Wednesday, June 13, 2012

What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is "the act of misleading a consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a products or a service."

In skin care it means when a company claims that their products are natural or organic when they're not.

The main problem with Greenwashing is that consumers will lose their faith in natural brands. I've heard from lots of people that they bought a "natural" product and it wasn't good for them. Usually it happens because they thought the product was natural, but it wasn't and the harmful chemicals had a bad effect on their skin.

Don't be fooled by false advertising.

Natural lifestyle became very popular lately (which is good!), but companies take an advantage of it. Also, they (companies) know exactly that consumers will not check the ingredient list, because they believe their claims. Thus, saying about a product that it's natural, it's a big business.

When I went shopping I used to check the beauty section. Every single time when I found a product that said it's natural or organic I was disappointed. Although the bottle was perfect with those natural images, the ingredients weren't even close to being natural.

Terrachoice collected 7 general greenwashing signs that companies use. "More than 95 per cent of consumer products claiming to be green are committing at least one of the “sins” of greenwashing", according to The Sins of Greenwashing.

The 7 signs by Terrachoice:

  1. Hidden trade-off - A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues
  2. No proof - An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification
  3. Vagueness - A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’
  4. Worshiping false labels - A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words
  5. Irrelevance - An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.
  6. Lesser of two evils - A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle
  7. Fibbing - Environmental claims that are simply false

Beauty products that claim they are natural, but they are not:

1. Nivea Pure & natural

Claim: "Care for your skin the natural way with NIVEA Pure & Natural", "NIVEA pure & natural is inspired by nature".

Truth: Their products are synthetic and they contain just few natural ingredients.

Harmful ingredients of Moisturizing day care cream: Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance/Parfum, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Sodium Benzoate

2. Johnson's Natural

Claim: "The JOHNSON'S® NATURAL® product line is the only line of baby skin products that is at least 98% natural"

Truth: Their product is not natural, full of synthetic preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, etc and there is barely effective ingredients in the products. All of their "natural" products based on water and water doesn't make a product natural! They use fragrance and although they say it's from plant, they don't say which plant. The body wash and the shampoo has exactly the same ingredients!

Harmful ingredients of both of the body lotion, body wash and shampoo: Benzoic Acid, Fragrance

3. Aveeno and Aveeno baby

Claim: "AVEENO® products contain natural oatmeal and are specially formulated to provide daily care for baby's skin, and to soothe and relieve dry, itchy skin. And, they are gentle enough for newborns and babies with sensitive skin."

Truth: Besides that all Aveeno products contain oatmeal, their product is more synthetic than natural and unfortunately full of dangers ingredients. All of their product got a low rate at Good Guide. I will write about 2 products here, so you will get the picture. Believe me, their other products are the same too.

Harmful ingredients of Baby Soothing Bath Treatment: Mineral Oil, Laureth 4

Claims about Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream: "fragrance free, hypoallergenic, non-greasy."

Harmful ingredients of Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream: Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Dimethicone, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

4. Garnier Fructis Haircare Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo

Claim: "A clean, green hair care solution." "94% Biodegradable formula"

Truth: Not even close to be "green", maximum the bottle.

Harmful ingredients: Ammonium lauryl sulfate, Cocamidopropylbetaine, Hexylene glycol, Parfum/fragrance, Sodium benzoate, Benzoic acid

5. Dove Natural Touch Dead Sea Minerals 48h Anti-Perspirant Deodorant

Claim: "“Dove Natural Touch taps into the current beauty trend towards ingredients sourced from the natural world"

Truth: It's not natural at all.

Harmful ingredients: Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Steareth-2 , Parfum , Steareth-20 , PEG 4, Potassium Lactate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate

6. Bio-oil

Claim: "Bio‑Oil is a specialist skincare oil that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone. It is also effective for aging and dehydrated skin."

Truth: The bio term is deceptive, because there is nothing really bio in it.

Harmful ingredients: Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Triisononanoin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, BHT, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Colour Orange: CI 26100 (Red 17) Pink: CI 26100 (Red 17) and CI 60725 (Violet 2).

7. Organix

Claim: "Beauty, pure and simple"

Truth: Yes, it's pure synthetic. The name is very misleading and their products doesn't contain organic ingredients. Vogue says that its Organix products contain “organic active ingredients,” but according to Generation Green, none of their products display the name of a third-party organic certifier, and none of their products’ ingredient lists show even a single organic component.

