May wants justice for Jason…Does any know about Jason Natural products? The one I use, says 84% Aloe Vera and no artificial ads like sls , parabens etc. is this really a dream or what?
The Left Brain responds:
Actually, May, Jason Natural products may not be the paragon of natural virtue that you seem to think. For example, consider their tea tree shampoo.
Jason Natural shampoo ingredients
Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Gel (Aloe Vera), Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Chamomile), Salvia Officinalis Extract (Clary Sage), Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract (Brown Algae), Cetrimonium Chloride, Vegetable Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Even though Aloe Vera and natural extracts dominate the ingredient list, a close look reveals active ingredients that are not any more natural than those used by most other brands. For example while they do avoid sodium laureth sulfate they use sodium myreth sulfate which just differs by a couple of carbon atoms. Likewise they contain the common conditioning agent cetrimonium chloride which is chemically processed and not generally considered to be very natural. It’s another case of a brand hiding standard ingredients behind a veil of natural goodies. The basic problem is that there’s no clear definition of what natural or organic means for a cosmetic product.
Jail time for Jason Natural?
Even the companies that make these products can’t agree on these definitions. Case in point, one maker of organic soaps is suing jason Naturals and a few other companies over the definition of organic. David Bronner, president of Dr Bronner’s Magic Soaps, claims that Jason Naturals and other brands are “composed of conventional rather than organic cleansing and moisturizing ingredients, with organic ingredients or extracts added for and ‘organic greenwash’.”
According to Cosmeticsdesign, Bonner is asking that these companies not only stop selling their organic products (unless they meet USDA National Organic Program specifications) but he also wants them to pay him damages because their “fake” organic products are hurting the sales of his “authentic” ones. How would you like to be the judge in THAT case?
The Beauty Brains Bottom line
Jason Natural products are not “a dream” as you put it but it looks like they might be headed for a legal nightmare. I’ll keep you posted on this story as it unfolds.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank-you for informing me on the Jason product lines, I really thought this was natural.
Just read the labels people. Do you also believe that Snapple is really made with “the best stuff on earth”?
Just because it hints at being organic or natural doesn’t mean it is.. You have to do some actual label checking for that.
Ugh, I’ve never had a good experience with Jason products.
I use Dr. Bonner’s for cleaning because I prefer to clean with baking soda, apple cider vinegar (Not mixed with the baking soda LoL), lemon oil, etc., and Dr. Bonner’s works pretty well but the ramblings on the bottle are kind of freaky.
Good for Dr Bronner, I love their range and the fact they have been making the products the same way since they launched about 75 years ago. No shifty reformulations there.
As an example of this I think Aveda would have been better as they are even worse than Jason with the Greenwash and they charge more for the pleasure as well!
I adore Dr. Bronners soaps, especially the peppermint and almond castille soaps. It is true that even if a label says, “natural”…it just might not be. That term is not regulated. I do use Jason lotion, but as I read the ingredient list I see it has about 20-30 different ingredients, some chemical-sounding ones too! I do not think a product needs that much “stuff” to work. I like simplicity. I will not purchase Jason products again.
Yes, them and others. If it isn’t one company then it is another “greenwashing” their product labeling, or making drug claims for “healing”.
A comprehensive search of the FDA site will reveal several that have received warnings for medical claims.
Then the greenwashing has gotten out of hand.
Hello Beauty Brains,
I absolutely love your website! I am a science nerd myself (especially the health sciences) and so don’t know why I fell prey to thinking that Jason Naturals line would be a good choice for my oh-so-sensitive skin. Perhaps it was a momentary brain fart? I discovered the Jason line at a local, reputable health food store. I was looking for a good, naturally based night cream for my sensitive, over-reactive skin and one of the store clerks recommended the Jason line. I had tried another “organic/natural” night cream from a different company that had made my skin sting and burn, so of course I returned it and went to look for something better. What I read at the store about the Jason creams sounded great, so I tried the Jason Fragrance-Free Nightly Moisturizer and the Daily Facial Cream for Sensitive Skin. It claimed to be hypoallergenic and non-irritating to rosacea. While I don’t have rosacea, I figured that a moisturizer that is supposed to be safe for rosacea would be safe for me. Wrong! The ingredients (from what I can remember) looked fine to me, but right after I smoothed that moisturizer onto my face, my poor skin started burning so badly that I had tears come to my eyes. I washed my face twice to try to get the cream off and to stop the burning, but even washing it off didn’t stop that burning. My poor face was bright red. I looked and felt like I had gotten a horrible sunburn (though I don’t sunburn easily). I was perplexed (and quite upset) — none of the ingredients listed were things that I am allergic to — surely this moisturizer was NOT for truly sensitive skin. Thankfully, I had some St. Ives Cucumber & Aloe Face and Eye Stress Relief Gel in the refrigerator, so I slathered that all over my poor face and finally got some relief. I tested a small patch of skin on my face with the Daily Facial Cream for Sensitive Skin and guess what — it also burned. Thank goodness for that cold, soothing St. Ives gel! I returned those Jason creams to the store ASAP. I guess I wanted to share my story so others with truly sensitive skin will be wary of Jason products (even when the products are labeled for sensitive skin). I did do some research after that reaction I had and found that I was not the only sensitive-skinned lady who has had a burning reaction from Jason skin creams. I am not sure if Jason Natural Cosmetics should be outlawed, but in my opinion, they certainly should not be allowed to label those moisturizers (the Nightly Moisturizer and Daily Facial Cream for Sensitive Skin) as being for sensitive skin. Thank you, Beauty Brains, for letting me share my story. Also, thank you for this wonderful site. I have learned so much and I love it!
