THE MEANING OF ‘MADE WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS’ LABELS

You may have seen that many products are labeled ‘Made with Organic Ingredients’. While these products do contain organic ingredients, the USDA only requires 70% of its ingredients to be organic. So, what about the other 30%?   

These are just some examples of ingredients found in many “organic” beauty products that you should be aware of and seek to avoid:

• BENZOPHENONE: A reportedly dangerous chemical, which has been linked to cancer and is contained in many lip balms on the market.

• PETROLEUM JELLY: This ingredient is not only potentially carcinogenic, but can also cause allergies, infections, clogged pores and aspiration pneumonia.

• NEUROTOXINS LIKE LEAD AND ALUMINIUM: Chemical agents that affect the transmission of chemical signals between Neurons. While lead is often found in lipsticks, aluminium is frequently used in antiperspirants.

ARE REGULATORS PROTECTING YOU?

Many regulators like the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) do not even have a definition for the term “organic” when it comes to cosmetics and personal care products, and companies are not legally required to share any consumer complaints with the FDA regarding side effects caused by their products. Unfortunately, the regulators are not holding companies to the highest standard of organic and protecting you from harmful chemicals: of the over 12,000 ingredients used in cosmetics, only 11 have been banned in the US since 1938. While many of these potentially dangerous chemical components have already been regulated in other sectors, they remain permitted for use in the beauty and personal care industry.

There are many different “organic” certifications, some stricter than others. However, many do not take into account if a product is truly natural or if its packaging is sustainable. ViTA believes that you have the right to know what you are putting on your body. That’s why all of ViTA’s products are clearly listed as 97% natural and ViTA’s ingredient lists not only include the complicated Latin names (that are required by law) of certain chemicals that may or may not be natural or naturally derived, but also wherever possible ViTA includes the commonly known name and natural source for each ingredient. What’s more ViTA products are certified by the Enviromental Working Group and avoid EWG’s list of unacceptable ingredients, which are:

1. Certain ingredients with health, ecotoxicity and/or contamination concerns. These include, but are not limited to, ingredients that score a 7 or higher (i.e., in the “red” range) in the Skin Deep® database; and

2. Substances falling within any of the following categories due to scientific safety evaluations (with certain limited exceptions):

• Cosmetic ingredients banned by Health Canada, appearing on the Cosmetics Ingredient Hotlist;
• Ingredients designated as banned in the European Commission’s database of cosmetic substances, COSING;
• Chemicals on the state of California’s Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens and reproductive toxins;
• Substances classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possible, probable and known carcinogens (categories 2B, 2A and 1);
• Substances listed in the National Toxicology Program’s Report on Carcinogens (reasonably anticipated and known human carcinogens);
• Substances classified by the EPA’s IRIS program as possible, probable, and known carcinogens (C, B1, B2 and A); 
• Ingredients not allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be used in cosmetics;
• Fragrance chemicals prohibited for use by the International Fragrance Association;
• Mineral pigments not allowed for use as colorants by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada and/or the European Union;
• The European Union’s Category 1 designated endocrine disruptors;
• Substances the European Union has banned or restricted in hair dye products;
• Substances that fall under the EU’s Globally Harmonized System hazard codes H340-362 (hazard codes for genotoxicity, cancer, and developmental/reproductive endpoints); and
• Substances designated as sensitizing asthmagens by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (applies only to products that are powders or sprays).

TRANSPARENCY

Business practices should be safe, regenerative and transparent – all the way from manufacturing to packaging.