Organic Integrity for Body Care Products
The Organic Consumers Association's Coming Clean Campaign has been working to clean up the "organic" cosmetics industry since 2004. Unlike organic foods, many health and beauty products are falsely labeled as "organic". The goal of Coming Clean is to limit organic claims to personal care products that are certified to USDA organic standards.
Over 600 organic businesses have signed on to support this campaign (see a list of supporting businesses here). If you are a personal care producer or retailer and would like to support
OCA's Coming Clean Campaign, click here.
The word "organic" is not properly regulated on personal care products (example: toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, etc.) as it is on food products, unless the product is certified by the USDA National Organic Program.
Due to this lax regulation, many personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or otherwise on their product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are usually made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.
This is why the Organic Consumers Association recommends consumers look for
the USDA organic seal on personal care products that claim to be organic.
Although there are multiple "organic" standards all around the
world, each with its own varying criteria, the USDA Organic Standards are
the "gold standard" for personal care products.
If you are looking to purchase a product that is totally organic, look for the USDA organic seal. If it doesn't have the seal, read the ingredient label to find out how many ingredients are truly organic and how many are synthetic.
Whole Foods Market Imposes One-Year Deadline on Brands to Drop Bogus Organic Label Claims and Calls for Federal Regulation of Personal Care Products
In Wake of BP Oil Spill, Consumers Want Bodycare Products Made without Petrochemicals: Organic Consumers Association Calls on Other Leading Retailers to Follow Whole Foods' Example
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the nation's largest consumer group dedicated to organic integrity, is pleased that Whole Foods Market (WFM) is taking action to address widespread organic labeling fraud in personal care. Such brands as Avalon Organics, Nature's Gate and Giovanni, make organic claims on products whose main cleansing and moisturizing ingredients are generally made without any organic material whatsoever and are usually composed in significant part of petrochemicals. OCA commends WFM for taking such a bold and meaningful step on behalf of organic integrity for their customers. The new standard announced by WFM is a milestone achievement for OCA campaigners who recently began escalating tactics with boycotts of organic cheaters, protests at trade show conventions and strong alliances with groups such as the Consumers Union.
"In the wake of the BP oil spill, Whole Foods' announcement couldn't come at a better time. Now more than ever, Americans are searching for alternatives to petrochemicals in the body care aisle," says Ronnie Cummins co-founder and Executive Director of OCA. "This is a major victory for people who want to stop washing petrochemicals all over their bodies and down the drain. These consumers want trusted options for real organic personal care. The new Whole Foods policy will force major organic cheater brands to drop organic claims from their branding and labeling."
The new Whole Foods Market policy on "organic" labeling on personal care products states:
"We believe that the 'organic' claim used on personal care products should have very similar meaning to the 'organic' claim used on food products, which is currently regulated by the USDA's National Organic Program. Our shoppers do not expect the definition of 'organic' to change substantially between the food and the non-food aisles of our stores."
Whole Foods' new policy mandates that "Organic" or "Made with Organic [specified ingredients]" claims must be certified under the USDA National Organic Program, just like food. A more limited "Contains Organic Ingredients" claim for personal care may be certified under the NSF ANSI 305 standard. Organic claims that are not certified, including "Organics" in branding, will not be allowed. Brands have been told they have until August 1, 2010 to explain how they will change their labeling or formulations to comply with the new standard and until June 1, 2011 to be in full compliance with Whole Foods' new policy. Brands that don't submit an explanation are expected to be dropped from store shelves over the coming year.
Other major natural product retailers such as Trader Joe's and the National Cooperative Grocers Association (representing over 100 natural product retailers in the US) face a choice. Will they follow Whole Foods' lead and require the new truthful labels, or will they continue to enable organic fraud? Consumers will look unfavorably on retailers that duck responsibility and profit from organic cheater brands that rip off their customers. OCA will send a letter to all these stores asking for a formal response by August 1st as to whether they will join Whole Foods and cease organic fraud in their stores by June 11, 2011. OCA will publish each stores' response so consumers can see whether their preferred natural products store chooses to stand up for organic integrity.
"What a relief for people ridding themselves of petrochemical products, that they can shop at Whole Foods without worrying about being ripped off by petrochemical formulations masquerading as organic products," says Cummins. "Trader Joe's, NCGA and all other natural products stores need to get with the program and follow this market leader's example."
Mr. Cummins published an Op-Ed in the Huffington Post entitled "The Oil Spill in the Bathroom." OCA also submitted a letter to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), following up on the formal complaint OCA submitted in January against organic cheaters, informing the NOP that each of the relevant organic groups in the US, including Organic Trade Association, Consumers Union, the Cornucopia Institute and Whole Foods Market, have are united in favor of NOP regulation of organic personal care.
Whole Foods Market's Policy on the Use of the Word "Organic" on Personal Care Products
We believe that the "organic" claim used on personal care products should have very similar meaning to the "organic" claim used on food products, which is currently regulated by the USDA's National Organic Program. Our shoppers do not expect the definition of "organic" to change substantially between the food and the non-food aisles of our stores. Accordingly, the following requirements apply to all personal care products which use the word "organic" in any way on the product label.
