Super Eco

Photo credit: Sarah G, flickr

Excuse me, ma'am—that "organic" shampoo you just dropped into your basket? It's not really organic. Yes, I know, it does say so right there on the label, you're absolutely right. Unfortunately, nobody regulates what "organic" means for personal care products. And also unfortunately, the manufacturer of the brand is on a list of brands that stretch the meaning of the term way beyond what you might be expecting.

Some companies are sidestepping USDA organic standards by using misleading product labels that read "organic"—a toothless term that's not required to meet any specific standards (and so all too often, simply doesn't). Currently, only products specifically marked "USDA Organic" must meet USDA standards. Consumers who reach for the meaningless "organic" label may find themselves with a medicine cabinet full of products packed with synthetic, petroleum-based ingredients.

Distressingly, the USDA has seemed reluctant to get involved. But last week, the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) passed a recommendation urging the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to give teeth to the use of the word "organic" on personal care products. The NOSB proposes third-party certification of products claiming to be "organic," so that consumers know what they're actually getting when they buy products labeled as organic.

In the meantime, the Organic Consumers Association is calling for a boycott of companies they feel falsely market their products as organic. The list reads like a who's who of the natural body care aisle: Amazon Organics, Avalon Organics, Desert Essence Organics, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, JASON Pure Natural and Organic, Nature's Gate Organics, Organics by Noah's Naturals. Find organic alternatives by looking for the round "USDA Organic" certification on products, which ensures the product is produced without conventional pesticides using green soil and water conservation practices and contains organic ingredients at one of three levels: "100 percent organic" (only organically produced ingredients), "organic" (at least 95 percent organic ingredients) or "made with organic ingredients" (at least 70 percent organic ingredients).