Harmful ingredients that you can find in their products: Methylchloroisothiazolinone, DMDM hydantoin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Cocamide MEA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexlglycerin, Parfum

8. Fa Moisture Rich Body Wash, Energizing Kiwi Mix

Claim: "Moisturizers that feed the body", "Exotic Fragrances that fuel the senses", "Not tested on animals"

Truth:It's a good point that it wasn't tested on animals, but it still doesn't make the product better. Btw: I don't even see the seal for no animal testing. The other thing is the fragrance. Who knows what chemical is hiding behind "the exotic fragrances" label and I also doubt the moisturizing effect.

Harmful ingredients:Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, Cocamide MEA, Laureth 10, Sodium Benzoate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, FD&C Blue 1 (CI 42090), D&C Yellow 10 (CI 74005)

List of fake organic brands by Susanna aka Organicgal 007:

  • Alba Botanica - Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Octinoxate , Oxybenzone, Peg-100, Sodium PCA, etc.
  • Avalon Organics - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium oleamido succinate, Sodium PCA, Octinoxate, Oxybenzone, etc.
  • Babywise Organics - Octyl Palmitate (I'm finding this to be another name for Dimethicone..correct me if I'm wrong), Retinyl Palmitate , Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, etc.
  • Derma E Organic Expressions - PEG-7, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Dimethicone, Peg-175, PEG-200, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, etc.
  • Giovanni Organics - PVP (which is vinyl), PEG-40, Polysorbate 60, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Octylmethoxycinnamate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocamphodiacetate, PEG-8, etc.
  • Head Organics - PEG-7, PVP (which is vinyl), Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cetrimonium Chloride, etc.
  • Jason pure natural organic - Cocamide MEA, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone,
  • Juice Beauty - Retinyl palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl (octyl) palmitate, Cocamidopropyl betaine. Only 4 of over 30 products actually carry the USDA Organic logo, all other 30+ products do not. To me having only 4 certified products, does not make company organic
  • Kiss My Face Organics - Phenoxyethanol (funny their adverts claim they are "Obsessively Organic". Really?)
  • Lotus Touch organic & natural - PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Bisabolol
  • Mill Creek Organics a.k.a. Amazon Organics - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Octyl dimethyl PABA, Acrylates copolymer
  • Natures Gate Organics - Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-120, Avobenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Oxybenzone, PEG-100, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, PVP, Dimethiconol
  • Organix South Inc, a.k.a. Thera Neem - Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Lauramide DEA, PEG-7, PEG-40
  • Pharmacopia Organic - Phenoxyethanol; Chlorphenesin, Cocamidopropyl betaine

List of fake natural brands by Susanna aka Organicgal 007:

  • Arbonne - Cocamidopropyl Betaine Coconut , PEG-80, Peg-120, Retinyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol , Hexylene Glycol , etc. (their baby line is horribly toxic)
  • Aveda - Many forms of PEG's, Dimethicone, etc.
  • The Body Shop - PEG-100, Parabens, EDTA, Yellow #5, Red #4, PEG-8, Cocamide DEA, Dimethicone, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-18, PVP
  • Derma E - Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethyl MEA , PEG-100, Cocamide DEA
  • Earth Science - Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, benzophenone-3
  • Healthy Times baby line - Parabens
  • Korres Natural Products - Propylparaben, Methylparaben, PEG- 8, Aluminium Oxide, PEG-100, Phenoxyethanol, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, PEG-60, Propylene Glycol
  • Lush - Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
  • Melaleuca - Dimethicone, PEG - 100, Phenoxyethanol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Avobenzone, Ostisalate, Octinoxate, Octocyrlene, EDTA, Triethanolamine, PEG-7, PEG-60,
  • Method - Cocamidopropyl betaine, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium lauryl sulfate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Cocamide DEA, retinyl palmitate
  • Mill Creek Botanicals - Disodium-EDTA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Imidazolidinyl Urea
  • Nature's Gate - Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Octinoxate; Oxybenzone, Dimethicone
  • Pure and Basic - Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-90, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben
  • Shaklee - Phenoxyethanol, Didodium EDTA, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Oxybenzone, PEG-10, Dimethicone

Useful information about Greenwashing:

Bare naked skin - A useful article about Greenwashing in the Organic Industry

Many natural & organic cosmetic brands falling short of marketing claims - Organic Monitor research about greenwashing

9 Useful Resources About the Dangers Behind Beauty Greenwashing - A great post about how to choose natural products and stay away from greenwashing, plus many useful links

Sins of greenwashing - TerraChoice explains the 7 greenwashing sings

Natural Cosmetic & Personal Care News & Articles - Natural Cosmetic News is committed to providing consumers and industry professionals with accurate up-to-date information and resources regarding the natural cosmetic and personal care products and industry.

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