Greenwashing
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is when the brand wants you to think their products are natural, organic, eco-friendly, sustainable, or "green" when they are not! When they are hiding dirty, cheap, harmful, and polluting ingredients behind deceiving claims! They are misleading consumers using their marketing tactics with deceiving claims and images and packaging that evokes imaginary eco-friendliness: for example green packing, natural background, and unproven claims without appropriate certifications.
Learn here from Natureperdic Organic Mattress.
Greenwashing is a marketing strategy that companies use to make their products or services appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are. It involves using misleading or vague language, imagery, or claims about a product's environmental impact or sustainability credentials to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Greenwashing can range from using ambiguous terms like "natural" or "eco-friendly" to outright false claims of environmental benefits. This practice can be misleading and deceptive, giving consumers a false sense of security that they are making environmentally conscious choices when they are not.
Instead of continuing to buy products from large corporations that are bombarding us with their tricky marketing schemes using expensive celebrity faces and hiding their conventional (and toxic) products in deceptive packaging, claiming such nonsense as “clean” “pure” “natural” “fresh” high quality” “green” blah blah blah…
We need to pay attention to the labels, not on the front, but on the back, where the ingredients are usually listed. We need to judge a brand by their commitment to eco-friendly packaging and the transparency of their products.
That means it is not enough to have a product claiming to be fragrance-free when the rest is toxic or to have only one organic ingredient in something and the rest is garbage.
Here is my response to them: "I am not buying your lies and will support small, honest companies that make safer products because they have a passion. They don’t have to pay high salaries to their corporate managers so they can focus on quality over cheap and quantity. Or expensive celebrity testimonials."
🌿Greenwashing: Claims of “clean,” “green,” and “natural,” without certification are suspicious.
Certified organic matters because too many companies in the cosmetics industry are selling us their not-so-clean products, cheap ingredients, with a lack of transparency. That’s why we need to pick products that are certified organic by the USDA.
I support USDA Certified Organic brands that are transparent in their practices, by listing all their ingredients on their website and products, eco-friendly packaging such as recyclable glass bottles, and 100% PCR paper cartons.
🍃 I agree with Intelligent Nutrients' mission: ”We believe that everything we do makes a world of difference. Beauty isn’t just looking good--it’s about cultivating a brighter tomorrow.
We do the best we can until we can do better. One choice at a time.”
💖 By switching to USDA Certified Organic skincare, we show the greenwashing companies they have to do better. Also, our skin, beauty, and health will be finally at their best and we feel good by making a difference for the planet.
GREENWASHING BRANDS MAKE FALSE CLAIMS. THEY PRETEND TO BE ECO-FRIENDLY WHEN THEY ARE NOT!
I CONSIDER GREENWASHING COMPANIES THE WORSE CATEGORY!!
THEY ARE THERE TO MISLEAD YOU AND THEN TAKE YOUR MONEY BY SELLING YOU LIES!!!
And you that are shopping and searching for organic, are their target!
I am teaching you how not to get stuck in their web and instead be the winner in this fight.
Take my course on how to spot greenwashing brands!
I consider the Greenwashing Companies even worse than Toxic Brands:
While Toxic Companies are a health hazard AND an environmental danger, the Greenwashing Companies are also lying to us with their deceiving claims, putting them in the worse category!
At the bottom of this page, you will find greenwashing companies and who is behind them.
Greenwashing Companies
💖 Since there are still many cosmetic companies selling conventional and high chemical products, there are still people who need to be educated. Many still trust the big names, big companies, and corporations, assuming their products are not harmful.
✨ It is why I created this page! To educate you on what is really inside products, to introduce you to safer alternatives. I want you to be able to spot conventional-unsafe products and find better-safer alternatives. Once you have learned and have the knowledge, you feel empowered, ready for a change for the better.🌈
🌿 Be aware of green-washing marketing strategies, with not so eco-friendly products that claim to be “non-toxic,” ''natural,” or even “organic” using the color green or carefully crafted graphics on the packaging to mislead us, the consumers into making a purchase. Remember that these words are not legally regulated and if there isn't a USDA Organic Certification seal displayed on a product, they can say anything they want.
🌟 On the other hand, there are many responsible companies that care about us and the planet. They work hard to offer us what we want and they clearly list every single ingredient. They go through expensive and strict certification screening in order to carry the USDA Organic Certificate seal. They are the ones that deserve to be rewarded with our wallet!