Scope: This policy applies to all cosmetic and personal care products sold at Whole Foods Market.
Timeline: We expect all products sold in our stores to be in full compliance by June 1, 2011. We expect each of our suppliers who are making an "organic" claim to submit their plans for compliance to us by August 1, 2010.
Please Note: Products for which "organic" is included as part of the brand name must be certified to the USDA NOP or NSF 305 standards.
Requirements & Examples:
1: Products making an "Organic" product claim
Examples: "Organic Jojoba Shampoo," "Organic Sea Mineral Body Wash"
Certification requirement: Must be certified to the USDA's National Organic Program standard for organic (>95%) products.
Documentation required: Suppliers must present an organic certificate, issued by a USDA-accredited certifier and showing certification to the NOP standard. The certificate must name the specific products being evaluated.
2: Products making a "Made with Organic ________" claim
Examples: "Made with organic oils," "Made with organic essential oils and botanical ingredients."
Certification requirement: Must be certified to the USDA's National Organic Program standard for Made With Organic (>70%) products.
Documentation required: Suppliers must present an organic certificate, issued by a USDA-accredited certifier and showing certification to the NOP standard. The certificate must name the specific products being evaluated.
3: Products making a "Contains Organic _______" claim
Examples: "Contains organic oils," "Contains organic aloe and rosemary."
Certification requirement: Must be certified to the NSF/ANSI 305 Organic Personal Care Standard.
Documentation required: Suppliers must present certification documentation demonstrating current compliance with the NSF/ANSI 305 standard.
4: Products listing an organic ingredient in the "Ingredients:" listing
Example: "Ingredients: WATER, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE (ORGANIC ALOE VERA)...,"
Certification requirement: Organic ingredient must be certified to the USDA NOP standard.
Documentation required: Suppliers must present an organic certificate, issued by a USDA-accredited certifier and showing certification to the NOP standard. The certificate(s) must name the specific ingredient(s) being evaluated.
As noted above, we expect all products sold in our Stores to be compliant with these guidelines but June 1st, 2011.
Procter & Gamble to Reduce Toxic Contaminant in Herbal Essences Shampoo
New
product tests reveal 1,4-dioxane in major laundry detergents brands too
Natural Products Trade Show Protest Exposes Organic Fraud
Protesters Dressed as Giant Shampoo Bottles Picket Trade Show Entrance
ANAHEIM,
CA - On Friday, March 12, The Organic Consumer's
Association (OCA) held a protest outside of the largest annual gathering of
the natural and organic products industry, Natural Products Expo West. Members
of the OCA picketed the entrance to the Expo using creative visual props
including five-foot tall shampoo bottles to mock mislabeled "organic" products
while distributing flyers to educate the public about the lack of regulation
in the organic personal care marketplace.
Through it's Coming Clean Campaign, The Organic Consumers Association has been working to clean up the natural and organic personal care industry. The word "organic" is not properly regulated on personal care products (examples: soap and bodywash, toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, etc.) as it is on food products, unless the product is certified by the USDA National Organic Program. Due to this lax regulation, many personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or otherwise on their product label, but unless they are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients and preservatives are usually made with synthetic and petrochemical compounds.
On November 5, 2009, the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) formally recommended that the National Organic Program regulate personal care to ensure that any use of the word "organic" on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA organic standards. Immediately following the recommendation, the OCA launched a consumer boycott of the major 'organic cheater' brands, and has produced a list of USDA certified organic brands that are true to their claims and are safe for organic consumers.
OCA Spreadsheet Summarizes "Organic Cheater Brand" Cosmetic Hazard Scores
The
OCA has prepared a spreadsheet summarizing "Organic Cheater brand" products
and their Hazard Rankings according to the Environmental Working Group's "Skin
Deep" Cosmetic Safety Database
The tabs at the top of the spreadsheet list various brands horizontally:
click each tab to view that brand's product scores from the Skin Deep" database. By far the majority of fake organic products score in the "Moderate Hazard" category. Conversely, Dr. Bronner's Skin Deep product scores show that the vast majority of true NOP certified organic personal care score in the safest "Low Hazard" category. A couple of brands, Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic" and Nature's Gate "Organics", even had some of their fake organic products score in the unsafest "High Hazard" category.
Perhaps even more disturbing, two of the "organic cheater" brands who are the subject of OCA's Complaint to USDA NOP, have reneged on their signed promise to provide product and ingredient information to Skin Deep so that their products' safety can be assessed. Those brands are Eminence "Organic" Skin Care and Head "Organics". Another two brands, while they have not reneged on any promises, have also decided to not submit product and ingredient information to Skin Deep: Ilike "Organic" Skin Care and Surya Sapien "Organic". As noted in the Complaint, all these brands utilize surfactants made in part or entirely from petrochemicals as primary cleansing ingredients, which contain no organic agricultural material whatsoever. Eminence in particular deceptively claims that Alpha Olefin Sulfonate, the primary cleanser in its "Organic Stone Crop Bodywash", is from a "plant source," when in fact this cleanser is commercially available only in pure petrochemical form.
