Organic Consumers Coming Clean

So there is a big problem with personal care companies labeling their products organic, when in reality, they only use very few organic ingredients. This isn't being regulated, unless you see a USDA seal on the product. Organic Consumers have created a "Coming Clean" campaign to rid store shelves of falsely advertised products. President Obama's USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, an advocate for organic agriculture, has expressed reluctance. In response to an OCA letter-writing campaign urging her to go after personal care products that are falsely advertised as organic she wrote, "The USDA regulates organic personal care products only if they are made up of agricultural ingredients. We have no standards for personal care products and have no plans to develop standards at this time."

If you have checked out some of the ingredients in your products and seen the high hazards, this is a scary thought. I am all for less government in our lives, but when it comes to public safety and products that are used on our bodies... something needs to be done. The OCA will be sending out a list next month of brands to boycott. They are giving company's the opportunity to come clean and sign a contract that they will either meet the organic standards or stop making false claims. I will be back with the list once it is published!

Some people might think this stuff doesn't matter and us Eco-friendly advocates are just paranoid. But 65% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. That means pesticides, toxic preservatives, 1,4 dioxin, colors and dyes, fragrances, phthalates and other bad stuff is running through our blood stream. Most of these toxins are hormone disruptors, can cause cancer or tumors, infertility, birth defects, cause rashes, asthma, allergies and other health problems. So many women are having problems conceiving, young girls are maturing earlier, more children are getting cancer and other illnesses, 1 out of 100 children are autistic... and we wonder why!! I'm glad there are organizations out there that care about what we put in our bodies and are trying to deface the fraudulent companies. OK, I went on a rant... on to my review in the next post. :)