Let’s be educated, empowered, and shape the market, for our own wellness and the health of our planet!
Green Companies Versus Greenwashing Companies
💙 I support green companies that want to help people achieve the health and lifestyle they deserve!
After all, we pay for products and services, so why not be paying for something that benefits us?!
That means to start viewing the products not for their attractive packaging claims, but by reading the ingredient lists for food, cosmetics, and even clothing!
I know that we deserve better and more companies that think about our future.
We are strong enough to send to the other companies (the ones with only financial goals in mind) the message that their marketing strategies (including greenwashing) are not working with us!
They have left us with no choice but to seek out more transparent and eco-conscientious products made with respect for the environment!
We are making an impact that is changing the market by demanding a more organic and healthier lifestyle!
I am glad to know that I have changed the way my followers think about making a purchase, with a better understanding of how to analyze a product: this is my biggest reward!
Thank you for being a part of this change!💙 💖 💙 💖 💙
How to Shop Organic
🌿Do you know when a product is authentically organic?
Surprisingly, the term “organic” is not regulated by the FDA! It means that anybody can use “organic” on their product, even when it is not actually organic! The same goes for words such as, “natural," “fresh,” and “local.” This misleading marketing strategy is called “greenwashing.”
🌟So, how do we know when our money is being spent on truly organic products?
Easy! Just look for the USDA organic seal displayed and that is your proof.
Search for it on beauty products, foods, drinks, supplements, restaurant menus, and on websites.
The seal guarantees a product to be made with at least 95% organic ingredients, which is strictly regulated and includes rules to protect the environment during production.
🌿 When we shop USDA Certified Organic, we are rewarding sustainable brands and sending back a message to the greenwashing companies that they do have not access to our wallet!
PrettyOrganicGirl Shopping Tool
🌟FULL SAFETY ~ Check service
It will give you the confidence and peace of mind of knowing if your products are toxic, greenwashing, or safe!
no more guessing or wondering. You will if you are investing in the right product!
The full safety check is designed to give you a complete analysis of your products.
Full safety check service includes:
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California's Proposition 65 Warning - check service
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Toxic, chemicals, and controversial ingredients - analysis study
Your products will be analyzed label by label, and each ingredient will be analyzed and labeled with a score:
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🌿SAFE: Approved! Your product is approved for safe use.
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GREENWASHING: Controversial! The products contain deceiving marketing messages called greenwashing. It contains controversial ingredients or materials.
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TOXIC: Not approved! Your products contain health hazards ingredients-material.
SERVICE RATES:
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$10 1 product check
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$85 10 products check + free safer product recommendation
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$150 20 products check + free safer product recommendation
Greenwashing Brands
That’s why I won’t recommend brands that are owned by large cooperations such as:
👉Native: owned by P&G
👉Hello: owned by Colgate
👉Tom’s of Maine: owned by Colgate
👉Mrs. Meyers: owned by S.C. Johnson & Son, makers of Windex, Raid, Scrubbing Bubbles and Ziploc
⚠️Greenwashing
A deceiving practice to spin companies and products as "green" and eco-friendly, more than they actually are in reality. It's considered a misleading marketing tactic that works by appealing to customers who want to be more environmentally-sound.
🍃Recent years have seen consumers more environmentally-conscious about their purchases.
⚠️Marketing products as "green" is a way for companies to jump on the trend, without actually changing most (if any) of their business practices.
🌎Agencies all over the world have been lax in their stance against greenwashing, with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) only being updated in 2010 to address "scammy" marketing practices.
⚠️Buzzwords like "green" and "all-natural" are easy to use and poorly regulated, as are "green"-evoking images in packaging. Instead, research on parent companies and values to see if a business is transparent about its practices. The more specific they are about what they're doing, the less likely they are to be greenwashed.
Sources:
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Acaroglu, Leyla. “What Is Greenwashing? How to Spot It and Stop It.” Medium, Disruptive Design, 9 Oct. 2020, medium.com/disruptive-design/what-is-greenwashing-how-to-spot-it-and-stop-it-c44f3d130d5.
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Schwingle, Nadia. “5 Ways to Spot Greenwashing.” One Green Planet, One Green Planet, 23 Sept. 2020, www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/5-ways-to-spot-greenwashing/.
