I've been turned off in my spa marketing researches by vendors and marketing advisers who give as a prime motive for selling top-quality organic spa products, the fact that LOHAS customers are willing to pay more for these. If there is an extra profit to be made then this suggests that production costs are not much different.
And where that is the case, I'd like to see comparable prices being charged in order to encourage and enable consumers to support products that are safest both for people and for the environment as a whole. Large corporations who add natural or organic lines to their products only to cash in do not have my favor. It's a moral challenge facing everyone in the sustainability movement.
The cosmetics industry as a whole (like the food industry) does not have a flawless track record regards the safety of the ingredients used in their products. Many less than scrupulous vendors have been able to claim their products are organic and natural, while lacking reputable organic certification.
Those who are reputable have to fight for their reputations, and luckily some are (read on).
What the consumer wants to know is that these products are not only going to clean and perhaps even enhance their skin but are also safe to put on their bodies and safe to release into the environment in which we all live (as a result of both the manufacturing process and when washed from the skin of the end-user).
There is no doubt that the cosmetics industry is responsible for some of the toxic chemicals we subject ourselves to daily. Research and regulation may be a help in controlling this but as the Collaborative on Health and the Environment which reports on toxic chemicals in the environment states very clearly:
The playing field in which the negotiation takes place is strongly biased in favor of the vested interests, who have succeeded over several decades of lobbying to put in place evidentiary standards for proof of harm that make it very difficult to prevent marketing of new products, or removal of old, even in the face of compelling evidence of plausible harm. Decades of experience reinforce that conclusion.
Body care ingredients are absorbed, rapidly, through the skin. It is a lot like eating food. The simplest advice is to look for products in which all of the ingredients have names like organic foods that you eat, or natural, nontoxic minerals like clay, or water. But for the spa product vendor industry things are not simple.
Back to the land
It's important to understand why 'Organic' is considered such a valuable attribute of both food and body care items. The Australian company ONE Group provides a very simple outline on their website, which is a powerful resource for anyone interested in the topic of truly safe body care products.
Here are the five benefits of choosing certified organic that ONE Group identifies:
- Good for the soil: Organic systems rely on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology and soil science, while also depending on traditional methods of crop rotations to ensure fertility and weed and pest control.
- Good for the environment: Organic systems aim to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. Organic production aims at all times towards sustainability whilst having best management of the environment and wildlife as a priority.
- Good for people: Organic based ingredients have been shown in a number of studies to contain more vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants than non-organic ingredients.
- No synthetic chemicals: Organic systems prohibit the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers.
- No GMO's: Certified organic products are produced without GMOs (genetically modified organisms), which are prohibited in the standards for organic food and farming.
The definition of natural for the cosmetics industry has been 'any ingredient derived from a natural substance'. By contrast, ONE Group, bases their use of this term strictly on the definition 'existing in or formed by nature; not artificial'.
Likewise, the definition of organic for much of the cosmetic industry has been 'any compound containing carbon' (which would and has included petrochemicals). ONE Group defines organic as 'grown, cultivated and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals such as insecticides, herbicides and fumigants'.
Certifying bodies for organic and natural body care products like BDIH in Germany, EcoCert in France ,and more recently OASIS in the US, and bodies that certify to organic food standards like IFOAM in Europe, The Soil Association in the UK, ACO (Australian Certified Organic) in Australia, and USDA/NOP in the US have responded to the call for regulation.
[See below for links and short outlines on all these.]
The Organic Consumer Association (OCA, which has over 800 000 members) in the US suggest that consumers look for products certified under the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) NOP (National Organic Program) (here is their recommended list ) noting that there are other weaker standards that a product can become 'certified organic' under.*
For example, some certifications do not allow toxins like ethoxylation and 1,4-dioxane, but allow hydrogenation and sulfation of conventional, not organic material, to make cleansing ingredients preserved with synthetic preservatives. In particular OCA mentions, EcoCert and OASIS standards (both trade-related) as suspect. See also this comparison chart posted on OCA's website.
Companies who are active members of organic trade and consumer organizations, support certifying bodies in establishing standards free of commercial interest, are working towards sustainability on all levels, and are scrupulously honest in their advertising would seem to be few and far between.
