GREENWASHING IN COSMETICS: HOW TO AVOID IT?
If we enter a beauty store, we will probably be bombarded by messages such as "natural", "with argan oil", "with aloe vera", "organic", "green", appealing to the natural and sustainable origin of the products. This fact would not be a problem if it were not because many times it really is not the case, and it is simply a marketing strategy to induce the consumer to think that these products are healthy or environmentally friendly, when in reality they are not .
This phenomenon is called greenwashing, and it consists of investing more time and money in marketing strategies to make believe that your products are green or sustainable, instead of doing the hard work to guarantee that they really are. That is to say, it is a green face wash very frequently used by some companies, since it is known that natural, ecological and sustainable sells more.
But the real problem of greenwashingNot only is it misleading, but it doesn't really help promote the transition to a sustainable economy. Since environmental problems remain the same and many times get even worse, because it often consumes transmission time and diverts well-intentioned consumers down the wrong path.
In the cosmetics market, increased consumer demand for natural, toxic-free and more environmentally friendly products, together with the absence of clear legislation on the labeling of these products, has led to that he greenwashing is an increasingly common phenomenon. Unfortunately, the beauty industry is practically unregulated despite being a multibillion dollar industry. And the natural sector, even less, so there are no legal definitions for "natural", "naturally derived", "renewable", "sustainable", "synthetic" or similar, which makes it even more difficult to demand cosmetic brands that do not misuse these terms.
Another of the problems of greenwashing is that it leads consumers to distrust brands that are really making an effort to make their products natural, ecological and sustainable. Therefore, it is important to learn to distinguish the greenwashing of cosmetics that are truly natural, ecological and sustainable.
Here are some tricks you can use to distinguish it:
It is important to keep in mind that many brands use images of plants, fruits or flowers to lead us to think that their products contain these natural ingredients, but in reality it is not like that. So you should look at the ingredient list to verify if they really contain these ingredients. We must also look at their position within the list, if they are in the first positions it means that they are among the majority ingredients. However, if they are in the last positions it means that they are in a very low amount. This verification can be a bit more complicated than it seems, since the ingredients are indicated in INCI nomenclature, which is not always easy to understand. If you want to better understand the ingredient list, you can read our post where we explain what the INCI is.
It is important that make sure your products do not contain toxic substances that may have negative consequences for your health and that of the environment. If you want to know what these ingredients are you can read our posts about toxic in cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients that pollute the most.
And for those who find it difficult to verify the ingredients through the label, you can always use Apps such as Yuka, Think Dirty, Clean beauty, INCI beauty, ingredients, which allow you to quickly and easily access complete information about the ingredients of a product, and report the presence of toxic substances.
The Planthia idea stems from a substantial concern for the impact cosmetic products have on consumers, the environment and animals. From the first moment we have been clear about our objective: to create a brand that reflects all these values.
We have spent months testing and studying formulas and ingredients until we find the definitive ones, assessing the impact of cosmetics on our lives and looking for the best sustainable options to meet our needs as consumers.
It is worth it, in a time when it is booming to buy green products and take responsibility for a more just, inclusive, sustainable and healthy future.
If you want more information, we recommend you read the following articles:
A critical analysis of the claims of GreenWashing
Lack of regulation to prevent GreenWashing in cosmetics
The 7 applications that control ingredients in cosmetic products