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“What Is Greenwashing?” Business News Daily, www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html
Greenwashing Brands
⚠️Greenwashing brands make false claims. They pretend to be eco-friendly when they are not.
I consider greenwashing companies the worst category: they are there to mislead you and then take your money by selling you lies!
👉It is important to recognize them and their misleading tactics, so we can actually focus our attention and devote our wallets to more deserving companies!
👉The more we educate ourselves, the more resources we actually have to correctly redirect our spending power and to shape the market demand for better, safer products, and more honest brands!
💚On my blog, I explain how big name brands will play on peoples’ desire to live cleaner to sell them toxic products under the impression that are eco-friendly and clean!
💁♀️I am here to teach you how to spot them and send them home!
Greenwashing Brands
💗How amazing it would be if the entire beauty industry had products on the market that were all entirely organic?
How great, if they sold only safe products, made with natural ingredients that respect us and the environment! 🌎
It is so inspiring to see how the industry is changing in that direction and it is not stopping!
💚 While there are still giant polluting and toxic brands around, many new environmentally-friendly brands are coming out and more people are embracing this lifestyle!
At this point, there are so many healthier and safer options out there that there is no need to still feed the polluting and greedy brands!
All it takes is to carefully read the labels and learn who is behind the brand, to make more responsible choices!! All we need to do is learn how to read the labels! 👉Here is how:
💗Remember the quickest and easiest way to be sure that a product is truly safe and produced according to environmental regulations, is to spot the USDA organic seal!
✅USDA organic seal is for beauty products, food, drinks, fragrance, hair products, cosmetics, household detergents, pet food, and more.
✅Look for the GOTS seal for cotton clothing, towels, mattresses, pillows, bedding, wool, cashmere, silk, and baby things!
✅On fresh produce, either USDA organic seal or read the sticky label on apples, banana, asparagus, etc., check the number:
👉The code MUST have 5 digits starting with N #9.
For example: #93111
❌Avoid producing starting with
#4 conventionally grown = pesticides! 😝
#8 genetically modified = GMOs! 😝
Greenwashing Brands
💗How amazing it would be if the entire beauty industry had products on the market that were all entirely organic?
How great, if they sold only safe products, made with natural ingredients that respect us and the environment! 🌎
It is so inspiring to see how the industry is changing in that direction and it is not stopping!
💚 While there are still giant polluting and toxic brands around, many new environmentally-friendly brands are coming out and more people are embracing this lifestyle!
At this point, there are so many healthier and safer options out there that there is no need to still feed the polluting and greedy brands!
All it takes is to carefully read the labels and learn who is behind the brand, to make more responsible choices!! All we need to do is learn how to read the labels!
👉Here is how:
💗Remember the quickest and easiest way to be sure that a product is truly safe and produced according to environmental regulations, is to spot the USDA organic seal!
✅USDA organic seal is for beauty products, food, drinks, fragrance, hair products, cosmetics, household detergents, pet food, and more.
✅Look for the GOTS seal for cotton clothing, towels, mattresses, pillows, bedding, wool, cashmere, silk, and baby things!
✅On fresh produce, either USDA organic seal or read the sticky label on apples, bananas, asparagus, etc., check the number:
👉The code MUST have 5 digits starting with N #9.
For example #93111
❌Avoid produce starting with
#4 conventionally grown = pesticides! 😝
#8 genetically modified = GMOs! 😝
🎥 by CL Kung
❌Not recommended brand:
Owned by S.C. Johnson & Son, makers of Windex, GREENWASHING, CA prop 65 warning.
This very popular brand is everywhere, from grocery stores and highly reviewed on Amazon. They are selling themself as a natural brand but they have incredible controversial ingredients
It is cheap because it is made with cheap ingredients!!
This brand never convinced me! By reading their ingredients ist I noticed controversial ingredients including fragrance Plus I just discovered they carry CA proposition 65 warning. Who wants to still use this?
I strickly avoid this brand!. I tried once and I could not remove the strong chemical scent from their fragrance!!
