As far as moisturizer is concerned, it’s important to know what your skin is soaking up.
It’s hard to tell what’s an eco-friendly scam and what’s a legitimate product. Staying informed is the key issue in living a healthy lifestyle, yet products can be misleading. Products can claim to be “natural,” but without a careful inspection of ingredients, the consumer could end up the fool. As far as moisturizer is concerned, it’s important to know what your skin is soaking up.
Several companies out there are not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.
Pangea Organics, operating in Boulder, CO, manufactures body care that is organic and effective. This product line is made from only plant-based products and supports fair trade. Pangea’s products list the natural ingredients and their effects on your body. Not only are the ingredients natural, safe and nourishing, but the packaging is also eco-friendly. You can plant the box that your product was packaged in — it’s biodegradable and starts breaking down in just 48 hours. Body lotions from Pangea are $18 per 8-oz. container.
Perfect Organics offers vegan shea butter moisturizers and “perfection cream.” The upside: The shea butter is 100% shea butter. That’s the only ingredient! This product is clearly simple, clean and natural. The downside: Shea butters only come in 1-oz. containers and costs $11-13. The product is said to be concentrated, meaning a little goes a long way, yet providing a larger quantity might be a good option for the needs of repeat customers. Perfect Organics’ business practices appear respectably tree-huggin’ — it reuses boxes from nearby companies for shipments when available, uses sustainable furniture such as bamboo and its company walls are covered in safe, low-VOC paints.
Burt’s Bees began in 1989 with a mission to provide natural products to consumers everywhere. The company has goals to reach by 2020, including running solely on renewable energy, using 100% biodegradable packaging and 100% natural ingredients. Although Burt’s Bees was bought by Clorox in 2007, the company seems to have stayed true to its philosophy of all-natural ingredients. Burt’s Bees gives consumers some insight into savvy label reading here. Burt’s Bees lotions sell for about $9.
Yes To Carrots lotions are made from organic materials, are packaged in recyclable bottles and are not tested on animals. The company’s products are certified by the Natural Product Association as “made with at least 95% all-natural ingredients” and are all paraben- and phthalate-free. Although it may not be as fantastically natural or organic as 100% shea butter, it’s a smaller, less expensive step in the right direction. An 8.45-oz. Yes To Carrots body butter will only set you back $13.
Jergens Naturals’ line also features less expensive, friendlier-than-most products. All lotions in this line are No. 2 plastics and are easy to recycle. On the product’s FAQ page, the company outlines that “natural” and “organic” are not interchangeable terms in the marketplace. These moisturizers, like the Yes To Carrots brand, are made with at least 95% natural ingredients. All ingredients are listed on Jergens’ website with each specific product.
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Patricia Fragoso
November 20th, 2009
I have to say that this article really helped me out in my quest to find an all natural lotion. I recently purchased the Yes to Carrots body lotion and it has to be the best product out there for dry skin. WIth so many harmful products out on the market its really refreshing to see how more and more companies are turning to the all natural way of life. Each day I learn more about the different options available to consumers which dont require us to dig deep into our pockets. Thank you for your article. Keep it up!
jessica england
November 30th, 2009
i had higher expectations when i clicked the link to browse the info. Burt’s Bees was a great company, that is, as of lately. They were bought out by The Clorox Company, a subsidiary of DuPont, which we all know that there is nothing eco-friendly about.
And Jergen’s? Really? Come on…
Jessica Bates
December 1st, 2009
Thanks to you both for taking the time to comment on my article.
Patricia: I received a sample of Yes to Carrots and find that it works well on my skin, especially the hands. I’m glad you like it as well!
Jessica: I appreciate your feedback. I do mention in the article that Burt’s Bees was bought by Clorox, but it seems to me that Burt’s Bees is working hard to keep their philosophies and natural practices, which their goals reflect. Burt’s Bees is now available in more stores, giving more consumers access to natural products. And you’re right that Jergens isn’t the most green company out there, but they’re making an effort (whether it be for ethical or financial reasons) to provide a more natural product than their ones before, with full disclosure of ingredients.
I do believe that every step towards sustainability is helpful, and only by working together can we achieve our goals for a greener future.
jessica england
December 5th, 2009
I understand where you are coming from, Jessica, trust me I do. But if we continue to tell these corporations, “good job!” when they are not even coming close to doing so, it will only encourage their under-achieving ways to continue.
we have got to let them know that we are aware of the harm their products have done, and are continuing to do, to our natural environment every day. They make enough money off of killing our planet that they very much so can afford to pay some of it back.
In the very least, at least take some of their products back (pull from production and cease all further production processes) because I, for one, am not buying into it anymore.