78% of women believe that “natural” is a real, meaningful term when it comes to beauty products. But that’s not true. Not yet, anyway.
According to CosmeticsNews Weekly, Burt’s Bees is trying to address this situation by establishing a new globally recognized, standard definition of the term “natural” as it applies to cosmetics.
Mike Indursky, of Burt’s Bees, states they’d like to see cosmetics be certified before they can claim to be natural. The certification process would involve making sure that the product is free from “parabens, synthetic preservatives, sulfates, animal products, or anything with suspected potential human health risks.” Furthermore, he says that natural products should contain a minimum of 95% natural ingredients.
While we applaud the effort to educate women about the products they’re using, we’re concerned that this initiative may be driven more by marketing than by objective science.
Naturally good cosmetics?
Cosmetic ingredients, natural AND synthetic should be thoroughly researched to ensure they’re safe for use. But natural certification shouldn’t be confused with safety testing. (Plenty of natural ingredients aren’t safe!) And, the certification process raises several questions: What is the definition of natural? Who decides which ingredients get certified and which don’t? Who documents that any given product reaches the magic 95% level?
But perhaps most concerning is the implied notion that “all natural is good” and “all synthetic is bad.” Such a simplistic approach only serves to spread misinformation and fear. We’d rather see an educational program geared toward documenting the safety of chemicals used in cosmetics, regardless of their source.
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Joanna Says:
thanks for another stereotype-busting post.
Love the page’s new look too!
Lauri Says:
When my crunchy friends try to sell me on a “more natural” alternative to whatever I am using, I point out that poison ivy is natural, yet I’m not going to put it in or on my body. I won’t consider all natural products unless they can do the same or better than what I currently use. And what I use is fine and safe despite the synthetic ingredients.
Karen Says:
Ditto to Joanna’s and Lauri’s post!
cenovis Says:
Oh I would LOVE to see that buzzword “natural” actually turn into something meaningful. I’m unable to use nearly every cosmetic out there because of a paraben allergy. I’m always on the lookout for “natural” cosmetics because I know that this is a common term used to describe cosmetics without parabens etc, but I’ve had such a hard time slogging through the many, many brands that claim to be natural but have no clear definition of what that actually is. In fact, a lot of ingredients lists on these “natural” products seem to be the same as on the “unnatural” ones. I like the Burt’s Bees definition, sans the 95% bit, but I can see what they’re getting at. Kudos to them.
Julia Says:
Every time I see folks touting the benefits of “natural ingredients”, I simply remind them of a few natural ingredients like: hemlock, crude oil, sulfuric acid to name three.
Just ’cause its natural doesn’t mean it is good for you.
Thank you for your scientific reality check!
Anne-Marie Says:
Great post. Thanks for the reasoned commentary on the natural craze. I always say that it’s more important to lose those extra 15 lbs than it is to make sure all of your skincare is natural.
April Zangl Says:
I work in the beauty industry and I see the clinical data on many ingredients, synthetic and natural. People just assume that natural is better and safer when this is not the case. There are plenty of reports out there proving that natural ingredients can be dangerous, some can even cause birth defects. Synthetic ingredients are most often tested for safety. They are stabilized so they don’t go rancid in products, and they are improved so they can actually penetrate the skin and become more effective. With a balanced combination of SAFE synthetic and natural ingredients, your skin will see the best results. I love the company I work for, HydroPeptide, because they test every ingredient for safety, efficacy, and stability. People need to know natural and organic does not mean better.
Green Girl Says:
The Natural Ingredient Resource Center was founded to help consumers, manufacturers and retailers, focusing on natural personal care products for the home and family, to learn more about the natural ingredients in the products they buy, make or sell. To encourage and provide an opportunity for manufacturers of these products to voluntarily show that they support “truth in labeling” and to provide a resource for education about natural ingredients. The NIRC does not certify ingredients, products or police compliance. Visit our Pledge Members Links page for the best in products containing natural ingredients. Because natural matters!
http://www.naturalingredient.org/
singingwolf Says:
I love the no animal products angle for “natural”.
