Relatively low naturalness
For a certified organic or natural cosmos product, 95 % naturalness is enough to be labeled.
Clearly, an organic labeled product can contain up to 5 % of petrochemical derivatives.
For example, for a 250 ml shower gel, it is the equivalent of a product cherry ‘synthesis‘ on your children's skin, great!
To counter this, we have proposed to Ecocert (organic certification organization) repeatedly to increase the percentage of minimum naturalness to obtain the 95 % label at least 98 %. Without success...
Greenwashing
You believe that by buying organic, you respect nature.
But not necessarily ...
Organic labeled products also have high -performance marketing services that use Greenwashing.
The proof is: the famous organic aloe vera.
Have you ever wondered why this plant native to South East America present in almost all your organic labeled products?
Indeed, there are really everywhere. However, aloe vera in a shampoo or a shower gel is pure greenwashing.
We explain to you why?
To obtain the organic label, it takes at least 10 % ingredients from organic farming.
As a result, the cosmetic industry has found the perfect solution to get these 10 %: organic aloe vera powder.
According to the organic benchmark (Cosmos) the powder is considered to be an aloe vera juice concentrated 200 times.
So, if we follow this logic, just 0.05 % powder to obtain the 10 % organic product (a little math: 0.05 % x 200 = 10 %).
But, the powder is perfectly soluble in water and therefore has no interest in a product to rinse!
These poor aloe vera which are dehydrated and import from South America to finish in our pipes ...
We have also contacted Ecocert on this subject, ditto, no positive response at the moment.
Sulfates
And yes, the sulfates, this very nasty surfactant family (Read articles sulfate) is authorized in organic products.
Have you necessarily heard of the famous SLS, ALS, sodium coconut sulfate?
As they are partly from natural products, including palm and coconut oil, they are authorized in certified products.
There are more than 1,600 scientific articles exhibiting the misdeeds of this family of products on the skin and hair.
This year, for the new COSMOS certification version, Ecocert has decided to make things happen and offers to remove this family of ingredients.
I was (Dr. Tao) questioned by Ecocert as an expert and of course, I voted for their ban, we will see!
Plant extract abuses
Nature is not always harmless.
Organic products are full of plant extracts.
Some are medicinal plants, especially certain plants from the Asteraceae family (Arnica, Calendula, Chamomile, etc.).
Medicinal, that means that they should not be used daily!
And yet, there are more and more scientific reports indicating cases of allergy to asteraceous plants in young children (1).
This is the case of the meadow queen too.
Small very pretty flowers in the fields, but which contain as major chemical compound of the salicylate method. An endocrine disruptor suspected and prohibited in young children (-3 years old).
Conservatives
Yes, 5 summary curators (in the European regulation list 1223/2009) are authorized in labeled products ...
For us, they are all more or less harmful for our children (See the article on curators in organic products).
How then?
Do not worry, by ordering organic, you make sure to avoid the worst, but if you want products presenting no risk for your little stretches, you have to know how to decode the ingredients!
Otherwise, choose Lilikiwi products, created by a doctor in cosmetology, we try to be the brand you can trust with your eyes closed!
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us on cowcou@lilikiwi.fr
Source :
(1) Paulsen et al. 2002. Contact sensitization from compositae-containing herbal remedies and cosmetics. Contact dermatitis/Volume 47, outcome 4. Page 189-198.