Natural. Eco-conscious. Pure. It’s tempting to believe the uplifting claims made by marketers regarding beauty products. Sadly, these statements can often be deceptive. Discover how to identify greenwashing and make purchases that will truly impact your choices in this article.
Recognizing Greenwashing
A study from May 2023 reveals that greenwashing is an increasingly common marketing tactic. However, there is no consensus on a definition of this practice.
Brandon Frank, CEO of Pacific Packaging Products Inc. and a sustainable packaging expert at Credo Clean Beauty, defines greenwashing as a deliberate strategy where companies use misleading language, marketing, and communications to create a false impression of sustainability or eco-friendliness.
Frank cites one prevalent form of greenwashing as the claim that polypropylene—commonly used in various consumer products—is recyclable, despite it rarely being so.
· Deploying images and sounds that evoke nature, such as ocean scenes with birds or backgrounds featuring natural vistas, without any explicit claims about sustainability.
· Highlighting a single environmentally friendly feature of a product while ignoring less sustainable elements.
· Using false certification labels or imitating well-known certifications in graphics and wording.
· Presenting statistics without credible backing or third-party verification.
· Employing vague and undefined terms like “nontoxic,” “green,” “eco-friendly,” or “environmentally safe.”
Evaluating Genuine Efforts
How can consumers discern which beauty brands truly uphold their values?
“It’s about transparency and tangible actions,” states Dr. Heather Smith from Winnipeg, a specialist in natural skincare and sustainability, and the founder of bareLUXE Skincare (bareluxeskincare.com).
Specializing in oil serums enriched with active botanicals, her products are vegan, cruelty-free, and free of liquid microplastics. For instance, bareLUXE labels itself as anti-plastic, yet it incorporates plastic in its refilling program, as it was deemed the most viable option available.
According to Smith, full transparency means explaining choices by discussing their upsides and downsides, acknowledging that no solution is without its complications.
bareLUXE also makes contributions from its sales to environmental charities and utilizes the Verdn app, allowing customers to monitor how these donations affect real-world outcomes, such as the amount of ocean-bound plastic retrieved due to their support.
Another example is Anto Yukon, which sources bath products using sustainably hand-harvested rose petals, fireweed, and arnica from the Yukon region.
The Body Shop implements fair trade and social sustainability by sourcing plastic waste from recyclers in India, transforming it into new shampoo and conditioner containers.
A Strategy for Consumers
To avoid falling victim to greenwashing strategies, Smith recommends that consumers adopt an informed, curious, and somewhat critical mindset when exploring new brands.
“Taking terms like ‘transparent’ and ‘clean’ at face value is too simplistic,” Smith asserts. “Investigate the brand’s definitions of these terms. How do they implement them? Do their actions align with their claims?”
Consumers should also opt for brands that provide links to evidence supporting their environmental claims and seek certifications from reliable, independent certifying bodies.
Frank emphasizes the significance of consumers being aware of the product lifecycle they are purchasing. This can include researching online or contacting local municipalities or sustainable packaging specialists to uncover what items are actually recyclable in their area.
The most crucial factor to consider while making purchases, according to Frank, is the percentage of recycled content (PCR or post-consumer recycled material) present in the packaging—the higher the percentage, the better. A grey tint in the container is a strong sign it’s made entirely from PCR content.
Here’s how to integrate both concepts into your beauty regimen. “Clean beauty” and “eco-friendly beauty” don’t necessarily equate. The definitions of these terms vary significantly and lack universal acceptance.
Typically, “green” refers to products designed to minimize environmental harm, though this doesn’t guarantee that every element of the product meets that standard—it might only apply to certain ingredients, packaging, or business practices.
Conversely, “clean” primarily pertains to products formulated with safe, non-toxic ingredients.
Here are some suggestions on how to care for both your body and the planet simultaneously:
· Dr. Heather Smith recommends utilizing Beat the Microbead and its mobile app to discover brands/products that are free from microplastics. “These are liquid plastics that are invisible and tend to accumulate in water systems, our food supply, and in our bodily tissues. The long-term effects are still unclear, so it’s smart to avoid products containing them when alternatives exist,” she notes.
· Choose items made with upcycled materials like used coffee grounds. Research indicates that coffee grounds enhance skin hydration while offering healing properties.
· Select refillable containers with clean ingredients. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if all beauty and personal care product containers were refillable, it could lead to an 80 to 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
“The primary way to support the planet through your beauty practices is to minimize consumption,” asserts Dr. Heather Smith. “No brand or product is so extraordinarily sustainable that choosing it over opting for nothing is better. Nonetheless, while total avoidance might not be feasible, making deliberate, well-considered choices is essential.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2024 edition of Intomodel magazine.
