Natural Skincare Firm Calls Shenanigans on Big Players’ Organic Claims

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In New Zealand, organic skincare firm Goodbye is raising concerns that an absence of marketing rules is letting large manufacturers of soap, shampoo, and body creams hoodwink consumers.

Goodbye founder Becky Cashman tells the Sunday Star Times that products with natural or organic claims range from shampoos with “full chemical bases with a token amount of natural oils, to petrochemical products with a small amount of natural actives, to products that are mostly natural but still use chemical preservatives.”

Consumer NZ also raises concerns, citing Palmer’s Organics Cocoa Butter Massage Cream. According to the consumer watchdog group, only three of 33 ingredients in the product are certified organic.

Health Basics, which was among the brands singled out in the Times article, counters that it does not claim to be 100% natural. “The reason we highlight that our products do not contain [certain] ingredients is because they are additives which may cause some people concern,” according to a company spokespersion. “We provide consumers with factual information so that they can make an informed choice. No other claim is being made about the product.”