According to Reuters, a study conducted by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing indicated that only 2% of the 2,220+ “green” products examined in the US and Canadian markets make completely legitimate claims on their labels. This trend has increased in the past couple of years when the North American consumer like you and me have become more demanding for “green” products. Unfortunately many producers are taking advantage of this growing demand and by making false or misleading claims they make consumers perceive their products as “green” when they truly are not.

This is a very serious issue, especially in less-regulated markets in the US, such as skin care. In Europe, there are many certifying organizations which test and ensure that cosmetic products are truly 100% organic. The biggest and most well-known are ICEA, BDIH and ECOCERT. Europeans know very well that unless a cosmetic product is certified by a reputable organization like the aforementioned, the product’s “greenness” is questionable. Such organizations ensure that raw ingredients used are organic and non-toxic to humans (ie no Parabens, SLS etc). They also make sure that the product itself does not harm the environment by only allowing recyclable, non-toxic packaging. In the US, there is no such standard. The USDA only controls agricultural material, such as plants, but it cannot certify a whole cosmetic product as organic. Next time you see a product with an organic stamp on it, look closer and it will probably say “Organic Ingredient” or something to that extent. This only ensures that only one or a few ingredients in the self-proclaimed “green” product are organic, NOT the whole product. The product may still contain harmful ingredients such as Parabens and SLS.

It is very important that you educate yourself about what to look for in cosmetic products. BIOselect, for example, is certified by ICEA. You will notice that each of our products has an ICEA stamp on it. You can refer to our website anytime to update yourself on ICEA’s standards. We are very honored to be in the 2% part of the products that have scientific and credible support behind our claims.

So next time you see an organic label on a cosmetic product, ask about it and research it. Know what you are putting on your skin because it is your largest organ after all.

To find the original article from Reuters please click here.

If you have ANY questions about the BIOselect products and our organic certification please feel free to contact Leo (PhD in Chemistry) or check out our website.

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