Are Organic Brands Really Organic?
David Bronner, the president of certified organic brand Dr. Bronner’s, guide consumers in what to look at when buying organic beauty
February 1, 2013
The organic industry seems to be getting trendier and, with the increasing number of companies claiming to be ‘organic’, consumers tend to be confused or even tricked when making their buying choices. Furthermore, industry guidelines don’t help at all, as any product in the UK can claim to be organic and even use the term in their packaging if only 1% of its ingredients are certified as organically produced, as there aren’t yet any legal regulations in place. Despite all of this, some organizations, like the Organic Soil Association and the Ecocert, are good starting points when looking for truly organic brands and are leading the organic revolution.
In the US, David Bronner, the president of certified organic brand Dr. Bronner’s, which has been in the industry for more than 50 years, has been fighting since more than six years ago against 13 companies for falsely using the label ‘organic’ on their products. He has been trying to prevent companies from tricking customers, as he has been noticing an increase of companies who claim to be organic in order to cope with the increasing demand for organic beauty products.
Moreover, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps has poured about $800,000 into the campaign in favour of labels called “Yes on 522”. The campaign required companies to label on genetically modified foods, in order to make consumers aware of the quality of the products they buy.
So, if you are not sure what to look for when buying ‘organic’ beauty products, David Bronner gives his advice to help you make the right choice:
“While buying organic it’s a priority to read labels and see consistency between the brand mission statements and the production. For example, if the company claim to be environmentally-friendly, it has to be reflected on the packaging or the way they source the ingredients. Normally, fair trade policies should be practiced.
Additionally, all products must not contain pesticides, parabens or chemical fertilisers. These ingredients might be carcinogenic or potential allergens, which could be dangerous for children or sensitive skin types.”
The Magic behind Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap
Dr. Bronner’s takes its organic credentials very seriously unlike many “natural” body care companies who masquerade their synthetically derived ingredients by using floral water as the main natural ingredient, while the functional ingredients are petrochemical derived and thus non-sustainable.
The 100% Pure Castile Soap recipe used in Dr. Bronner’s soap is a simple, ecological, vegetable based formulation, named after the Castile region of Spain where olive oil soaps where invented long ago. The high foaming lather of the soap is from its high coconut oil content, which makes a more luxurious and rich lather compared to any detergent formulation commonly found even in “natural stores.”
Dr. Bronner’s superfat their soaps with organic hemp and jojoba oils for a milder, smoother lather and use natural plant-derived vitamin E and citric acid to protect freshness. Apart from flavouring organic essential oils such peppermint, the base soap ingredients are Water, Saponified Organic Coconut*, Organic Palm* and Organic Olive* Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils**, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.
Dr. Bronner’s products are available in the UK nationwide including selected Waitrose stores, Top shop, ASOS, Liberty and leading health shops including Planet Organic and Whole Foods. For nearest stockist visit www.kinetic4health.co.uk or telephone 0845 072 5825.
It is also available on the UK website: www.drbronner.co.uk
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For further press information or to arrange an interview with Michael or David Bronner please contact
Lucy Hilson or Dalila Salgueiro at The Spa PR Company
E. lucy@thespaprcompany.com / dalila@thespaprcompany.com T: 020 7100 7018