How to choose natural skin care products?

You are standing in front of the counter and you can't decide which product is really natural. There are so many green bottles and labels saying 'all natural', 'organic' or 'herbal' that you are just so confused and puzzled.

Unfortunately lots of beauty products are falsely labeled as "natural" or "organic". Just because they contain few natural ingredients, they say the product is natural (eg. Aveeno who claims that they are "the leader of active naturals"), when it's not. It's called "greenwashing".

Companies are not required by law to disclose all their ingredients on product labels. This means they can put anything in a product what they want. And they even can call it natural when it's not! According to Dr. Sarah Lantz "Manufacturers may also apply for ‘confidentiality’ or ‘trade secrets’ exemption in relation to the formulation of the product. If successful, the manufacturer only has to list the patented name of the formula and not its specific ingredients. The exemption process effectively denies consumers the right to access information about the ingredients in the product."

Here are some advice how to pick up the right, real natural products:

1. Don't buy over-counter products. You can't find real natural brands in big supermarkets like Walmart and local stores, because they don't carry organic lines.
2. Read the ingredients. Not the label that claims it's natural, but the actual ingredient list on the back
3. Look for the proper logos like USDA certified, Eco-Cert, Vegan, BDIH, Soil Association, Cosmebio, Natrue, NPA, etc.
4. Compare similar products. Look at the ingredients of one product that claims to be natural and one that does not, and see if there are any differences (eg Avenoo natural=Johnson & Johnson, Fa natural and other Fa products, etc.)
5. Research the product. How is it made and/or processed? What is the origin and source of the “natural” ingredients?

Stay away from these brands* according to The Organic Consumers Association:

• Avalon ‘Organics’
• Desert Essence ‘Organics’
• Earth’s Best ‘Organics’
• Eminence ‘Organics’ (Except a Few w/USDA Seal)
• Giovanni ‘Organics’
• Goodstuff ‘Organics’
• Head ‘Organics’
• Jason ‘Pure, Natural & Organic’
• Kiss My Face ‘Obsessively Organic’
• Nature’s Gate ‘Organics’
• Physicians Formula ‘Organic’ Wear
• Stella McCartney ‘100% Organic’

*The list is not complete, there are many more brands that you should avoid.

Check out these real organic products here and here

Sources

Natural Cosmetic News

Chemical Free Parenting