How to shop green

It seems like it should be simple. If you want to shop for truly natural and organic beauty products, they should be easy to find. But sometimes it feels like the Wild West out there. Companies are not always honest about what’s green and what’s not. And finding a clear path through the competing labeling claims, seals, and certifications can be overwhelming.

The reason? There is no universal federal regulating body that enforces truth-telling on cosmetic labels. On a state level, certain legislators are trying, with California way ahead of the pack. It would be great to get to a point where we could all trust the system, and know that when we set out to buy a product with natural ingredients, we are getting what we think we are. But until then, here’s a little help:

Natural. It means different things to different people. There’s no regulation for the term natural.

100 Percent Organic. According to the USDA, 100 percent organic products “must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients.”

USDA Organic. These products “may display the USDA organic seal and must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt).”

Made with Organic Ingredients. Must contain “at least 70 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt).” But what’s in the other 30 percent? Could be good, or not so good.

Less than 70 percent Organic. If a product contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the manufacturer is not supposed to use the term “organic” anywhere on the main label—but many do.

Here’s where it gets more confusing. Beauty products that are certified organic are certified according to USDA food standards, which only apply to ingredients that are grown. However, there are plenty of truly natural beauty products out there—with healthy, natural ingredients–that are not organic. Mineral makeup, for example, can be clean and green, but it cannot be organic, because the ingredients (minerals) are not grown, and cannot be certified by the USDA.

In an attempt to clue in consumers about what they’re really getting, different groups—and countries—have created a variety of certification seals. From Eco-Cert to QAI, these stand for a variety of different natural and organic standards, and there are new certification seals coming out all the time. Here are some of the certifiers whose seals I look for:

· USDA Organic/United States (95-100% organic)
· Australian Certified Organic (95%-100% organic)
· European Union/Agriculture Biologique (at least 95% organic)
· BIO/Germany (at least 95% organic)
· QAI /Quality Assurance International (at least 70% organic)
· CAAQ/Canada (at least 70% organic)
· Eco-Cert/France (at least 95% natural ingredients, and 10% organic)
· BDIH/Germany
· NPA (Natural Products Association)

Read more from NATURAL BEAUTY 101:

Why Go Green
My Mission
Ingredients to avoid
Skin
Makeup
Hair
Nails
Sunscreen
Water
Food
Household
Green Baby
Pets