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Certified Truly Natural
By Tammy | May 9, 2008
A Mom in Red High Heels Goes Green
It gets more complicated…We’ve discussed what it means to be organic. We discussed that the cosmetics and skin care industry do not have a regulated standard for natural or organic. Now, according to a press release from Lavera Organic Cosmetics, the term “natural” is about to have a standard set.
Read more:
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON — Products formulated with 95 percent “truly natural” ingredients that pose no suspected human health risks can apply to be certified “natural” under the Natural Products Association’s newly released standard and certification program.
The initiative, launched May 1, will help consumers distinguish between companies that manufacture truly natural products and those for which “Natural” is just a marketing exercise.
NPA says its guidelines will evolve along with the growing natural personal-care market. The organization defines “truly natural” ingredients as those derived from “a purposeful, renewable source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral).”
“Ingredients must be minimally processed so that their purity and effect are not significantly or adversely altered,” NPA adds. Up to 5 percent non-natural ingredients can be used under the association’s standard as long as no viable, natural alternatives are available and the synthetic ingredient is not a suspected health threat.
“Third-party certifiers in Europe, such as the BDIH, have been applying strict guidelines to natural products for years. NPA’s standard is the first to emerge in the U.S.,” notes Ulrike Jacob, CEO of Lavera Skin Care North America.
By May 1, 2010, NPA will no longer allow any synthetic ingredients in products claiming natural status. Also by 2010, the standard will require formal International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients on all product labeling. All Lavera products already meet these criteria.
The current BDIH standards in Germany that have been followed by Lavera Skin Care for years give consumers transparency and trust for truly natural personal care products. They are not just limited to ingredients, but also include packaging, sociological and ecological responsibility.
Lavera’s full list of BDIH certified products and statement can be viewed here.
NPA aims to harmonize its guidelines with those of European certifiers such as BDIH (Germany), Ecocert (France) and the Soil Association (UK) within two years as well.
What do you think? Will this be helpful to you as a consumer? It’s becoming more obvious that we have to educate ourselves as consumers, read labels carefully and keep a finger on the pulse of changes in the cosmetic and skin care industry. Stay tuned right here at A Mom in Red High Heels for more updates!
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Topics: Beauty, Green Beauty, Total Beauty |