Cosmetic deceptions
Home » Blog » Lynda Brendish » Cosmetic deceptionsCosmetic products labelled 'organic' and 'natural' are often priced at a premium, but are you getting what you pay for and do they pass muster?
Photo by pastaboy sleeps via flickr
As savvy consumers with eco-friendly, health-conscious outlooks, it probably comes as no surprise that most of the cosmetics we lather on each day in efforts to stay blemish or wrinkle-free, can contain dubious chemicals and preservatives. What may come as a surprise, though, is that many of the alternatives we rely on—products labelled 'natural' or 'organic'—according to a new Consumer NZ report (subscription required) often contain those same dubious chemicals.
It was this video from Annie Leonard in July, The Story of Cosmetics, that first sent me tumbling down this rabbit hole. Except that the potions at the bottom of this hole don't just command you to “drink me”, they promise to deliver youth and beauty in return!
Leonard's video came under fire from political commentator and video blogger Lee Doren as being either incredibly naïve or deliberately misleading. He implies Annie picks and chooses only the research that supports her point of view.
Leonard's analysis is simplistic, but—as Treehugger points out in its critique of Doren's critique—it is meant to be.
(It is also worth checking out US skincare brand Marie Veronique Organics' response to The Story of Cosmetics, and their legislation wishlist.)
After digesting all these arguments, it's hard not to be left feeling a little confused by the he said/she said.
Doren is obviously an anti-regulation free-marketeer so make no mistake, he has an agenda—but then, so does Annie. And Doren is correct in pointing out that sources should be treated critically, no matter what side of the debate they're on.
In either case, many of the same chemicals are in use in products on New Zealand shelves—so who to trust?
Buyer beware, says consumer nz
If you, like Annie, believe in the precautionary principle, you've probably already decided it's just safer to swap out most of your health and beauty products for natural or organic options. That way you should be safe from the harmful chemicals and preservatives, just in case. Right?
Wrong. At least according to Consumer NZ, which conducted a survey of 18 brands of skincare products that are promoted as organic or natural in New Zealand.
Only two of the products tested had an accreditation label, and those same two products were the only ones to contain no synthetic preservatives. Of the remaining 16, all familiar brands, 15 included synthetic preservatives that are prohibited under international certification standard BDIH and/or the US NPA Personal Care Product standard.
What this means is that the vast majority of products labelled as natural or organic would not meet current certification standards from reputable international organisations.
The report also found that some skincare products are presented as being 'paraben free' without revealing that it may still contain other synthetic preservatives, including commonly used phenoxyethanol; considered safe up to one percent by ERMA but prohibited by several eco-certification labels.
When you buy a product labelled 'natural' or 'organic'—often paying a premium for it—you expect a product that actually meets those standards.
In another section of the report, Consumer NZ notes "some of what we've seen on sale appears to be little more than the standard recipe with a dash of aloe vera thrown in for good measure."
The two products that passed the Consumer NZ organic test were Dr Hauschka's Rose Day Cream Light and Living Nature's Refreshing Body Lotion; both are certified by BDIH.
Consumer NZ reported that Comvita Huni is reformulating the recipe for its Intensive Hydrating Mask to remove phenoxyethanol from the recipe, the only one of its 15 products to use the preservative.
Truth in labelling
The best thing you can do when shopping is to look at the labelling and for products that display the label of a trusted eco-certification authority.
New Zealand has its own Government-endorsed eco-labelling authority, Environmental Choice, which has mutual recognition with a number of overseas equivalents, but so far only two companies are listed as licensees in its toiletries category.
The organisation estimates $450 million is spent on cosmetics in New Zealand each year. Its general manager Robin Taylor is surprised at how few manufacturers have submitted for certification, which, he says, carries international respect.
"We investigate the environmental and health effects of any product, and the benchmark details are transparently available on our website,” says Taylor.
“We would like to see more cosmetic companies applying for the ecolabel, and able to offer consumers the strongest proof of environmental performance available.”
Meanwhile, there are a number of international certification schemes for natural cosmetics which can be found on products here. Several European standards have come under the umbrella of COSMOS, the European cosmetic standards working group. Look for the logo on the product label.
After absorbing all the reports, resources and conflicting information, one thing is clear to me: we must have greater honesty in product labelling to allow consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Wed September 01, 2010 @ 10:27 AM
