ASK
DR. DESAI?
Tips
for buying great green personal care products by Dr Desai, www.DrDesaiSoap.com
Are
all products labeled “green” or “eco-friendly” or “natural” equal? This is a rhetorical question, of
course! In trying to source your
favorite natural personal care products, I would recommend that you examine
your favorite personal care product using the following criteria:
Sourcing: Is the source of
the raw materials and ingredients clear to you?
Is it plant based, or synthetic?
Even if the source is plant based, are the ingredients undergoing
significant processing or substantial chemical modifications? Is the source
domestic or foreign? If foreign, are the
cultivators of the plant based ingredients being adequately compensated, and is
your manufacturer adhering or pledging to Fair Trade Practices.
Environmental impact: Just because the
ingredients are plant based, or natural doesn’t mean that there is no
environmental impact. For example, do
you know if the trees or plants that provide the source ingredients for your
personal care product, are being grown or cultivated with renewal agricultural
practices? And don’t forget the
packaging materials that your favorite personal care product comes in as
well? Is the packaging made from renewal
resources and can it be reused or recycled?
Safety: Is the product
that you are using safe to use? Safe
enough to be used on young children or adults who may not be in good
health? Just because something is
natural or naturally sourced, doesn’t mean that it is safe. There are far too many natural products,
which contain toxic ingredients including preservatives like parabens, or
formaldehyde releasers like DMDM Hydantoin or antibacterial agents like
triclosan. Was any of the testing for
safety being done on animals? Look for
products that are not tested on animals or carry the Leaping Bunny approved
logo.
Efficacy: Ultimately you
expect the product that you bought to be efficacious for whatever purpose you
had in mind and deliver results that you were expecting. Unfortunately, there are several natural
personal care products out there that don’t perform or live up to their
marketing hype.
Company values: While this item
may be ignored by a few, the values of the manufacturer or what the brand/company
represents is very important. Does the
manufacturer of your natural personal care product truly care about the
customers, the environment, their products, their ingredients, their packaging
or is it all lip-service? Does the company disclose all its ingredients? Is
there a performance or satisfaction guarantee that is offered by the
manufacturer? Does the company donate
some proceeds of its revenue to your favorite social or environmental
causes? While such a charitable
contribution is not necessary, it often times is a good indicator of whether
the manufacturer of your natural personal care product, care for something
greater than the almighty dollar!
Now
that you have some of these tips handy, you will be able to make an informed
decision when it comes to finding great natural personal care products. In addition, you will be able to be able to
influence what products your favorite retailer should carry!
Let Dr Desai answer your questions about
natural personal care products. Please
send your questions to AskDrDesai@DrDesaiSoap.com or
call 908-236-6742. For more information,
visit DrDesaiSoap.com.
