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California Masterclass Aims to Tackle Greenwashing in Personal Care Industry

California Masterclass Aims to Tackle Greenwashing in Personal Care Industry

Published 01-11-13

Submitted by Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) is hosting its first Natural Cosmetics Masterclass in California on January 24th. The masterclass has been devised to help brand owners overcome the high level of greenwashing in the American personal care industry.

In recent years, a number of brands, certification agencies and associations have been involved in high-profile lawsuits concerning natural & organic marketing claims and labeling issues. Organic Monitor finds a major reason for the high incidence of greenwashing is the low adoption rate of natural & organic personal care standards.

Although a number of standards have been introduced in the US, the take-up rates remain low. Organic Monitor research finds that less then 10% of natural & organic personal care products are certified in North America, compared to over 60% in Europe. One of the most popular standards is USDA NOP, which is an organic food standard applied to personal care products. There is also interest in the NPA and NSF ANSI 305 standards, however formulation issues are discouraging brands to take the certification route.

The Masterclass program aims to help companies overcome the technical issues associated with formulating natural and organic personal care products. In the morning seminar session, details will be given of leading American and international standards (USDA NOP, NPA, NSF ANSI 305, COSMOS, Ecocert, Natrue, etc.), as well as their adoption issues.

The law firm Greenberg Traurig will describe the legislative framework for marketing and labeling of natural and organic personal care products. Details will be given of the California Organic Products Act, which prevents many products to make organic claims in the state. Another seminar will highlight the fragrance options for natural and organic personal care products. The morning session ends with Organic Monitor giving an update on the global market for natural & organic cosmetics, highlighting future trends and business openings.

Judi Beerling, Technical Research Manager at Organic Monitor, will host an interactive workshop in the afternoon session. Titled ‘overcoming technical hurdles’, the workshop hones in on the major formulation issues associated with pure natural / organic personal care products. Details are given of the raw material issues, especially replacement of synthetic preservatives, emulsifiers, surfactants, silicones, etc. Guidance and advice will be given to brands looking to get certification for their products and substantiate their marketing claims.

Natural Cosmetics Masterclass

Organized by Organic Monitor, the Natural Cosmetics Masterclass will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco on 24th January. Registration for this interactive training course is limited to 50 delegates. More details on the Natural Cosmetics Masterclass are on http://www.organicmonitor.com/masterclass10.htm.

++ Registration for the Masterclass closes on 18th January ++

About Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor is a London-based specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com.

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Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor was established in 2001 with the mission to assist operators in the organic products supply chain by providing accurate and timely business information. The first service we launched was Industry Watch, providing news updates on the international organic products industry via our website and e-newsletter.

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