Green - what does it mean?

 Green, Natural, Organic - what does it all mean?

A lack of regulation surrounding the natural and organic claims of toiletries has led to a vast and confusing scale of ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ in the beauty aisles. People find it difficult to distinguish all natural and organic products from those that only contain extracts.

3 in 10 women use only natural and organic products where possible. However, the consumer definition of natural is as wide-ranging as the products available.

Price is more of an influence than natural or organic ingredients when people decide what to buy. Less than 5m adults believe that natural and organic toiletries are better quality than standard alternatives.

There is a deep-seated mistrust of natural and organic toiletries, which are seen as a marketing gimmick to inflate prices. This puts natural and organic products at odds with the bargain hunting mentality that has thrived during the recession.

The ‘free from’ claim has encouraged the perception that chemicals are harmful. Even those who actively avoid certain chemicals are uncertain as to the ways in which chemicals are harmful.

Almost half of those that use natural and organic toiletries believe they are better for the environment but there is little awareness of provenance or of the freight miles that the ingredients have travelled to reach the bathroom cabinet.
There are so many definitions for ‘green’ for example when you look at a thesaurus the definitions include immature, environmentally friendly and natural. Interesting when you consider that environmentally friendly and natural are quite different in terms of hotel toiletries.
So perhaps the definition of immature is appropriate given that the market is still very ‘green’.
We have compiled this list of terminolgy that you will come across with a guide to their meanings and where they relate to our products

Aromatherapy - consists of using natural essential oils. See Keiji for an aromatherapy hotel line Aromatherapy means "treatment using scents". It is a holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

Ayurvedic – a system of traditional therapies and treatments. Developed in India more than 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda is thought to be the oldest medical system known. According to Hindu mythology, it is the medicine of the Gods. Today it is practiced less as a religion and more as a way of life. It is a complete and holistic science of healthy balanced living that views each person as an individual, with a unique mind/body constitution and set of life circumstances. Daniel Jouvance is one such brand.

Carbon Footprint – this is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

Carbon Neutral - simply not releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Earth Friendly - see ecological and environmentally friendly

Ecological - means protecting and preserving the environment Ecology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the interactions of these organisms with their environment. The study our environment and all the ways that living things interact within it

Environmentally Friendly - products that do not damage the environment during usage. See Eco Cosmethic for an example of a truly environmentally friendly hotel line plus Ecosource and Scandinavian White.

Ethical - all about working with the earth’s resources, respecting the environment and reaching sustainable use of such resources. At the same time respecting the rights of our fellow human beings around the world who have the same rights to enjoy the same values as ourselves.

Fair Trade - an international movement that seeks to support third world commodity products and prices without exploitation.

Free From - avoiding certain ingredients by utilising alterantives which are less harmful to the environment - seen mainly in food products at present

Green Products - see environmentally friendly, earth friendly and ecological

Hypoallergenic - non-allergy producing. A preparation in which every possible care has been taken in formulation and production. YesforLov is such a brand.

Natural Products - produced by a living organism found in nature see Anne Semonin, Clarins, Damana Earth & Sun, Damana Neroli, Get Fresh, Sampar and Yves Rocher

No Animal Derivatives - by products of animal origin used in production ie tallowate- none of our products contain animal derivatives.

Not Tested on Animals - exactly as it says. We do not condone testing on animals and none of our products are.

Organic - can also be defined as natural. It is the process of allowing an organism to develop according to its own potential without external assistance. N-Ki is an organic hotel line.

Spa Brand - a spa brand is a based on a core philosophy that can either be wellness or harmony with the spa's environment. Omnisens is a spa brand

Sustainable - able to be sustained for an unidentified period without damaging the environment or without depleting a resource.

Thalassotherapy - from the Greek word Thalassa meaning sea. Seawater is believed to have beneficial effects on the skin. Occean from Aslotel is one such brand.

These are some of the organisations to look out for in association with the above however in the coming months Cosmos will be the standard for Europe.
COSMOS developed by ICEA (Italy), BDIH (Germany) Bioforum (Belgium) Cosmebio/Ecocert (France) and Soil Association (UK) in order to define minimum requirements and definitions for organic and/or natural cosmetics.
 Promote the use of products from organic agriculture
 Using natural resources responsibly and respecting of the environment
 Using processing and manufacturing that are clean and respectful of human health and the environment
 Integrating and developing the concept of ‘green chemicals’

ICEA (Italy) is one of the top certification bodies in Italy and Europe, certifying more than 12,000 firms with strong, ethical, environmental and social values. Instituto per la Certificazione etica ambiente
Bioforum (Belgium) is the umbrella organisation for the organic sector and a membership organisation with a strong network of certified products, processes, distribution, retailers and relevant organisations.

Soil Association is one of the most stringent organic standards within the whole world. UK based, it focuses on the management of the soil that grows many of the ingredients within its certified beauty products, ensuring natural quality, best practice, and protection of the environment and wildlife. www.soilassociation.org
Biodynamic / Demeter is an organic standard association based on biodynamic agriculture systems founded by Rudolph Steiner. It focuses on natural rather than synthetic fertilisers, and crops are produced holistically with the help of traditional knowledge, time and astrological consideration. www.demeter.net

Ecocert is an increasingly popular organic agriculture certifying organisation throughout 80 countries. France-based, it manages the auditing and regulation of ingredients to its standards www.ecocert.com

USDA Organic is an American based and one of few actual government standards from the United States Department of Agriculture. It covers organic certification within cosmetics ingredients. www.usda.gov

ACO stands for the Australian Certified Organic and is recognised by the Bud logo and accredits organic operations, appearing on around 70% of all certified organic products in Australia, including exported products.
www.australianorganic.com.au

BDIH is a label from Germany from the Association of German Industries and Trading Firms who guarantee natural cosmetics standards. Bundersverband deutscher industrie – und handelsunternehmen translated means a group of companies whose activities include distribution of natural cosmetics
www.kontrollierte-naturkosmetik.de/e/index_e.htm

Cosmebio is a French based not-for-profit association that represents natural and organic skin care manufacturers.
www.cosmebio.org

While animal testing and cruelty has been banned in the UK and Europe since 1998, there are still an estimated 180 million animals that are used in experiments every year around the world. The following symbols protect the rights of animals and ensure that no animal derivatives are used within beauty products, whether they are organic, natural or not. Some brands may use both an animal and organic/natural standard as extra guarantee.
The BUAV is a UK based pro-animal rights organisation and the bunny logo is an international independent symbol for cruelty free products. www.buav.org

The Vegan Society is a UK based membership organisation that allows brands that have vegan products and are cruelty free to carry its logo. www.vegansociety.com

The Vegetarian Society is another UK based membership organisation that allows vegetarian approved products to carry its logo, including on beauty products. www.vegsoc.org

Ekologiska Lantbrukarna – organic farming in Sweden, where there is a relatively high awareness of matters concerning the environment. www.ekolantbruk.se
Other worldwide organisations to look out for:
NSF,USA a USA based organic standards along with USDA for cosmetic manufacturers. The NSF 305 standard is for cosmetic products that contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients to use its ‘made with organic’ claim.
Oasis, USA organic and sustainable industry standards Oasis have developed standards for organic products requiring 85% organic content.
NaTrue, EU is a non-profit organisation formed by natural cosmetic manufacturers in Europe. NaTrue has created a 3 star system.
NASAA, Australia is a food certification body similar to the soil association in the UK and that has also developed a standard for cosmetic products.
Biocosc, Switzerland for a product to obtain this label it must contain a minimum 97% ingredients of natural origin.