INGREDIENTS: Ingredients: Water, Decyl Glucoside,Polysorbate 20,Betula Alba (Birch) Bark Extract,Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil,Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil,Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil,Fragrance,Sodium Citrate,Glycerin,Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate,Citric Acid,Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate,Sodium Sulfate,PEG-5 Cocoate, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone: The European SCCS has declared that there is no safe concentration of MIT in leave-on products
You can see this brand here
❌ Not recommended
I don't recommed this product since it has the California proposition 65 warning, that means it is toxic, plus it is cheaply made in China.
It smells bad and who wants to breath chemicals?
Also 3M are the creator of the PFAS the forever chemicals found inthe teflon. You can learn more here.
You can see the product here.
Brands I don't reccomend:
Neutrogena: owned by Jhonson & Jhonson
Garden Of Life: owned by Nestlé
Hello oral care: Owned by Colgate
Native: Owned by Procter & Gamble
❌ I don't recommend this brand and I am warning you about their greenwashing strategies!!
Many of you have been mislead by this company!!
First, they are only listing the ingredients of their unscented version on their website, hyding the fragrance in thier other vesrions.
They don't want to tell you that they use fragrance!
Other reasons: this brand is under Procter & Gamble, large cooperation responsible for polluting the public water. According to the EPA report the a major contributor of contamination. Lastly they have been sued for misleading consumers.
You can replace it with with much safer and more honest brands listed above!
❌ I don't recommend this brand:
Owned by Procter & Gamble!
Be aware of their greenwashing strategies!!
Many of you have been misled by this company!!
First, this brand is putting fragrances in some of its deodorants.
This brand has Ozokerite: 69 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
❌ Other reasons: this brand is under Procter & Gamble, large cooperation responsible for polluting the public water. According to the EPA report the major contributor of contamination. Lastly, they have been sued for misleading consumers.
❌ Not recommended:
THIS COMPANY IS OWNED BY COLGATE and it has controversial ingredients.
INGREDIENTS: active ingredient: sodium monofluorophosphate 0.76% (0.15% w/v fluoride ion)
inactive ingredients: sorbitol, purified water, hydrated silica, glycerin, xylitol, calcium carbonate, xanthan gum, flavor, titanium dioxide, coconut oil, Cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoyl glutamate, stevia rebaudiana extract, and tea tree oil
❌ GREENWASHING:
fluoride ion: As I mentioned above I don't recommend Fluoride on your toothpaste: Risks from ingesting fluoride toothpaste include permanent tooth discoloration (dental fluorosis), stomach ailments, acute toxicity, skin rashes (perioral dermatitis), and impairment in glucose metabolism.
titanium dioxide: Proven toxic when ingested, Unbound particles of respirable size listed as a Carcinogen: California Proposition 65 warning
flavor: a mysterious combination of unknown ingredients, just like fragrance
❌ Not recommended:
Seventh Generation has been acquired by Unilever in 2016.
Unilever, the world’s third-biggest polluter of plastics
❌ Not recommended:
Green Works (a Clorox company)
❌ Not recommended:
I don't recommend Stasher because
1. They are made in China
2. Stasher brand was acquired in 2019 by SC Johnson, the maker of GLADE, RAID, WINDEX and ZIPLOC.
I don't support this cooperation and i stead I suggest you this silicone bag made in the USA!
❌ Not recommended:
Not only this product is flagged because it has the California 65 warning, but the brand Alba Botanica belong to
Hain Celestial Group.
In November 2013, Hain Celestial became one of 25 companies targeted in an ongoing class action lawsuit regarding allegations of falsely labeling their personal care products (including Celestial Seasonings) as 'organic' under California law (California Products Act of 2003) to mislead consumers into purchasing them.
❌ Not recommended: this brand it is owned by Hain Celestial Group.
In November 2013, Hain Celestial became one of 25 companies targeted in an ongoing class action lawsuit regarding allegations of falsely labeling their personal care products (including Celestial Seasonings) as 'organic' under California law (California Products Act of 2003) to mislead consumers into purchasing them.
❌ Burt's Bee: Greenwashing
Clorox, a company that makes bleach and countless other chemicals, bought Burt’s Bees in 2007 for an astounding $925M. Burt was even bought out of any ownership in his company in 1999 in exchange for a house valued at only $130,000 and some other minor compensation!
Plus Burt's Bees has been independently tested and they found PFAS in their products.
