(from the Coming Clean Campaign http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm)
The word "organic" is not properly regulated on personal care products (example: toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, etc.) as it is on food products, unless the product is certified by the USDA National Organic Program.
Due to this lax regulation, many personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or otherwise on their product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are usually made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.
This is why the Organic Consumers Association recommends consumers look for the USDA organic seal on personal care products that claim to be organic. If it doesn't have the seal, read the ingredient label to find out how many ingredients are truly organic and how many are synthetic.
Mary here: Well, it's about time!
Three years ago when my son was just a tiny tot, I made the decision to switch out all my traditional household cleaners and replace them with Shaklee Get Clean natural products-- made by the greenest company in the world, Shaklee Corporation. Little did I know that commitment would soon extend to every other area of my home.
** Funny story I have to inject here: a fellow Shaklee mom unknowingly used Shaklee Baby Gentle Wash on her hands (kept the bottle right next to the sink) religiously for months before realizing she was using the Baby Wash and not Baby Lotion. She said her skin was softer and her cuticles and nails got stronger. Rubbing her hands with shampoo, no less! She was even a little bummed when she realized she couldn't use the wash for lotion anymore! **
Not only that, but Shaklee holds itself to a higher standard than organic regulations require. Did you know that there is no testing required for "organic" ingredients before they go to market to make sure they are toxin & chemical free? The only thing required is to show they were grown according to organic standards.
Bear with me here.You have a field of organic sunflower growing....
...beside a 4-lane superhighway. Although those sunflowers are never treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides (or any other -cides) it stands to reason that they could be tainted with fumes and contaminants from passing cars. Incredibly, those raw materials are NOT required to be tested for purity. They can be certified organic because they were grown in an organic way...next to a superhighway with thousands of cars spewing pollution and hazardous runoff spilling directly into the fields and water supply.
Shaklee tests its materials before, during and after manufacturing to ensure the highest level of purity & quality. Sometimes you won't find the USDA Organic symbol on their products. That's because Shaklee's testing is more stringent than USDA regulations. And it will be more pure than USDA Organic-- even if it's not made from "organic" ingredients.
Because I think it is SO important for people to have this information, I want to include a list of some of the companies who claim to be organic and are not. Do your research and decide what's best for you and your family!
(Pssst...If you haven't figured out yet, I highly recommend Shaklee! www.mygreenfamily.myshaklee.com)
A Few Fake Organic Brands
Type these brands into the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Safety Review Database where you'll find a hazard score for each product and ingredient. (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/)
- Avalon "Organics"
- Desert Essence "Organics"
- Earth's Best "Organic"
- Eminence "Organic" (Except Few w/USDA Seal)
- Giovanni "Organic"
- Goodstuff "Organics"
- Head "Organics"
- Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic"
- Kiss My Face "ObsessivelyOrganic"
- Nature's Gate "Organics"
- Physicians Formula "Organic" Wear
- Stella McCartney "100% Organic"
Sources:
Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment