Jan 21, 2012

While I’ve been using natural beauty products for a while, I’ve never known the basics behind that green USDA Organic label, what it’s supposed to mean, and how trustworthy that and other similar labels are. Earning that coveted and trusted label is a long and restricted process that definitely requires some research and self-education.

In the United States, the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, does not define or regulate the term “organic” (or “natural”,”green” or “eco-friendly”) for personal care products such as cosmetics, soap, and lotion. However, the USDA regulates the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its National Organic Program (NOP) regulation, 7 CFR Part 205. Even so, this is really meant for food, not beauty products. There’s a lot involved behind that USDA Organic label, and the standards are rigorous.

If a cosmetic or personal care product contains or is made up of agricultural ingredients, and can meet the USDA/NOP organic production, handling, processing and labeling standards, it may be eligible to be certiﬁed under NOP regulations.

Once certiﬁed by a USDA-accredited organic certifying agent, cosmetics, personal care products, and body care products are eligible for the same 4 organic labeling categories as all other agricultural products, based on their organic content and other factors (source):

To claim “100 Percent Organic”, the product must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. These products may display the USDA Organic Seal.

To claim “Certified Organic“, the product must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). The remaining 5% are under strict regulations and must be approved under the National List. These products may display the USDA Organic Seal.

To claim “Made with organic ingredients“, the product must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients (up to 94%). The label can list up to three of the organic ingredients or “food” groups on the principal display panel, such as “body butter made with organic chamomile, lavender and eucalyptus”. However, these products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.

If a product has less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the term “organic” cannot be used anywhere on the principal display panel. However, they may identify the speciﬁc ingredients that are USDA certiﬁed as being organically produced on the ingredients statement within the label. These ingredients are often denoted with a star, or asterisk. Only the ingredients can be claimed organic, and not the finished product. These particular products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.

In addition, any cosmetic, body care product, or personal care product that does not meet the production, handling, processing, labeling, and certification standards described above may not state, imply, or convey in any way that the product is USDA-certiﬁed organic or meets the USDA organic standards. Period.

Keep in mind that while the USDA does have say over the use of the term “organic”, they have no authority over the production and labeling of cosmetics, body care products, and personal care products that are not made up of agricultural ingredients, or do not make any claims to meeting USDA organic standards.

While the USDA offers the highest standard of organic claim and quality, there are two other organic certification standards to keep an eye out for the United States.

OASIS (Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards), an industry consensus standard, states that to claim “made with organic”, the product “will start and remain at a 70% minimum organic content with additional criteria for the remaining 30% of ingredients.” To claim the term “organic”, the label claim will start at 85% minimum organic content until Jan. 2010, then it will shift to 90% and to 95% two years later. This means as of this year, 2012, a product must have at least 95% organic ingredients. Products that would never be able to achieve the 95% level must use the “made with organic” claim. OASIS also has less strict regulations surrounding non-organic materials.

The NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit organization that also published a standard for personal care products. Called the NSF/ANSI 305: Personal Care Products Containing Organic Ingredients, this is a voluntary American National Standard that defines labeling and marketing requirements for personal care products that contain organic ingredients. The NSF/ANSI 305 defines labeling and marketing requirements for personal care products that uses the term “contains organic ingredients” to contain organic content with a minimum of 70 percent or more.

So, the summary?

A personal care product can use the USDA Organic label if it contains at least 95% certified organic ingredients. If it’s any less, even 94%, it can only say “made with organic ingredients”. These products can list up to three of the organic ingredients they use on the label and notate that they’re certified, but they can’t say the finished product itself is organic.

Want a quick list of some green beauty companies that sell USDA Organic products? Here you go:

Now, just because a company you’ve found isn’t certified, doesn’t mean they’re not trustworthy. A transparent, honest company that fully discloses all their ingredients and leaves it up to you to decide is always worth another look. For example, a majority of the handmade artisans at Beauty by the Batch aren’t USDA Certified, but they’re not thieves or trying to poison you, either. The seal is just another way of making your job as a green beauty shopper easier when looking for pure organic products.

If you just want something that’s mostly natural, eco-friendly and have minimal synthetic ingredients, there are TONS of companies and entrepreneurs who are more than happy to help you. If in doubt about their ingredients, just ask!

4 Comments

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[...] goats for their milk, grow their own herbs, and only purchase high-grade organic essential oils. Going organic is even better, as you’re ensuring your soaps are only made with the finest ingredients grown [...]

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[...] you want CERTIFIED organic, look for any certification symbols like ECOCERT, USDA Certified Organic, OASIS, or the Soil [...]

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Garden of Beauty is a green beauty blog about organic, natural and eco-friendly beauty products from a realistic, modern perspective.

From cosmetics, hair and skin care, to bath and body, I provide reviews, tips, discoveries and articles about being green AND beautiful, while staying open minded and smart about your choices.

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