Organic isn’t always organic and natural isn’t always natural. Disappointing, but true.
With market demand for organic and chemical free products at an all time high the downside is it appears to have attracted the attention of a swag of unethical brands, hungry for a share of the green dollar.
Greenwashing is when a brand gives the ‘impression’ through their product labelling or advertising that their product is natural, organic, environmentally friendly or sustainable when it isn’t. They may run environmental or humanitarian stories in media about the good they are doing in one part of the world, yet their products contain ingredients that could be destroying forests, animal habitats, polluting waterways or worse elsewhere.
Because the new black in skincare is all things green, it is worth taking the time to do your own research to ensure your money supports what you value. If the label of the product says ‘organic’ find out if it actually contains any organic ingredients. If a product says it is ‘natural’, learn what natural ingredients are in it and if they are actually good for you. Palm Oil for instance is natural, but when you learn more about it, you might choose to avoid it. “Enormous tracts of rainforests and peat bogs have been razed or filled in to make room for palm oil plantations. Peat bogs are ecologically valuable, because they sequester globe-warming carbon dioxide, and rainforest destruction has led to the endangerment of 140 animal species in Indonesia and another 50 in Malaysia, the world’s two largest producers of palm oil”.
If after reading the label of any product, you are still unsure whether the ingredients in the skincare products are natural, organic or toxic, contact the manufacturer and ask them directly.
