According to a new survey by the Soil Association, sales of organic health and beauty products have grown by more than 20% in 2016, with the market now worth approximately £61.2m in the UK alone. But, such glowing statistics also revealed some concerning issues, too: 76% of these consumers reported feeling misled by beauty brands through confusing labelling that makes naturally inspired and truly organic products hard to differentiate between.
So why is it so difficult to make the distinction? Unlike food, which must adhere to strict EU regulations, cosmetics are currently held to no legal restrictions on what actually constitutes them being organic. This has led to widespread greenwashing across hundreds of products, which means that beauty brands are making organic claims in their marketing, yet contain ingredients that are not allowed in certified organic formulations - such as polysorbate 20 and homosalate.
‘The use of the term organic on products which are not independently certified and could not meet organic standards is certainly an issue,’ says the Soil Association’s Beauty Campaign Manager, Jen Collins. ‘The 13 products on our league table are the tip of the iceberg – many of them are examples of wider product ranges which means there could be hundreds or thousands of products on sale on the UK high street which make organic claims, but contain ingredients which would not be permitted in a certified organic product’.
The Soil Association’s Campaign for Clarity aims to bring these brands and products into the spotlight, helping consumers make more informed decisions. According to the organisation’s website, major names such as Boots, Dr Organic and Faith in Nature are all culprits of greenwashing. ‘We think that brands should come clean about beauty and use the terms “organic” and “natural” responsibly, or not at all,’ explains Jen.
The good news is that there are several certifications that can inform your decision-making, such as the Soil Association, COSMOS, Nature and NSF/ANSI. If this isn’t visible, the Soil Association advises asking the company directly if their products are independently certified. Neal’s Yard Remedies, Pai skincare, Bamford and Therapi are just a few of the approved brands featured on the Soil Association’s website.
‘Certified organic beauty products always carry the logo of the certifier and each ingredient is asterisked in the ingredients panel to show that it’s organic,’ explains Jen. ‘COSMOS also offers certification for natural products, which will also carry a logo. If products are certified natural, this means they are free from GM ingredients, not tested on animals and the use of vulnerable plants is not permitted. Beauty products can vary from those that use naturally inspired ingredients, to products which contain artificial ingredients manufactured in a lab to perform similar functions to natural ingredients’.
Vanderohe is one such skincare brand setting the standard. The brand’s founder, Olivia Thorpe was inspired to create her own organic serum after struggling to find completely natural products while pregnant. Her award-winning cold-pressed serum, No. 1 is made from the highest grade, wild-harvested essential oils and has earned much admiration and trust from both consumers and industry experts.
‘I’ve gone to great lengths to detail on our illustrated insert that comes with each product, where each and every ingredient is sourced from, its organic status and even what each plant looks like,’ says Olivia. ‘I think it’s time we allow consumers to really understand and connect with the products they’re using on their skin on a daily basis’.
Olivia feels strongly that more needs to be done by the beauty industry to help differentiate the labelling of organic and naturally inspired products. ‘I think that if there are potentially harmful and toxic ingredients in a product, the company should be required to having a warning clearly stated on the packaging and label of that product, much like cigarettes. It’s not fair that people can be so easily misled into using potentially carcinogenic ingredients on their skin, when at times it is when they believe they’re actually using a clean and natural product’.
Still wondering if buying organic is worth the effort? Give a thought to the wider impact of your beauty products. Organic farms, for example, support up to 50% more wildlife, but they also guarantee no animal testing and ensure sustainable management of the land from which each ingredient is sourced from. Even finer details such as packaging and the cleaning products used within the factory must be environmentally friendly to be awarded the certification.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.