The Birth of Eco-Friendly Beauty – Is It Just New Marketing for a New Year?
By Andrea Kane • January 1st, 2008The Birth of Eco-Friendly Beauty – Is It Just New Marketing for a New Year?
Everything from clothes to cars is being sold as eco-friendly and green and in some cases, the marketing is more than copy. Clothing is made from ethically sourced and earth-friendly fabrics. Vehicles are created that add less pollution and rely less on fossil fuels. But how does a company justify a statement of offering eco-friendly beauty products?
In the U.S., the FDA regulates cosmetics and at present, there is no standard regulation for what is considered “natural,” “organic” or “eco-friendly.” Manufacturers are free to use these terms in ways they see fit to best sell the product, regardless of whether the ingredients validate that claim. While the USDA allows beauty companies to use their USDA Seal, consumers should know that the seal has not been modified for cosmetics; the standards applied are those that govern the applications used for food.
A November 2007 New York Times article about natural beauty products interviewed USDA spokesperson Joan Schaeffer, who said, “… people should not interpret … the U.S.D.A. Organic seal on cosmetics as proof of health benefits or of efficacy.” In fact, the National Organic Program, the division of the USDA that approves the seal for use on beauty products, simply certifies that the product contains at least 95% certified organic ingredients. This may sound lofty until you consider that this process allows water and water-based ingredients such as floral waters and aloe vera juice as part of this 95%; leaving the true “organic” nature suspect.
Eco-friendly is defined as something that is not harmful to the environment. This leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some would say that using essential oils in products is not eco-friendly, since natural resources, such as sandalwood, are diminishing due to the need for this “natural” essence. Petrochemicals have become the basis by which many decide a product’s “eco-friendliness,” yet there is no definitive research that clearly and concisely points to nature being better than lab-produced.
So where does this leave you, the consumer? The decision to purchase an eco-friendly beauty product is ultimately a subjective choice; as you may choose to buy organic foods because you hope to ingest fewer chemicals, the same can be said for your beauty choice. No matter what the front label states, no matter what the company website states, the only way to know what’s in a product is to read the ingredient label, and sometimes, as the recent lipstick lead reports show, even that may not be enough.
And remember, until all the research is in, don’t assume that natural, organic or eco-friendly is better than or safer than a synthetic or lab produced product. That being said, research has shown that what goes on your body, makes its way into your body, so choose your products based on knowledge, not new terminology.
-Andrea Kane | http://theorganicbeautyexpert.typepad.com/
Andrea Kane is is the editor of The Organic Beauty Expert blog and is a blogging, PR and marketing consultant. Visit her other blogs: Andrea Kane Consulting, The Organic Beauty Expert Blog and Signature Scents by Kane
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I think it comes down to choosing the lesser of two evils. Most people would assume that organic is better than chemical. However, with current demand for organics, businesses are having to truck in organics from far away instead of depending on local sources to keep up with demand. You then have the downside of the fuel used to truck the organics to their intended destinations.
As for labeling, it is true that companies can use these terms any way they see fit. But that being said, I think the consumer demand for these products is also forcing companies to look at their products and see how they can best fit into this market. In many instances, it forces change for the better.
I run an Indie business (www.PersonalAlchemy.com). I label my products “eco-friendly” because the bottles are 100% recyclable, and each product is made by hand, cutting down on the utilities used in larger manufacturing plants. The downside is, of course, that it requires trucks to deliver my items to my customers, again using fuels to achieve delivery. There really is no way of completely being eco friendly in this respect. There will always be a non-eco friendly aspect to most business practices and ways of life. As a human race, we are consumption oriented. It’s our nature. We need to eat, sleep and cloth ourselves. It really does come down to choosing what the “better” route is in any given situation. As I stated previously, the lesser of two evils.