Both Nature's Gate and Eminence do produce a few true USDA NOP certified organic products under their respective brands. However, the vast majority of their product lines are not certified under the USDA's National Organic Program, because their main cleansing and moisturizing ingredients are generally based on conventional or petrochemical, rather than organic agricultural, material. As a general rule when shopping for organic personal care, check for the USDA seal to be sure you're buying true organic personal care rather than fake organic products.
Organic Consumers Association and Certified Organic Brands File Federal Complaint Urging
USDA to Regulate Organic Personal Care 'Cheater Brands'
Complaint Requests Federal Action on Deceptive Organic Labeling and Advertising of Personal Care Products
See right-hand column for complaint and exhibits.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), along with certified organic personal care brands Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Intelligent Nutrients, and Organic Essence, today filed a complaint with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), requesting action on the widespread and blatantly deceptive labeling practices of leading “Organic” personal care brands, in violation of the federal organic law.
The complaint, filed on behalf of the estimated 50 million consumers of organic products, urges the USDA to regulate cosmetics as they do food. The complaint argues that, because of USDA inaction, products such as liquid soaps, body washes, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizing lotions, lip balms, and make-up are advertised, labeled and marketed as “Organic” or “Organics” when, in fact, the products are not “Organic” as understood by reasonable consumers.
“Unfortunately, the hands-off regulatory approach by the USDA's National Organic Program during the Bush years failed to protect consumers from deceptive labeling in the personal care marketplace,” said Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director of the Organic Consumers Association. While the USDA enforces strict standards for the labeling of organic food, the NOP has not enforced the organic regulations in regards to personal care. “Given the increased resources and staffing at the National Organic Program under Obama, we’re optimistic that the situation will be rectified before too much more damage is done.” added Cummins.
“Consumers who pay a premium for high-end organic products expect the main cleansing and moisturizing ingredients of a product labeled “Organic” to be made from certified organic agricultural material produced on organic farms, and not from petrochemicals or pesticide and herbicide-intensive conventional farming,” explains Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients (and founder and previous owner of Aveda).
To illustrate the result of USDA inaction in this sector, the complaint describes products produced by twelve different corporations, including the Hain Celestial Group, Inc.; Kiss My Face Corporation; YSL Beaute, Inc.; Giovanni Cosmetics, Inc.; Cosway Company, Inc.; Country Life, LLC; Szep Elet LLC (makers of Ilike Organic Skin Care); Physicians’ Formula Holdings, Inc. (makers of Organic Wear); Surya Nature, Inc.; Organic Bath Company; and Freeman Beauty Division of pH Beauty Labs, Inc. (makers of Freeman Goodstuff Organics).
David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, stated, “Yesterday we re-filed our lawsuit in federal court against culprit companies under the Lanham Act for false advertising. One way or another, the era of ripping off organic consumers in personal care will soon come to an end.”
Ellery West, founder and owner of Organic Essence adds, “The predatory marketing practices of companies that take advantage of consumer trust in organic are cheating not only organic consumers but also small certified companies like ourselves.”
On November 5, 2009, the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) formally recommended that the National Organic Program regulate personal care to ensure that any use of the word "organic" on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA organic standards. Immediately following the recommendation, the OCA launched a consumer boycott of the major “Organic” cheater brands, and has produced a list of USDA certified organic brands that are true to their claims and are safe for Organic consumers.
National Organic Standards Board Tells USDA:
"Stop Organic Body Care Fraud!"
In November, 2009, the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) passed a recommendation for "Solving the Problem of Mislabeled Organic Personal Care Products." The recommendation urges the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to make sure that any use of the word "organic" on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA organic standards.
Currently, as the recommendation describes, "at a given retailer, one may find personal care products such as shampoos and lotions labeled as 'organic' with no clear standards or regulatory underpinning for the organic claim - and unless the product is specifically labeled as 'USDA Organic,' the word 'organic' may be used with impunity. Manufacturers of personal care products that contain organic ingredients are hindered by a thicket of competing private standards and confusion regarding the applicability of the NOP to their products. Transactions lack the regulatory clarity that applies under the NOP to food products that contain organic ingredients."
The Organic Consumers Association sees this recommendation as a preliminary victory for its Coming Clean campaign to rid store shelves of products that are falsely advertised as "organic." The USDA has long resisted policing the market for organic personal care products. Even USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, an advocate for organic agriculture, has expressed reluctance. In response to an OCA letter-writing campaign urging her to go after personal care products that are falsely advertised as organic she wrote, "The USDA regulates organic personal care products only if they are made up of agricultural ingredients. We have no standards for personal care products and have no plans to develop standards at this time."
Her statement is at once confusing and disappointing. Organic personal care products that are made up of agricultural ingredients are the ones that are most likely to be genuine USDA-certified products. It's the personal care products that are made from synthetic, petroleum-based ingredients that are falsely advertised as "organic" that we need her to regulate.
Furthermore, OCA doesn't want the USDA to create standards for organic personal care products. We just want them to enforce the current agricultural standards in personal care, like they do when conventional foods are mislabeled as organic.
