard since you are linking to a retailer’s site and not the manufacturer. If that is the case, by law, you need to disclose that information at the bottom of this post per FTC Blogger Disclosure Regulations.
I’ve also been disappointed with the staff’s knowledge in the Whole Foods beauty department. I was looking for SLS free shampoo, and the fellow had no idea what I was talking about or why that was a concern.
Thanks so much for your blog post and for addressing this very important issue. I work in communications for Weleda and I want to reply to the comment below that was previously made. Since 1921 Weleda has been making products using only natural ingredients. All of our products, including all of the products in our Calendula Baby Care Collection, are 100% certified-natural by BDIH and by NaTrue, a European third-party, non-profit certifier (our products are manufactured in Switzerland and in Germany). We don’t claim that our products are certified-organic, although we do use organic and Biodynamic® ingredients whenever possible. Most of our ingredients are grown in our own gardens or in close partnership with farmers and cooperatives around the world. The calendula in our baby care, for instance, is grown biodynamically in our very own Demeter-certified Biodynamic® gardens in Germany—the largest of their kind in Europe.
The two ingredients noted in the comment below, benzyl salicylate and glyceryl Linoleate, are both derived from natural ingredients and, in fact, are allowed in certified-natural NaTrue products, and also by those products certified by NSF, a standard created specifically for personal care products made with at least 70% organic ingredients.
I hope this helps explain a little bit more about our ingredients and our philosophy. We have an extensive ingredient database on our website (http://usa.weleda.com) and we fully disclose all of our ingredients on our labels. We follow the European INCI labeling system. Please feel free to contact us anytime with any questions! Thank you. community@weleda.com
Carrie
Here’s a list of ingredients from Weleda’s Diaper Cream:
Zinc Oxide 12% Beeswax, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Calendula Flower Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Geraniol, Glyceryl Linoleate, Hectorite, Lanolin, Limonene, Linalool, Sweet Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Water.
Not one certified organic ingredient, and a bunch of synthetics like benzyl salicylate and Glyceryl Linoleate that are not allowed in an organic product.
I love how passionate everyone is about this topic and thought I’d through in my two cents. Hopefully this will cool heads and bring some sanity here.
Many of us prefer to choose organic in our lives whenever possible. I’ll be the first to say that although my fridge has about 85% organic food in it, not everything I buy is organic. I do feel VERY good about ALL of my purchases though, since processed foods are rare in my cupboards and I read ingredient labels like a champ (the “nutrition facts” are worthless in my opinion).
The same goes for skin care products. While I prefer to have most, if not all of the ingredients be organic, I much prefer to read the ingredient label and see 99.9% are NATURAL even if only 60% are certified organic. There are some great natural ingredients out there that are sustainably wild harvested and just fine in my book.
I realize this takes an educated consumer to read through and understand ingredient labels, which is why I am not a huge fan of INCI standards in labeling. While this standard is well intentioned, writing out common natural ingredients (like Bees Wax and Carrot Seed) in their latin or chemical names (Cera Alba and Daucus Carota Sativa) makes ingredient labels very long and confusing to read through. This leaves most consumers dazed and unable to easily pick out a nasty synthetic chemical from a harmless list of natural and organic ingredients.
While I applaud the companies that are producing USDA certified organic products, I don’t always love the results since these companies are limited in their arsenal of ingredients. I do know that to make a fabulous meal at home, sometimes I have to add a few “non-organic” ingredients because the USDA organic choice wasn’t available locally.
I loathe companies that are using mostly certified organic ingredients but then add to the formula a bunch of synthetic chemicals. I think the companies out there that are purposefully misleading people with green-washed products are sinful, yet I also see a ton of small companies out there trying to produce some really great natural products too. For those who want 100% USDA Certified Organic skin care, you have choices. For others, a product using mostly organic ingredients and the rest natural is just fine with us.
The “how green are you?” stuff is childish. Everyone has there own comfort level and none of us would even be on this site reading articles if we weren’t concerned with the overuse of synthetic chemicals in our environment in the first place. I say drop the “organic beauty” theme and just “go natural”.