In addition to nebulous and unverifiable product label or advertising claims, there’s the whole tangled world of product certification seals, and to a certain extent, social and ethical claims. The most significant of these are Organic claims.
- Organic Claims
Market research clearly indicates that this claim doesn’t currently hold much authority with the average consumer, but the increased use of organic and especially certified organic ingredients plays a critical and often overlooked part in the environmental sustainability movement. Most consumers understand the importance of buying food products that are organically grown or produced, but many have not yet made the connection to their importance in personal care products. Because most of these products are either applied directly to the skin or consumed orally, it makes perfect sense that they should also be free of pesticides. The only way to know if the claims are legitimate, is through some form of certification.
The waters surrounding organic certification are a little murky right now. The USDA NOP (National Organic Program) seal is the only legitimate seal currently recognized by consumers, however the standards for that seal were designed specifically for agriculture, and as such present problems with respect to its application to many personal care products. In the absence of clearly defined standards for personal care, various industry alliances have formed to come up with their own standards to fill the void. There are a lot of competing (and possibly conflicting) standards to navigate, so your mileage may vary …
Another thing to consider is whether a product that is ‘100% Certified Organic’ (and very few are because of how difficult it is to achieve this with most personal care products) is actually better or more effective than one that is merely ‘Made with organic ingredients’ and if the extra hoops that the manufacturer jumped through to earn actually translate into a bigger benefit for you or for the environment.
- Social and Ethical Claims
The most common of these are Fair Trade and Cruelty-Free or Not Tested on Animals. At the moment Fair Trade claims on personal care products are rare as the specifics of that type of certification typically apply to agricultural products like coffee or chocolate, or products (like clothing) made from cotton or other natural fibers that are grown and harvested by farmers in poor countries.
The Cruelty-Free and animal testing claims typically apply more to cosmetics (make up) than to personal care, but often get slapped onto the latter for marketing purposes. The best way to validate this sort of claim is to look for either the Leaping Bunny seal (a program of the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics) or a Friends of PETA endorsement –either on the product itself or on the company’s web site and marketing collateral. You can also verify by going directly to these sites, and searching their list of participating companies.
While certifications and endorsements play an important part in helping consumers identify products that are legitimately green and safe, we still have a ways to go before they become truly reliable. It’s also important to remember that the absence of such seals doesn’t mean that a product is not green or doesn’t live up to its claims. Certification can often be quite costly and out of the reach of smaller companies whose whole purpose (ironically) revolves around providing truly green or natural products. In the absence of a reliable eco-label or seal, your best bet is to choose the products and companies that offer transparency, information, and education.
