FAKE CLEAN BEAUTY

Is it really ‘natural’?

That’s the question at the heart of a new class-action lawsuit against Procter & Gamble, makers of Herbal Essence and Pantene. At issue is how P&G markets Herbal Essence and Pantene products as being 97% ‘naturally-derived’. 

Johnson & Johnson is also being sued over deceptive marketing. Their Neutrogena T/Sal Shampoo is labeled as ‘preservative-free’, even though citric acid is used as a preservative.

Meanwhile, Revlon is facing litigation over the possibility of ammonia in its ‘ammonia-free’ Creme of Nature Moisture-Rich Hair Color with Shea Butter Conditioner; while Almay and Burt’s Bees are facing separate class-actions regarding the possible presence of PFAs — known as ‘forever chemicals’ — in their ‘clean’ cosmetics. Yikes!

Now to be clear, not all synthetic chemicals are bad. There are databases you can use to check which synthetic ingredients are safe, and which are risky. (Remember, artificial fragrance is often most dangerous when it comes to synthetics.)

The bigger problem is these conglomerates are co-opting the clean beauty label for products that aren’t really clean.

And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that mass manufacturing and clean beauty rarely go hand-in-hand. The objectives of mass manufacturing – to churn out products for millions of people that are cheap to produce, identical in consistency and shelf stable for years – are completely at odds with the objectives of clean beauty. Clean beauty brands like ours are, above all, concerned with the health and safety of our customers. 

I think more lawsuits like this are on the way, as consumers push back against deceptive marketing practices.

In the meanwhile we’ll say what we have for the past (almost) 10 years – buying from small, clean brands like BGLH Marketplace shouldn’t be a fad, or an occasional self care gift. Increasingly it’s the best way to ensure that you are bringing truly clean products into your home. 

Shop now. 

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