Green Washing?

With eco-friendly marketing all the rage, companies are increasingly exploiting the term "organic" to sell their products -- regardless of how good those products are for consumers or for the environment. That's especially true when it comes to soaps, shampoos, conditioners, scrubs, lotions and the like, whose labeling practices (unlike those of food products) aren't regulated by any government or independent agency. Some of the products hawked as organic contain petroleum derivatives and other synthetic or chemical compounds; these substances, which are prohibited in organic foods and frowned upon by environmental and health advocates, can be absorbed into your system via scalp, skin, or hair. That doesn't stop Avalon, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Kiss My Face, Nature's Gate, and other companies from continuing to tout the virtues of their "organic" wares. So caveat emptor: A shampoo billing itself as "80 percent organic" could contain 80 percent water -- and 20 percent synthetic detergents and preservatives.