Organic Cheaters Exposed by New Product Tests
You might expect a shampoo labeled “pure, natural and organic” to be, well … pure, natural and organic. And so you might be surprised, and ticked off, to learn that many leading “natural” body care products are contaminated with a mad-made carcinogen, according to new product tests.
The Organic Consumers Association and author David Steinman shook up (and hopefully shook awake) the natural products industry with their report that 46 out of 100 brands of “organic” or “natural” body care products contained 1,4 dioxane, a probable human carcinogen that is the byproduct of a nasty petrochemical process involving ethylene oxide.
Contaminated brands included JASON Pure Natural & Organic, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate Organics, and Citrus Magic 100% Natural Dish Liquid. (See full list of products here.) These companies should immediately reformulate. Consumers must be able to trust that we can use products labeled “organic” without rubbing carcinogens in our hair or on our dishes. In order to gain that trust, the natural products industry must adhere to strict standards that disallow all nasty petrochemical processes. –Stacy Malkan
April 1st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I just recently got your book and have started researching. Seems like a lot of conflicting reports - how am I suppossed to know what to do? I switched to glass bottles back when all of the BPA reports came out and am now trying to figure out lotions, wipes, cosmetics, etc. I just bought a few things in the JASON line and now I read they are mis-representing the product! It frustrates me - why doesn’t the government do anything about this? I am trying to do the best for my family, but it hard to know what is right! Sorry about the vent - just thought you would understand!
May 7th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I read the report, printed it and emailed a majority of the companies. Most of them used the excuse that these were their OLDER products, not the new and ‘improved’ ones. JASON, SEVENTH GENERATION, WF et al. Even BABY PRODUCTS(Healthy Times) were contaminated! PLEASE READ THE LIST.
WHOLE FOODS even had products containing1, 4-dioxane, but did they REMOVE those products from the shelves? No. Now, why would these ‘organic, eco-friendly, companies who have OUR best interest at heart, not voluntarily remove these toxic, cancer-linked prducts? 1,4-dioxane is NOT an ingredient, it is a carcinogenic by-product from ethylene oxide producing this serious undisclosed contaminant!
WE need to arm ourselves with knowledge and fight for safer products…our lives depend on it. The message has to be loud and clear and we need to contact the companies and DEMAND removal. We have the power to make it happen.
Be diligent in selecting the safe products and email the companies who ARE protecting us. Fighting a multi billion dollar industry AND the people who are oblivious to how unsafe these products are will take ALL of us!