Some unfortunate tricks of the trade
Enforcement problems. Regulatory bodies like the FDA don't have the time or the resources to do anything about those who misuse the 'organic' label. Organic ingredients are plant oils or extracts, or other unadulterated agricultural products. They are not chemical names.
Natural/organic water. A chemical product can be made to have the appearance of being natural, if the larger water portion (first on the label) is a dilute infusion of a huge number of herbs, preferably organic and exotic or trendy sounding. (The USDA does not allow the water portion to be counted in their regulations.)
Synthetic ingredients. The USDA organic regulations say that the non-organic portion of an organic formula can't contain synthetics or petrochemicals but many body care companies overlook this. There are two kinds of synthetic chemicals: petrochemicals, made from crude petroleum, and oleochemicals, made from plant oils. They're all chemically processed into a wide range of different substances and they all come under the official USDA definition of synthetic. They may be described by companies hoping to skirt the issue as 'derived from' natural sources or in some cases the plant name is placed in parentheses after the chemical, e.g. 'methyl paraben (blueberries).
Word games.
'no sodium lauryl sulfate' or some other chemicals - gives the impression that they don't use any chemicals but they just don't use those chemicals
'made without any unsafe chemicals' - they just use chemicals that they consider to be safe
'made with' or 'contains' this herb and that herb - give the impression that's all they're made of
'environmentally-friendly' - but the products come in vinyl bottles and bags
For an example of clear labeling, my bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap states:
Organic and Natural Enterprise (ONE) Group has achieved high-level certification (see below) and gone international. Their website is an informative indication of their authenticity and transparency regards their products, including how they are made and distributed.
They use their own multichannel marketing model based on network marketing, hopefully with real benefit to all involved (this again is covered at length on their website). Their brand Miessence is a fully certified organic (see below) range of skin and body care products which are:
- certified organic to the highest food grade standards
- certified by respected organic certifying organizations: Australian Certified Organic (ACO), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and IFOAM (Europe)
- patented cold formulation to protect the integrity of the ingredients with no heating
- made of 100% natural and safe to use even for sensitive skin types including that of babies
- made of 100% bio-active ingredients (everything in them is included to improve skin condition)
- never tested on animals
[I sampled their facial range for dry skin and can honestly say that my skin felt wonderful afterward, though unfortunately I can't afford this kind of regimen every day. I'm sensitive to and dislike artificial aromas in any kind of product, so I also recognized and appreciated the real rose aroma of these.]
A question of sourcing
Providing another example of sourcing, on their website, Sensara states that they use different combinations of some or all of four types of natural botanical ingredients in their products. As far as I could see no certification is yet claimed.
- organic - present in or produced by nature and extracted directly from plants in an organic ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
- wild-crafted - present in or produced by nature and extracted directly from plants harvested by hand from the wild in their natural habitat on a sustainable basis.
- farm-crafted - present in or produced by nature and extracted directly from plants harvested by hand or machine from managed commercial crops.
- natural derived - produced or obtained by chemical reaction of substance present in or produced by nature. [Sensara did say separately that this category cannot be considered 100% natural.]
Sensara told me that once a cosmetic/spa product ingredient has been determined as being in one of the above four categories, the veracity (conformity to truth or fact) of the ingredient must then be looked at across three aspects which they describe as follows:
- is it Authentic - having a claimed and verifiable origin
- is it Genuine - actually possessing the alleged or apparent attribute or character
- is it Pure - having a homogeneous or uniform composition and free from adulterants or impurities
In sourcing ingredients, Sensara notes on their website that they give preference to those which:
- are managed and harvested on a sustainable basis
- are wild-harvested or organically grown in their natural environment
- respect and protect the intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples
- directly benefit disadvantaged and poor harvesters, farmers and producers
They do not use:
- ingredients of animal origin
- ingredients tested on animals
- ingredients of plant origin listed by CITES as endangered species
Clear statement like this are examples of transparency. They tell the customer that they want to provide information and that they will be open to further discussion (certainly that has been my personal experience with Sensara).
Even so, though all this sounds great, in practice it would be difficult for a general consumer to authenticate, which is where a trusted certifying body comes in. As the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) is revealing, not all certifications are equal. It is also true that consumers can be manipulated by positive seeming words.
