Are Your Cosmetics Really Organic?

Organic cosmetics such as lotions, oils, shampoos, soaps and makeup have natural ingredients that are allegedly free of pesticides. For example, the fruit and flowers that comprise the ingredients in shampoo, such as berries, shea and other plant-based products, must be grown and harvested as organic food is. A label can boast that the product is "made with organic ingredients" if 70 percent of the ingredients used are grown and harvested organically. However, many cosmetics that claim to be organic may not live up to that 70 percent rule. In fact, the Center for Environmental Health filed a lawsuit against 26 leading organic cosmetic companies for making false claims on their labeling. In May 2011, the center sued Hain Celestial, the company behind such big organic brand names as Jason and Avalon.