Greenwashing
What is “Greenwashing”?
The second criteria for clean beauty is having transparent labels. This is where greenwashing causes some inconsistencies in some brands’ product labels.
Imagine strolling down the aisle in Sephora with one goal in mind: to find the perfect, healthy moisturizer that won’t poison you. Your eyes land on a pure white jar with emerald green lettering. The words “all-natural ingredients” jump right off the packaging, and you are sold. Without checking the ingredients—because the product is clearly labeled “natural,” so why bother?—you feel confident you found exactly what you’re looking for.
When you get home, you plug the product name into the Good Face Index only to find that the so-called natural cream contains allergens, irritants, hormone disruptors, and carcinogens!
What you’ve just experienced is greenwashing.
Greenwashing occurs when a company uses advertising and marketing to convey the false message that their products are good for you and/or the environment. Many companies want to appeal to conscious consumers who care about their health and sustainability.
Rather than implement practices to make healthier and environmentally friendly products, companies resort to greenwashing their products to capture consumers’ attention without delivering on their promises.
How is greenwashing even legal?
Companies can easily get away with using labels that mislead consumers because certain claims aren’t regulated by the FDA.
Aside from the lack of FDA regulation, the FDA doesn’t even have standard definitions for most of the claims used on beauty products.
This means that cosmetic companies have full creative control about what they consider to be organic, natural, etc. since the FDA doesn’t regulate or define these claims.
Claims to be cautious of:
- Organic
- All-natural
- No harmful chemicals
- Hypoallergenic
- Cruelty-free