Because, you know them critters are aritificial….
thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » Is Snake Oil Good For Your Skin Says:
[...] the “natural” angle, I’m guessing Snake Oil products wouldn’t sell very well here in the [...]
thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » How To Give Yourself An Organic Experience Says:
[...] referring to our post on Burt’s Bees’ plan to develop a universal definition of “natural” for cosmetics. She raises an interesting question because I just found out that Estee Lauder has a [...]
Beans and Rice Says:
Just a point here to consider. Burt’s Bees has a very through explination of “natural” on their website. I think one of there stonger points is to highlight that the “synthetic” ingredients are highly processed with harsh chemicals, which can remain in the final product. “Natural” ingredients are minimally processed to preserve their purity. It’s not really about safety, but certainity.
So Natural=Pure; Synthetic=Potential Poisons.
Vanillabean Says:
Does beeswax not count as an animal product in the eyes of Burt’s Bees? Very interesting article.
Not every natural product is safe, but neither is every synthetic.
Products deemed ’safe’ still can be dangerous to those like me, with chemical sensitivities and allergies, so it’s important that natural products are safe and pure for those who choose them.
Left Brain Says:
There’s really nothing “pure” about naturally derived ingredients from a scientific perspective. The ingredients are typically mixtures of all kinds of unknown chemicals. There could be any number of “natural” contaminants that gets into a plant via the water, soil or air. Without refinement these potential carcinogens may remain in your product.
Synthetics are actually the ones that are purified and analyzed. Scientists know what’s in them so people can make more informed choices.
Vanillabean is right, both synthetic and natural products can be dangerous.
thebeautybrains Says:
Beans and rice, many natural products are processed with ethanol. According to the material safety data sheet, ethanol “causes skin and eye irritation. Ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting and inebriation; chronic use can cause serious liver damage.” So, how can Burts Bees say this is not a harsh ingredient?
thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » The Latest Breakthrough in Skin Care - From The Produce Department Says:
[...] that are really good for you? The Left Brain’s fruity reply: I’ve posted several times on the debate over natural vs synthetic ingredients and I still recommend that you look for safe, efficacious ingredients and not worry so [...]
Sally Says:
Im shocked that no one has mentioned The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics safecosmetics.org or the EWG’s Cosmetic Database cosmeticdatabase.com which takes the toxicity rating for thousands of cosmetic chemicals and then ranks over 25,000 commonly available cosmetic products… synthetic or not - we should be more concerned with the fact that technology and chemical advancements go unmonitored by the FDA. Fabulous that no companies does animal testing anymore… why do they need to when the FDA allows human testing!
Neihya Says:
thebeautybrains:
I would just like to point out that ethanol is also known as alcohol, grain alcohol and spirits of wine (present in beer, wine, vodka and all other alcoholic beverages). It is the least harmful/poisonous of alcohols. It is a “harsh ingrediant” that most people (certainly not all) choose to consume on a regular basis and in a MUCH higher concentration than one would find in Burt’s Bees products. I am sure that you will not find them selling a 5.5 % ethanol (alcohol :)!) hand lotion even though we see 70% Rum being sold. Based upon this, I beleive that ethanol is a safe ingredient to use in cosmetics as it is used in a controlled environment.
fish Says:
Wow that is full of so much crap. I make a lot of my own products for the cost factor, the fact that fake “natural” is totally in right now, I like having control over what is going in my products (as much as I can), and the cost factor (again). I go for a lot of paraben free stuff and other mainstays of the “natural” movement. I will accept the label of “crunchy” but I hate that people think that synthetics are automatically bad for you or that just because something occurs in nature it is good for you. I loath the tagline “contains plant extracts” or “natural botanicals!” you know what is a plant extract? Heroin. But I don’t go around putting it in my face cream.
I guess more than the crunchy types spending a lot of money on niche “natural” products or people like me who like to make their own stuff is the average person who shops at drug stores and gets sucked into labeling tricks, like the ones mentioned above. These people shouldn’t think they are getting more for their extra money even though it is the exact same formula with cucumber or green tea thrown in as an after thought right before the dyes and fragrance.
So I can see why people would want the label “natural” standardized just like “certified organic” but I think those guidelines aren’t right. No animal products? Burt’s Bees is full of beeswax which is made by bees and since a natural product can’t have synthetics I guess they won’t be switching to an “un”natural alternative.
PS:
The Natural is one of the worse books I’ve ever read and they made it into an even worse movie.