Is Your Green Buying Green? The Truth Behind Eco Cosmetics
By Denise Grayson May 3, 2009
A Jurlique biodynamic farm. Photo courtesy Jurlique
You walk down the beauty aisle in your local drugstore and the words ‘eco’, ‘green’, ‘bio’, ‘all-natural’ and ‘organic’ shout out to you from the labels of the carefully merchandised products lining the shelves. What was once reserved as stock for the health food stores is now commonplace everywhere we look; this is after all a more enlightened world we live in. Or is it? More to the point, are we as informed as we think we are? Do we really know what we’re getting or are we jumping mindlessly onto one of the most significant trends of our time?
To answer that question we must first define green which in itself can be a mind-numbing process. Are you looking for natural (purity), eco-friendly (light carbon footprint) or humanely produced (not tested on animals and fair treatment of workers)? And then what factors constitute each of these categories? Why is the definition of green so broad and ambiguous? Currently there are no regulatory standards for ‘green’ cosmetics, only those that are set by the members of the industry themselves. Lucky them. Not so good for us.
Kristen Ma, co-owner of Toronto holistic spa and boutique Pure + simple reveals in her new book Beauty 2.0: A Holistic Guide to Beauty in the Modern Age how we can be fooled by labels: “Cosmetic marketers label products as ‘natural’ when they contain as little as two per cent natural ingredients. Unfortunately, consumers assume this labelling ensures complete natural content.” She advises that to ensure your product is indeed natural, it must contain at least 95 per cent fully natural ingredients, possess no ingredients with a potential or suspected health risk, and use no processes that significantly or adversely alter the purity or the effect of the natural ingredients.
However, a simple glance at the ingredients list won’t give us the answers to these questions. And unfortunately, governments have yet to step in and regulate the use of these terms. Until this happens, the responsibility to hold producers accountable for their claims lies with us. Get to know the companies who make the products you use or those you are thinking of buying, read their documentation (if they don’t offer anything substantial see that as a red flag) and if in doubt, contact them. Look beyond the serene imagery on their websites and packaging and pay attention to what they’re saying. A reputable producer of natural products will be able to back up their claims with details. For example, Australia’s Jurlique Skin Care offers a glossary of every ingredient used in each product they produce, on their website.
To give you an idea of the level of responsibility that can be achieved with the production of their products, Ma details in her book how some natural beauty brands are taking matters into their own hands. “Just Pure, Jurlique, Martina Gebhardt, and Dr. Hauschka Skincare farm their ingredients respectfully by giving their land a cyclical rest so as not to deplete its fertility. They use biodynamic farming to replenish the soil and refrain from pesticides which would disturb its natural insect life. The traditional agricultural practices used to farm organics actually build carbon back into the soil.”
Moreover, companies who produce genuinely natural products utilize ethical practices, use higher quality ingredients and engage in honest marketing. They also endorse the humane treatment of animals and care about their customers’ well-being. By supporting these companies you are also promoting a natural environment free of toxic chemicals and pesticides and helping to stop the pollution and depletion of the earth’s soil and the use of genetic engineering. So, it is well worth knowing who you are supporting. Even if you buy “green”, “natural”, or “humanely produced”, you may be unwittingly helping out those who are in fact doing the opposite.
Let’s not overlook the packaging, one of the most significant contributors to a product’s carbon footprint. Is there excess and therefore wasteful material? And what is the difference between a token gesture of appearing to be green and that which is actually going to make an impact on our environment? As Ma recounts, “I recently purchased an Origins mineral make-up for research and it touted 30% post-consumed materials used in the box. What’s the point?”
There is much to be learned about the world of green beauty products. However, making the decisions that are best for us and for the planet can mostly be reduced to taking the time to do a little research, applying some common sense, and avoiding those companies who only wish to take advantage of the latest lucrative marketing opportunity.
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Submitted on May 3, 2009 in Curls, Cosmetics, & Clothes.
Denise is a Canadian living in England who is fascinated by the fusing of fashion and art. Her obsession with the details and an insatiable urge to share beautiful discoveries drives her Paris-loving blog, www.TheSwelleLife.com, and recently she opened Swelle Boutique at www.swelleboutique.com which offers exclusive one-off and limited edition dresses and accessories.
Denise Grayson has contributed 59 articles to Models & Moguls.
