Here are some tips to breaking down those natural product labels:
Look for an official certification.
“’Kosher Certified’ has been in place for a long time and their guidelines and standards are very specific,” Freedman said.
“And the QAI label — or Quality Assurance International — means the product is certified organic, and made with no pesticides or pollutants.”
“The EPA recognition for DFE — Designed For the Environment — is one you can trust,” Boyce said. “I really like LeapingBunny.org,” Kramer said. “They put their name on products that follow their protocol. In 10 years, nobody has ever come to my building and looked at what I do, except for them.”
Beware of products with warnings. “Our label says ‘dilute with water’, not ‘call poison control,’” Boyce said. “I actually drank our product to prove a point. It tastes terrible and it’s not recommended, but it’s safe enough to consume.”
Avoid dyes and fragrances. “Dyes are really unnecessary and can be full of toxins,” Kramer said.
“The same goes for scents. The most harmful are listed as ‘parfum’ or ‘parfume.’ ”
Get educated about synthetic or toxic ingredients. Kramer recommends you avoid parabens, formaldehyde, dimethicone, dioxin and pthalates.
“Any unfamiliar long scientific-sounding words — that to me says it’s heavily processed or a preservative,” Freedman said.
Higher price doesn’t mean higher quality.
“Even the really expensive brands will have most of the same ingredients as the pharmacy brands,” Kramer said.
“It’s very rare to find things that are 100 percent natural. So turn that product around and read the label panel. ”
We do a lot of research with what we put out there and once people hear that 60 percent of what you put onto your skin goes into your bloodstream, you really start to pay more attention.“
