Will USDA Organic Standards Finally Include Cosmetics?
June 11, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Organic Industry
Will USDA-NOP finally explicitly include cosmetics?
The boom in unofficial organic standards for cosmetic products is a huge source of confusion for consumers who don’t know which standards are the most stringent. I sometimes wonder if some members of the ‘organic’ industry enjoy the bewilderment because it makes it easier for them to market synthetic concoctions as ‘organic’ and ‘natural,’ without redress.
It is often suggested in the media and by some cosmetic companies that there are no official certification standards that can be applied to cosmetic products, but this simply isn’t true. The United States Department for Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) has standards in
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Natrue and Natural Products Association Join Forces
May 22, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Greenwashing, Organic Industry
Natrue and NPA Join Forces
European certifier of ‘natural’ cosmetics Natrue has signed a mutual recognition agreement with the Natural Products Association (NPA) in the US, meaning that products complying with the standards of either of these bodies will not have to undergo the full certification process again when they wish to market their products across the Atlantic. Natrue also signed an equivalency agreement with Quality Assurance International (QAI) certifiers earlier in the year.
I am not Natrue’s biggest fan. Their standards are abysmally weak
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Natrue and QAI Work on Recognition Agreement
February 24, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Greenwashing
Alliance between Certification Bodies
Natrue, an interest grouping of international cosmetic manufacturers, who have developed their own ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ standards, are working on a mutual recognition agreement with Quality Assurance International (QAI) in the US, to ensure that products complying with the Natrue or NSF/ANSI 305 ‘made with organic’ standard will be recognised by both bodies. The alliance is to cut costs and save time for manufacturers, according to the Natrue General Secretary.
Natrue was launched last year and 120 products have been certified already. Natrue represent cosmetic companies such as Lavera, Logona, Primavera, Read more
The Organic Greenwashing Game: Part One
February 23, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Greenwashing
The Organic Greenwashing Game
So, you’ve purchased a raft of delightfully fragrant and attractively packaged beauty products, lured by the promise of natural botanicals, but are you being conned?
We are becoming increasingly enamoured with beauty brands marketed as ‘natural’ and ‘organic,’ understandably anticipating that we are purchasing something that has undergone minimal processing in the period between being plucked from the earth and ploughed into a cosmetic formulation. According to market analysts Organic Monitor global sales of ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ cosmetics are increasing by over $1 billion a year, and it is forecast Read more
The Lowdown on Organic Brand Spiezia
February 13, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Alternative Brands, Organic Industry
Interview with Spiezia Founder
Spiezia Organics are are Cornwall-based manufacturer of 100 percent Soil Association certified Products. Co-owner Amanda answers some questions about the brand.
Q: How and why was Spiezia established?
The Spiezia Organic range was originally established some 10 years ago by Dr. Mariano Spiezia - a qualified medical Doctor who subsequently studied to practice homeopathic medicine, believing that the power of nature and herbs was a better and more powerful way to heal. Mariano had already Read more
Terressentials: Obstacles to Natural Beauty
February 8, 2009 by DawnM
Filed under Alternative Brands, Greenwashing, Organic Industry
Terressentials Organic Products
Diana Kaye and James Hahn, Founders of organic beauty brand Terressentials, explain the story behind their company and expose the flaws in the ‘natural’ beauty industry.
“Diana found herself highly reactive to synthetic chemicals after her successful, but highly toxic, experimental chemotherapy treatment for cancer almost twenty years ago. In researching how the cancer originated and how we could keep it at bay, at first we thought, we’ll just use natural products from a health food store. But, when we scrutinized the ingredients in those Read more
