Consumers Demand End to Mislabeled 'Organic' Cosmetics
Lack of Regulation Results in Fake Organic Cosmetics

WASHINGTON, DC -The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) will host a press conference on the growing support for strong consumer protection from the unregulated cosmetics industry on September 5, 2003 outside the New D.C. Convention Center at the Corner of 7th and L Streets, NW at 10:00 am. The press conference will be held at the opening of the Natural Products Expo East trade show and will highlight numerous cosmetic products being exhibited that have misleading 'organic' labels. Presenters will also discuss the harmful effects of chemicals commonly found in mainstream cosmetics, such as phthalates, which are linked to birth defects, and will publicly demand the U.S. follow the European Union in banning these dangerous chemicals.

WHO: Craig Minowa, Environmental Scientist for the Organic Consumers Association
Charlotte Brody, RN, Spokesperson for the Campaign for Poison Free Products
Bob Durst, Inspector for Organic Certifiers, Simple Organic Solutions, LLC
Larry Plesant, Green Products Alliance and Founder of Vermont Soap Works
David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
Diana Kaye and Jim Hahn, Terressentials 100% Natural and Organic Body Care

WHAT: Press Conference on Mislabeled "Organic" Cosmetics and Need for Consumer Protection
WHEN: Friday, September 5, 2003 at 10:00 am
WHERE: New D.C. Convention Center at the corner of 7th and L Streets, NW

ATTN: Photographers and Camera Crews
Organic activists will wear giant shampoo bottles illustrating fraudulent organic claims and educating trade show participants about unethical companies.

California SOP Dodges, Perpetuates Greenwash
The OCA has learned that the regulations of the California State Organic Program (SOP) regarding body care are extraordinarily weak. The CA SOP has communicated that there are no criteria regarding utilizing synthetic and/or petrochemical core ingredients for body care, and will not take a stand on the "hydrosol" issue. While most companies that sell popular "natural" soaps, shampoos and skin creams in natural supermarkets (such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's) do not claim their products are "organic," an increasing number of these brands, (such as Avalon Natural Products, JASON, and Nature's Gate) are misleading consumers into thinking up to 70% of the ingredients in such products are in fact "organic." The body care companies in question claim that "organic floral waters" are somehow key functional components of their products. However, floral waters, also called "hydrosols," did not exist as an ingredient in body care formulations until companies started to use them to make fraudulent, inflated "organic" claims. Not only is the presence of these hydrosols largely inconsequential, their actual organic content is minimal since they are mostly ordinary distilled water. Nonetheless, the CA SOP will not take any action to prevent bogus claims in these products. OCA will now take this to the national level.
The OCA's Coming Clean Campaign [www.OrganicConsumers.org/bodycare] has recently gained the support of over two hundred natural products retailers and companies who want the USDA to establish strong organic standards that should mirror the standards for organic food products. This means that:

• Certified organic agricultural feed-stocks are utilized exclusively, versus petroleum or conventional vegetable feed-stocks, in the manufacture of the key basic cleansing and conditioning ingredients.
• Manufacture of such ingredients is ecological.
• The toxicity of each ingredient is minimal.
• Non-agricultural water is not counted in any shape or form as contributing to organic content.

The OCA is a grassroots nonprofit organization concerned with food safety, organic farming, sustainable agriculture, fair trade and genetic engineering.
ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION · 6101 CLIFF ESTATE ROAD · LITTLE MARAIS, MN 55614 USA
Telephone: 218-226-4164 · Fax: 218-353-7652· email: info@organicconsumers.org
www.organicconsumers.org