Whole Foods To the Rescue

Whole Foods has just released its new certification: Premium Body Care. They are now certifying all of their products under this label to give customers a better idea of what they are purchasing.

From the website: "There are many non-natural components and processes in most U.S. body care products. Even those labeled "natural" may contain harsh preservatives or ingredients with environmental concerns." (We agree.)

Products containing all of those nasty chemicals that we hate will not receive that Whole Foods seal of approval. They have outlawed those harmful ingredients like parabens, polypropylene and polyethylene glycols, sodium lauryl and laureth sulfates.

Among the Whole Foods new set of standards:

Preservatives are necessary in body care products, especially water-based products. Our Premium Body Care standard allows only milder preservatives. They must be shown to function properly, yet have a lower likelihood of causing cosmetic-related allergies and sensitivities.

Surfactants are used for cleaning, degreasing, emulsifying, conditioning and creating foam. They also remove essential fatty acids and may be irritating to the skin. Our Premium standard allows only the safest, most gentle types available.

Fragrance is a component that most people expect in premium products and, if naturally derived, may have aromatherapy benefits, as well. For philosophical and safety reasons, only natural essential oils and components of natural essential oils are allowed as fragrances in our Premium standard.

We're happy that Whole Foods is trying to educate its consumers about the type of products that they are putting on the skin of themselves and their loved ones. And, they're partnering with our friends, the Teens for Safe Cosmetics. Check them both out!

New Organic Certifications Continue to Blossom

New certification procedures for organic cosmetics are slowly popping up in North America, following the strict guidelines brought by the European marketplace.

Today, many products that claim to be "organic" are actually not at all. There has been a desire to create a standard to which all cosmetic products can be applied.

However, it looks like Canada is getting its own certification, from Certech Registration Inc. They currently seem to have one client, a Canadian brand called "eaurganic" that creates products in skincare, body lotion and spa treatments.

The standard set by Certech demands that "in order to be certified as natural under the IOS Cosmetics Standard, a minimum of 95% of the product must be of natural origin. In addition to this, products that obtain certification as organic must also use certified organic ingredients which have been grown, cultivated, and stored without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fumigants or other toxins." Furthermore, they must not be tested on animals and use recyclable packaging.

Having a standard to which all organic cosmetic products can be applied is a positive idea for consumers. I just hope that suddenly there won't be so many "official" organic certifications, that it becomes too difficult to tell one from another...