What's 'Natural' When it Comes to Personal Care Products? Consumers Finally Get Help with New Seal and Standard From the Natural Products Association

To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: Tracy Taylor of the Natural Products Association, +1-202-204-4723, ttaylor@naturalproductsassoc.org

New program certifies natural skin and hair care products

NEW YORK, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the demand for natural personal care products -- such as lotions, balms and shampoos -- continues to soar, manufacturers are responding with a host of new products. Some are natural, some arent. But how is a shopper to know? Until now, consumers had no idea what was truly natural since there was no standard definition of the term used by industry.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/naturalproductsassociation/32794/

That is no longer the case. To end this confusion and help consumers, the Natural Products Association announced today a new certification program which defines natural and includes an easily-identified seal. Shoppers can expect the seal to begin appearing on certifier personal care products in the coming months.

People want natural products because they are good for them and good for our environment, said Debra Short, president of the Natural Products Association. But anyone could claim their product was natural, even if it had 100 percent synthetic or petroleum-based. That wasnt fair to consumers or to companies who make truly natural products, and this seal will help end all that confusion.

Widespread Confusion Over Natural:

With public interest in natural personal care products growing stronger each day, research confirms consumers are very confused about what constitutes a natural product. A recent survey by Yankelovich showed that:

    --  More than three of every four (78%) American women think
        natural personal care is currently regulated or dont know if
        it is, while nearly all (97%) think it should be
    --  Two of every three American women think a personal care product
        labeled natural should contain at least 95% natural
        ingredients

The New Natural Certification Program and Seal of Approval:

Under the new program, products must follow strict guidelines set out by the Natural Products Association to merit bearing the seal. The criteria include, but are not limited to:

    --  Product must be made up of at least 95 percent truly natural
        ingredients or ingredients that are derived from natural
        sources
    --  No ingredients with any potential suspected human health risks
    --  No processes that significantly or adversely alter the
        purity/effect of the natural ingredients
    --  Ingredients that come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful
        source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral)
    --  Processes that are minimal and don't use synthetic/harsh
        chemicals or otherwise dilute purity
    --  Non-natural ingredients only when viable natural alternative
        ingredients are unavailable and only when there are absolutely
        no suspected potential human health risks

The full set of criteria can be found on the Natural Products Association website at www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural. A one-page fact sheet about the program follows this release.

The Natural Products Association standard is science-based and was developed by a team of experts from the association and natural products manufacturers. The advisory panel drew from a variety of sources, including relevant international standards, third-party organizations, existing research, and years of experience in the field. Advisors to the association are the leading natural personal care suppliers and manufacturers, including Aubrey Organics, Burts Bees, Badger Balm, California Baby, Farmaesthetics, Trilogy Fragrances, and Weleda.

The Natural Products Association (www.NaturalProductsAssoc.org) is the nations largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry. The association represents more than 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids.

SOURCE Natural Products Association

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