There’s no such thing as ‘natural’ beauty, here’s why…
Shopping ethically has become increasingly more important in recent years, and beauty products have been no exception. But in an industry worth $3.9 billion alone in Australia*, there’s a lot of opportunity for beauty brands to capitalise on this shift in buying attitudes.
One of the most important things for beauty lovers to know is that there is no such thing as “natural”. The term ‘natural’ is used to attract ethical buyers (a practice known as “greenwashing”), however there are no regulations around the use of this term. It may as well say ‘pretty’ on the packaging for all the weight it carries.
The good news is there are certain labels you can look out for which will meet your ethical standards, and have been endorsed by a governing body, so you’re getting what you pay for.
Kate Morris, Co-Founder and CEO of Adore Beauty and one of Australia’s leading beauty experts has noticed an increase in women wanting to buy ‘natural’ products, however confused by what they should be looking for. To help, here are top tips on ethical beauty to guide you.
Certified Organic
Organic beauty products will have a certification symbol printed on the packaging, showing that the product’s ingredients and production methods have met certain criteria. Unfortunately the new international standard, COSMOS, is not yet widely used, however Australian certifying bodies (such as NASAA or Australian Organic) all adhere to the National Standard for Organic and Bio‐Dynamic Produce. This includes no animal testing, no petrochemicals, and no pesticides in producing plant based ingredients.
To display the organic logo on the front of the packaging, the product must contain at least 95% certified organic ingredients; products containing 70-94% organic ingredients can only display the logo on the back.
Vegan
Vegan products contain no animal products whatsoever, with several beauty labels going down this path in recent years. These products are made with plant-based and mineral-based ingredients only – no honey, beeswax, milk or milk derivatives.
If a product is vegan, it will most often say so on the packaging. However all cosmetic products in Australia have to include a complete ingredients list, so vegans can easily check for ingredients they would rather avoid. Note that lactic acid, found in some exfoliating serums and cleansers, isn’t necessarily a no-no for vegans – most commercially-used lactic acids are made from dairy-free sources like corn starch, potatoes or molasses.
Cruelty Free
As of July 2017, testing cosmetics on animals in Australia will be banned, which will bring Australia’s laws into line with many other parts of the world. Until then however, the Leaping Bunny logo is a good way to spot products which don’t test on animals.
PETA.org and ChooseCrueltyFree.org.au also compile lists of and accredit cosmetic manufacturers who don’t test products on animals, and are also a great resource for checking before you purchase.
Preservatives
Many customers ask us for preservative-free products. Preservatives are used in minuscule quantities, and are essential for any beauty products which are water based and are exposed to air; without them, shelf life would be a matter of days before the products became unusable due to growth of bacteria and mould.
Certified organic products contain preservatives, but only from a limited set of approved options. Alternatively, water-free products such as face oils and mineral powders may not need preservatives; and some airless packaging types enable preservative-free formulations.
Fairtrade
The purpose of the FAIRTRADE Mark is to allow shoppers to ethically purchase products with the source of the ingredients or the product in mind, and ensuring that the local farmers, and crafters are receiving fair treatment and payment for their work.
For a product to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet the international Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards which are set by the certification body Fairtrade International. These standards are agreed through a process of research and consultation with key participants in the Fairtrade scheme, including producers themselves, traders, NGOs, academic institutions and labeling initiatives such as Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand.
So look out for the FAIRTRADE Mark to promote fairness and justice in trade when it comes to beauty.
Beauty advocate Kate Morris, CEO and founder of Adorebeauty.com.au, started Australia’s first beauty e-commerce site in 1999 from a garage in Melbourne at the age of 21. Kate was inspired to create a disruptive beauty shopping experience that empowered consumers.
Starting with just $12,000 and two little known cosmetic companies on board, Adore Beauty has since grown to more than 160 brands, 12,000 products, and hundreds of thousands of customers. Kate Morris has grown the company to become Australia’s leading online shopping destination for beauty products and cosmetics.