On it's website, Pevonia International (a company that can afford very prestigious marketing in all major spa trade and consumer magazines) states that it is a member of the Organic Trade Association, OTA (not the same as certification), and that the company 'believes that protecting and preserving the planet is a global responsibility'.
By contrast to ONE Group's Miessence, the green lines are brief: 'The Pevonia Botanica brand maintains a harmonious balance with nature and its precious resources by offering natural, cruelty-free formulations (no animal testing) within eco-packaging (fully recyclable and biodegradable).'
For small-scale operations that have their customers' trust, it may be possible to say as Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary does, 'I have developed relationships with families who have produced these products for generations in an ecological environment. You are not buying an organic certificate. You are buying refined love at source.'
Transparency and passion
But love does not seem widespread in the bigger cosmetics market. I believe that the only way the larger companies can earn this is by being far more transparent and avoiding the kind of 'hype' that is still prevalent. I'd prefer to see more honesty, including admissions of short-fall and statements of intent to improve.
The addition of a blog (with comments) to company websites that does not set out purely to sell products and services but also to inform and update customers regarding sustainability issues and concerns would earn points with me, the blogs that accompany Terressentials (more activist oriented) and Scandle body candles (more product oriented) being two examples. Not only would this serve the customer but it might also enable a vendor to interact and be 'real', if they dare.
If you have read this far, it might be obvious to you that the spa products industry (as part of the health and beauty industry) is in a somewhat embattled state, with some gamely taking up the gauntlet of sustainability and others hiding behind their shields. The same is happening across many industries of course. There is always opportunity in chaos, and hopefully a chance to do the best thing for ourselves and our planet.
When you make your own products on site, you can be sure of what is in them and take responsibility for that. Like those who make products for sale, you are likely to have to compromise with some ingredients but if you make it an ongoing process, you'll also be helping those who supply you to aim for safe and sustainable standards. You'll be localizing the 'love' as Richard Howard suggests. See the last post in this series for more on local sourcing.
Links to some of the sites referenced in this post
ACO - Australian Certified Organic, also accredited to certify organic operations in Europe, Japan, USA, Switzerland, the UK.
BDIH - Federation of German Industries and Trading Firms for pharmaceuticals, health care goods, dietary supplements and personal hygiene products.
CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between
governments to ensure that international trade in
specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their
survival.
EcoCert - European (based in France) standard and certification predicated on a minimum of 10% certified organic content. Currently under scrutiny by OCA.
IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, umbrella organization for the organic movement, uniting more than 750 member organizations in 108 countries.
Natural Ingredient Resource Center - founded to
help consumers, manufacturers and retailers, focusing on natural
personal care products to learn more about
natural ingredients (created the Truth in Labeling voluntary pledge).
OASIS - Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards, a trade association offering industry consensus standard (suppliers, manufacturers, distributors) for organic beauty and personal care products. Currently under scrutiny by OCA.
OCA - Organic Consumer Association, non-profit public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability.
OTA - a membership-based business association for the organic industry in the US which aims to promote and protect organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy.
OTCO - Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, an internationally adopted system that combines strict production standards, on-site inspections, and legally binding contracts to protect the producers and buyers of organic products.
Soil Association - the UK's campaigning and certification organization for organic food and farming.
Truth in Labeling
USDA/NOP - US Department of Agriculture/ National Organic Program, which is favored above all others in my researches so far and by OCA.
* see next posting for problem with certification under USDA/NOP of wild-crafted or harvested botanicals
The OTA has produced an informative website on How to Go Organic which addresses the needs of producers (steps toward making the transition to organic) and processors (knowing what it takes to be certified organic). It also has a directory of organic resources for North America.
This site - 'Protecting Our Health' - tracks emerging scientific evidence on links between diseases, disorders and disabilities and possible environmental causes.
This post is the fifth in a series of six related posts about spa products and the powerful potential they have for enabling sustainable spa culture:
- Spa treatment menus: authenticity and audacity
- Eco-spa-chefs: cooking up a better future for organic spa products
- Savvy and creative spas who grow their own spa products
- The value of growing and making your own spa products
- Natural, organic? Spa products under scrutiny
- How to make your own 'soulful and sustainable' spa products on site
