- Made with organic essential oils
- Contains organic ingredients
- Made with nontoxic ingredients
- 100 percent natural
- Essentially nontoxic
- Earth-friendly
- Environmentally safer
None of these claims ensures that the product is safe and pure. The greenwashed product is just as
“organic” as “hypoallergenic” eye cream loaded with preservatives and petrochemical emollients.
Greenwashing ruins the whole green living idea. Environmentally concerned consumers are tricked
into buying products they think are good for them and safe for the planet. Green newbies instantly lose
trust in organic beauty since it seems to offer no differences. By spending money on greenwashed
shampoos or baby products, consumers unwittingly support clever marketers who are hiding behind
smart packaging design. When greenwashing is exposed, the whole organic beauty industry suffers a
blow. Why should we believe all those important-looking logos and seals if they mean so little? I
can’t help but question whether my favorite organic products are that pure and natural, considering the
newest reports about carcinogens found in “green” bestsellers.
No matter how pure and natural the packaging looks or how promising and ecoconscious the
promise sounds, always spot the beauty greenwasher by looking at the ingredients list. It only takes a
minute! Many good cosmetic companies are helpful enough to state the percentage of organic
ingredients on a label. If they don’t, study the ingredients list, where some manufacturers make an
extra effort to list which ingredients were derived from organic sources and which were synthesized.
Ideally, you want to see organically derived ingredients listed closer to the beginning of the
ingredients list rather than at the end of the list. Remember, some ingredients, such as water, cannot
be organic, and this is usually reflected on a product label. If you are in doubt, write to the company
and ask about the certification of ingredients claiming to be organic. Companies with nothing to hide
should be easy to reach and ready to help.
Don’t get me wrong: as a consumer, I would rather cheer any effort to take green to the mainstream
than support those who churn out yet another brew of petrochemicals and carcinogenic fragrances to
“naturally” care for our skin and hair. And while I can sometimes give up and buy a “natural”
mascara formulated with parabens, I do not tolerate any harmful synthetics in baby products. Neither
should you. Babies cannot vote for green with their dollar, but you can.
DON’T BE A VICTIMOF
GREEN BEAUTY MISINFORMATION
Here are some simple steps to help avoid green scams:
Check the ingredients list.If the “organic” shampoo is made of sodium laureth sulfate, PEGs, and
contains parabens and artificial fragrances, then it’s definitely not good for you, no matter how many
organic essential oils were used to justify the “organic” claim. There are very few companies that
make 100 percent organic beauty products, and even if they use only certified organic plant extracts