Fighting for organic integrity in body care
Beginning in the 1940s, the world was flooded with cheaply made synthetic products and ingredients, from pesticides and food additives to detergents and plastics, all created in the laboratory largely from non-renewable petroleum. It was hailed as “Better Living Through Chemistry,” but unintended consequences included pollution of the air and water, deterioration of soil tilth and health, unhealthy and over-processed foods, and synthetic ingredients in personal care products—more than a few with significant toxicity issues.
In response, the organic movement over the last few decades has rejected the intensive synthetic inputs and processes used in conventional agriculture and food processing, recognizing that traditional methods and materials result in better soil and improved human and environmental health.
Organic integrity in body care means an organic product is made from certified organic ingredients—in compliance with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), the same program that certifies organic foods. Real organic personal care does not use synthetic preservatives that can irritate skin. Natural, unrefined oils and waxes are used as emollients and moisturizers, instead of hydrogenated oils and synthetic silicones. Traditional natural soaps are used in hand and body washes, instead of modern synthetic surfactants made in part from petrochemicals.
Dr. Bronner’s is fighting for a marketplace where consumers are not misled into purchasing bogus synthetic-schlock products masquerading as real certified organic personal care. We are in a better place now than we were ten years ago, when all kinds of synthetic products were making organic claims, even in health food stores and cooperatives. Now, all organic body care products sold in Whole Foods Market, as well as in cooperatives organized under the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), and by extension the natural marketplace, must be certified to comply with established organic standards.
Still, there are no legal regulations to prevent a body care product from being inaccurately labeled as organic. While very strict standards are enforced by the USDA for organic food products, there are no legally binding regulations for body care products.
Taking advantage of this loophole, some companies continue to use “organic” or “organics” in their brand names in order to inflate the consumer’s perception of their organic content—even when they are certified at a much lower level and/or do not include anything substantially organic.