Going natural with your skin, body, and hair care, especially if you’ve been doing it “conventionally” nearly all your life, isn’t something done overnight. Outside of the tons of research, confusing terms, and contradicting reports and articles, you now have to deal with companies outright lying to your face in order to convince you their product is right up your alley.
“Oh, you’re looking for something green and natural? Well, here’s a green bottle of ‘naturally derived’ shampoo and a picture of a leaf on it, and we also slapped the word “natural” 5 times on the package! It’s totally safe and perfect for your new lifestyle! Do you believe us?”
Well, there’s a term for that, and it’s called greenwashing.
What is it? As I explained here, it’s basically when a company gives off the impression via labeling, package design, marketing terms or even colors that they’re green and environmentally friendly. The phenomenon is discussed all over the web, so instead of regurgitating information, I’ve decided to curate it here for your reference and convenience.
Now, go forth and learn how to spot the fake from the line of “natural” products you see lined on a store shelf, and stay safe!
- Beware of Greenwashing: Natural Beauty Products Flooding the Market - Stephanie Rogers of the Eco Chick provide statistics, and explain how both consumers and companies are getting wise to this act.
- Shopping Tips: Five Ways to Avoid Greenwashed Brands - Adriana Herrera of Fashioning Change provides 5 extremely useful ways to avoid greenwashed brands, such as looking for proof of certification and clarifying any vagueness on the label.
- Be Skeptical of These 10 Marketing Terms – The Daily Green gives you a slew of misleading terms and buzzwords to watch out for before you plunk down your cash.
- Many natural & organic cosmetic brands falling short of marketing claims - The Organic Monitor explains why greenwashing isn’t working for many natural and organic brands as their products fail to meet their bold claims
- 5 Greenwashed Myths of the Beauty Industry (And How Not to Fall For Them) - Jasmin Malik Chua at Treehugger provides 5 not-so-commonly mentioned ways to differentiate between what’s the real deal and what falls flat. A tip: just because it says “paraben-free” doesn’t mean it’s absolutely safe!
- Quick Tips to Avoid “Green-Washing” – How to Choose Organic and Natural Products - Jenn Staz lays it all out in an easy-to-read and understand format with 5 easy ways to avoid greenwashed products. One tip? “If you can’t find the ingredients easily, it’s a bad sign.” Well said!
- Well, Is It Organic or Not? – Douglas Quenqua at the New York Times describes how eco companies like Whole Foods and Dr. Bronner’s are blowing the whistle on greenwashing – the former implementing strict requirements on green companies before stocking their goods on their shelves.
- Are natural beauty brands greenwashing or targets of sensationalism? – Jessica Rubino at NewHope360 goes deeper into the issue, explaining that the Silent Spring Institute began calling out companies like Aubrey Organics, Burt’s Bees, California Baby, Alba Botanica, and Nature’s Gate for having harmful ingredients, and pondering on whether it’s actually greenwashing or just sensationalism.
- BabyMilkAction.org’s Greenwash Guide (PDF) – While mainly for other industries besides beauty, these handy signs can also be applied to personal care companies. Print out this useful guide to recognizing environmental dressing, no matter what they sell.