Greenwashing in Beauty- How to Avoid Being Duped

‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’ sound like great buzzwords for your facial cleanser, but do those words actually mean anything?  As the green beauty movement continues to gain momentum, many brands are taking advantage.  And greenwashing is one of the biggest issues in an industry without any real regulation.  But what exactly is greenwashing?  Simply put ~ it’s lipstick on a pig.  More accurately defined ~ it’s the use of marketing to portray an organization’s products, activities or policies as environmentally friendly when they are not.

Because of major loopholes in U.S. federal law, cosmetics companies are able to label their products as “natural” and “non-toxic” without proper regulations, so most of these terms end up becoming meaningless. “The law does not require cosmetic labeling to have FDA approval before cosmetic products go on the market, and FDA does not have a list of approved or accepted claims for cosmetics,” explains the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its website.

So how do you avoid being duped?  How can you sort through the cosmetics aisle to find products that are in fact safer?

Here’s a list of the 5 most common, yet misleading terms beauty brands use on product packaging:

1. Natural

The words “natural” or “all-natural” on a product label don’t really mean much because the FDA doesn’t regulate these claims. It often means that all, or a percentage of a product’s ingredients, are plant-based rather than synthetic.  However, the concept of a natural product is a subjective one that is solely based on the brand’s philosophy on what they deem natural.

2. Organic

Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t regulate the term “organic” on beauty products.  And because of that brands often misrepresent how much of a product is actually organic, so it’s important to dig deeper when you see organic seals on products.  The truth is always found in the ingredient list.

3. Chemical-free

Nothing is chemical free.  Water is a chemical!  Products marketed as ‘chemical-free’ are truly misleading and only adding to consumer confusion.  Not all chemicals are bad.  The clean beauty movement isn’t “chemical-free” it’s toxic-chemical free.   There’s a difference.

4.  Preservative-free

Preservative-free doesn’t necessarily translate to safer for your health.  Products containing water, such as soap, shampoo, etc, require some type of preservative to prevent yeast, bacteria or mold from growing.  Otherwise you’re shampoo would have to come with an expiration date or be refrigerated.

Preservative-free products are those that are not water-based, so they don’t require a preservative.  Or they’re products that are made with antioxidants or natural preservatives.  But the point here is that preservative-free doesn’t automatically mean safer.

5. Dermatologist-Approved

This is an empty claim.  A dermatologist may approve a product, especially when they’re being paid to do so, but there is no standardized or regulated testing involved to receive this approval.  And more importantly this claim doesn’t mean the product has been evaluated for its potential to impact long-term health.

The Issue With ‘Fragrance’

A side issue to greenwashing is the loophole that is “fragrance”.  Which is a little tricky because there are quite a few green brands using “natural fragrance” on their ingredient labels.

Every other ingredient on an ingredient list may be clean, and then that sneaky word fragrance pops up and basically blows the deal.  At least it always does for me.  Because “fragrance” or even “natural fragrance” isn’t an ingredient.  It’s a trade secret.  Companies are allowed to keep the ingredients used to make up their fragrance a secret, and more often than not, what makes up that fragrance is often quite a few questionable or harmful chemicals.

And here’s the thing.  If what a brand is using to scent their product is in fact natural, why not just disclose those ingredients right there on the label?  Why not just list lavender, orange, lemon, or whatever plant extract you’re using to make the product smell good?  Why, especially if you claim to be a green company, hide behind “natural fragrance”.  Why the secrecy?  Why not lead with transparency.

Always Read the Ingredient List

The bottom line is the best way to avoid being duped by greenwashing is to read the ingredient label.  Don’t be fooled by green leaves on the packaging or even ingredient claims like “paraben-free” or “fragrance-free” on the front of the package.  Because even in those instances there may be other questionable ingredients found in the ingredient list.  Always, always look at the ingredient list before making a purchase decision.

Not sure what ingredients you should be on the look out for?

• Consider signing up for my FREE Safer Beauty Tribe monthly newsletter to learn more about which harmful chemicals to avoid and why.
• Download the FREE Healthy Living App from the Environmental Working Group to search for the safety ranking on thousands of personal care products in their database.
• And last, you can download a pocket-sized version of Beautycounter’s Never List, a list that is made up of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals that they’ve pledged to never use as ingredients in their products.  Keep this handy list in your wallet to use as a reference guide when shopping.

Why Beautycounter is My Favorite Cosmetics Brand

What I love most about Beautycounter, besides their awesome products, is their commitment to safety and transparency.  They have not only committed to never using over 1,500 harmful chemicals in their products, but they also have an ingredient glossary right on their website.  They do not use synthetic fragrance.  And they do not list “natural fragrance” on their products either.  Instead they list the essential oils and plant extracts used to scent their products.  Beautycounter prioritizes ingredient selection, screening, safety and transparency over buzz words used in marketing.  And that’s just one more reason I’m proud to be a Beautycounter consultant!