Cara R.
I have also reacted to many of Jason’s products. I do think Jason’s Earth’s Best line for babies is ok. The creams/lotions are a bit harsh, but the babywash works great for my kids, and I also occasionally use it as a face wash. I use it as a milder shampoo a couple of times per wk…not bad/ non drying…but this is the ONLY product besides their lavender lotion that I would use from this company.
There is no such thing as “natural” products. Sorry to say it but it’s true. Everything in nature is a chemical and whether it be good or bad it’s still a chemical and some people are bound to have an undesireable reaction. More people on Earth will have a bad reaction to a “natural” shampoo containing avacado oil or sweet almond oil than to SMS.
That’s not to say that I don’t believe in the dangers of SLS, SMS and such, but that nothing deserves to be labelled natural. There is nothing 100% natural out there, just varying degress of it.
I’ve had contact dermatitis for over eight years now and Jason’s Fragrance Free line and some of their other products are the only products I can use. I have extremely sensitive skin and have never had an issue with JN, but that doesn’t mean other people won’t. Get pure all natural Lavendar and Jasmine around me and my whole face will swell and throat will close, but they’re safe right because they’re found in nature?
Let’s be honest, people are running around screaming about the dangers of BPA, SLS, parabens, etc yet not too many mothers are stopping to think twice about putting products that contain Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E on the skin of their babies. The three latter products have also been shown to have toxic effects on adults and children when used too much.
And as far as other companies go, I looked into St. Ives products a long time ago and was shocked to see that their lotions contain SLS, a chemical used to create a lather…in lotion! Not to mention that most of their products contain Petrolatums, Parabens, fake fragrance and fake colouring. Their products would be considered far less natural than JN but hey, if it works for you then it’s all good.
The only thing more dangerous than these chemicals is the stress disorders that worrying about them is creating in this decade.
Hi Rebecca,
I definitely see what you are saying and understand what you mean. It’s something to think about! Actually, I only put the St. Ives gel on my face because I couldn’t find any regular aloe gel at the time, and I needed something to soothe my burning skin.
Happy New Year to all!
C. R.
I agree that all the ingredients are technically organic and natural means nothing. It’s all chemicals. What is sodium chloride; a chemical or salt? I think we are just trying to determine what is safe for our bodies and our environment (which will eventually touch our bodies).
I like Dr. Bronners for my skin (even if it can be a little drying) but it doesn’t work for my hair.
I just picked up Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner and it has mostly edible ingredients and they say phenolyethanol is a natural rose ether (which I doubt is edible). While researching ingredients I keep finding conflicting info on phenolyethanol. Some sources say it’s okay some that it will kill your whole family. I just want to wash my hair with something that works but isn’t toxic.
I agree with a lot of what Rebecca has to say, except that natural is more of a guide than a fact. I mean there are millions of products out there and by labeling natural or organic you have just eliminated 80% of the choice. So in that fact I appreciate the labeling. The reason there is so much “green washing” is because this is the biggest growing industry in America and everyone wants a piece. Think about it they stole our real food away years ago and replaced it with “Flavoring” and now they are selling us back the real food/products at an increased price. You have company’s like Clorox buying out Burt’s Bees, Kellogs owns Kashi and the list continues through just about any other “natural” brand you buy. The real question isn’t labeling its what are these company going to do to these products? What are they going to slip in that isn’t going to be on the ingredients?
Do they deserve to be “outlawed”? Um, no. Give me a break. They may not have total truth in advertising, but neither do any of the conventional, non-organic personal-care brands. And, all things considered, Jason products are still probably better for you than the rest of the crap on the Wal-Mart shelf, if not least because most (though not all) of their products don’t contain parabens. You need to check ingredients lists carefully, and Jason isn’t the only product guilty of this. Most of the other popular “organic” brands, including Kiss My Face and Alba, sell items that may be made with supposedly organic ingredients but that still contain parabens or other suspected toxins.
To find out what’s in your personal-care products and whether or not it’s suspected to be toxic, look up the ingredients at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
You can see, for example, just from the short ingredients list on Dr. Bronner’s lotions, that they’re excellent. Just look them up.
And I agree with Rebecca. Many things we might consider to be “natural” are allergens or poisons, especially if used in excess. Just because something is natural or organic doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Hello.I have used jn 84% aloe vera hand and body lotion for many years.It was exellent ,even healing wounds. But now my skin get red,cracks and burns. The contens is changed.
HI
JUST BOUGHT A JASON ALOE VERA DEODORANT STICK. REALLY ANNOYED WHEN I READ THE INGREDIANTS FIRST ONEPROPYLENE GLYCOL WHICH IS NOT GOOD! SHOULD OF CHECKED WHAT WAS IN IT BEFORE I HANEDE OVER MY CASH IN THE “HEALTH SHOP ” I BOUGHT IT IN. IM LEARNING THERE REALLY ARE COMPANIES THAT SELL 100% ORGANIC NATURAL INGREDIENTS , . JASONS ARE DEFO OFF MY LIST AND THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR NOT BEING TRUTHFULL