"Burt’s Bees Products Company and the Clorox Company have been accused of manufacturing cosmetic products containing “forever chemicals”. This accusation follows similar complaints about a number of long-lasting and waterproof makeup products from multiple manufacturers including Loreal, and Maybelline. Cover Girl and others."
In addition to previous lawsuits filed against national cosmetics companies, Burt’s Bees and Clorox may be facing a new round of lawsuits over its failure to disclose that some of its makeup or cosmetic products contain polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known to be toxic to humans. PFAS have also become known as “forever chemicals” as they do not break down easily, either in the environment or in the body and stick around “forever”
A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit claims the products have been independently tested and found to contain PFAS which are not listed on product labeling and that the company used false or deceptive advertising.
❌Greenwashing: Innerssense Purple Shampoo
I don't recommend Innersense Purple Shampoo since it has toxic and controversial ingredients: since they claim to be natural and pure I consider them greenwashing!
"Organic beauty?" “clean, purple-hued shampoo?”
Claiming “carefully crafted with good-for-you ingredients”
Really? ⁉️ They feature organic rice syrup and organic shea butter, but are ruined by the rest of the ingredients! Mixed with:
❌Basic Red 76, which is a petroleum-derived toxic colorant:
👉“Basic Red 76 History Panel reviews the Draft Report; penetration data, an oral toxicity study, a developmental toxicity study, genotoxicity studies, skin irritation, sensitization, and ocular irritation studies were received.”
❌Basic Blue 99 is another synthetic ingredient, mutagen associated with Acute Oral Toxicity, Ocular Irritation, Dermal Irritation
“Skin Sensitizer - An agent that can induce an allergic reaction in the skin, Contact dermatitis, allergic, Contact urticaria “
❌“Hexyl Acetate: Neurotoxin - Acute solvent syndrome Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption. May cause irritation. (USCG, 1999)”
⁉️And they call this natural and pure?
👉I call them greenwashing! No products containing petroleum-derived ingredients should be claimed natural!!
❌Greenwashing: Tom's of Maine is owned by Colgate
Not recommended: they even tried to collaborate with me!
THIS COMPANY IS OWNED BY COLGATE
INGREDIENTS: Glycerin propanediol, hydrated silica, water, xylitol, benzyl alcohol, carrageenan, natural flavor, citric acid
❌ GREENWASHING:
Propanediol: Enhanced skin absorption, Endocrine disruption and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
Carrageenan may contribute to gastrointestinal issues.
citric acid: a mold derived can cause acid reflux
natural flavor: ingredients not disclosed
❌Greenwashing
I consider this band greenwashing! Their products contain fragrances and petroleum derivatives colorants. They will try to tell you that everything is organic when it is not!
The artificial smell from their store is absolutely irritant and intoxicating and it will trigger people with chemical sensitivities! I don't recommend any of their products!
❌ Not Recommeded
I don't recommend Babo Botanicals Baby Balm
Babo Botanicals once founded in 2010 by Kate Solomona a young mother looking for safe, and natural products for her children, it was bought out later by Laboratoires Expanscience
which plans to access the US market for its other brand Mustella.
The goal of Babo Botanicals' purchase is to accelerate Mustela's growth in the U.S.
They are reformulating Babo Botanicals products using lower-quality ingredients getting closer to Mustella's cheaper quality.
❌ Not Recommended
I don't recommend Cocokind chlorophyll discoloration serum.
Cocokind started as a very clean brand years ago (2015). It was making amazing organic face products made with simple organic ingredients such as organic chlorophyll masks, face oils, rosewater, and other facial products. I used to buy them.
Now it is a greenwashing brand offering not-so-safe products full of controversial ingredients. They added more and more synthetic ingredients.
INGREDIENTS: water/eau, butylene glycol, glycerin, triethyl citrate, pentylene glycol, panthenol (1), fructooligosaccharides, alpha-arbutin, beta vulgaris (beet) root extract, phenoxyethanol, hydroxyethylcellulose, camellia oleifera leaf extract, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, ethylhexylglycerin, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, hyaluronic acid, biosaccharide gum-1, chlorophyllin-copper complex (2), citric acid, maltodextrin.
❌ Ethylhexylglycerin: highly relevant, sensitizer in 'hypo-allergenic' cosmetics. To report on 13 patients who presented with allergic contact dermatitis caused by ethylhexylglycerin.