Posted on March 18, 2010 - by Leslie Billera

Coming Clean

When are stores going to be rid of personal care products that are falsely advertised as ‘organic’?

We can’t say when, exactly, but we’ve got some good news: the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is starting to put the pressure on.

Mislabeled Organic Personal Care Products: Solving the Problem

On November 5^th, the NOSB passed a recommendation entitled “Solving the Problem of Mislabeled Organic Personal Care Products.”

Highlights include:

• Third Party Certification: The recommendation urges the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to ensure that any use of the word “organic” on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA organic standards.

• Clearing Up Consumer Confusion: The recommendation notes that currently “at a given retailer, one may find personal care products such as shampoos and lotions labeled as ‘organic’ with no clear standards or regulatory underpinning for the organic claim – and unless the product is specifically labeled as ‘USDA Organic,’ the word ‘organic’ may be used with impunity.

• Quest for Clarity: The recommendation goes on to say that even well-meaning manufacturers are confused, noting that “manufacturers of personal care products that contain organic ingredients are hindered by a thicket of competing private standards and confusion regarding the applicability of the NOP to their products. Transactions lack the regulatory clarity that applies under the NOP to food products that contain organic ingredients.”

The over-arching goal is to have the USDA enforce the current agricultural standards in personal care like they do when conventional foods are mislabeled as organic.

What is ‘Organic’ in Relation to Personal Care Products?

Organic ingredients are plant oils or extracts or other unadulterated agricultural products.

To discern between marketing and meaning, use the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. Its hazard rating to help you navigate the truth behind organic claims in personal care.  Search for products with a hazard score of 0-2 (versus 3-6 or the most egregious, 7-10). And don’t forget the truly pure organic goodness of small purveyors like Napa Valley Bath. We’re 100% transparent and offer a worry-free guarantee.

Read the entire NOSB recommendation and if you’re inspired, take action!