Ever been deceived, by a label or clever marketing, to believe that a product you've chosen to use is "clean, safe + green?"
Those products were "greenwashed" to do just that!
Those products were "greenwashed" to do just that!
OFFICIAL DEFINITION (noun)
Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.
Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.
LAYMAN'S TERMS
Greenwashing is when companies mislead consumers by claiming that their products are safe, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and natural when in reality they are NOT.
Greenwashing is when companies mislead consumers by claiming that their products are safe, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and natural when in reality they are NOT.
Thankfully, there are companies like Young Living, who hold themselves to higher standards + make it easy for us as a consumers. -Erica Lee, NJ
PHOTO CRED: TRUE COLORS"EVERY PURE ESSENTIAL OIL USED,
IS A TOXIN AVOIDED." -Erica Lee
Owl-Lee Living, LLC
Helping empower families since 2014.
7 STEPS TO AVOIDING GREENWASHED PRODUCTS
Courtesy of momscleanairforce.org
1. Start With the Ingredient Label.
If no ingredients are listed anywhere on the package, that’s your first sign of deception. Every single product should share its ingredients. Only companies who have something to hide will keep ingredients secret.
They may hide behind “trade-secret laws” and if they won’t share with the product user what’s in the product, we should think twice before purchasing the product. You have a right to know and you should to be able to access that information right at the point of purchase.
2. Read Between the Lines:
Beware of “plant-based” claims. It can mean that the ingredients once came from plants, but were brought to a lab where they were put through highly chemically intense processes, and may now even contain genetic engineering or synthetic biology. Just because something is plant-derived doesn’t make it natural.
Take a look at the company and see if they seem to "get it." What else do they do to "go green" or sustainable? What’s their packaging like? Do they participate in 1% for the Planet or another give-back program? These details can tell you a lot about who a company is, and whether or not to trust their marketing claims.
3. Steer Clear of Anything That Stinks!
Avoid the terms “fragrance," “scent,” or “parfum/perfume”, which are actually just umbrella terms for what can be hundreds of undisclosed ingredients that make up a single fragrance. What’s worse, many of those secret ingredients have nothing to do with fragrance, but can include harsh chemicals, preservatives and other ingredients that serve to fill the product.
4. Don’t Be Duped by Single-Chemical Claims.
When you see single ingredient claims—think “BPA-Free”, “Phthalate-Free”, “PFOA-Free”, etc. – it’s worth probing a little further. That single claim doesn’t tell you much, given that it’s only one out of over 85,000 potential ingredients in use in consumer products. Turn over the package and read the rest of the ingredient list. You may find that one hormone-disrupting chemical like, BPA, or bisphenol-A, may have been swapped for BPS, or bisphenol-S, a similar chemical thought to be even more harmful to children’s health. Researchers call this a “regrettable substitution” – when one chemical is banned, only to be replaced with another chemical just as harmful, or potentially worse.
5. Look for Independent Third-Party Certifications Instead.
This means that an organization or some other body, independent of the company, has assessed the product. You may be familiar with big ones like USDA Organic or the Non-GMO Project. But there are many more specific ones, like MADE SAFE for nontoxic products, or Fair Trade for worker protections, or OEKO-TEX for fabrics.
6. What is the Price Point and Can it Tell You Anything?
Unfortunately, it’s often an unavoidable truth that better ingredients tend to cost more, which means the product can sometimes be more expensive. So if a product claims to be made with only good ingredients and yet is ultra-cheap, look a little deeper. Sometimes, these products have taken short-cuts or are filled with inexpensive synthetic ingredients that don’t always serve a purpose in the end product.
7. Get to Know the Companies You Buy From.
Check them out. How do they treat their employees? Do they have sustainable practices? Who do they support with their work? Do they do more than just sell? All of these things can tell you a lot about what a company stands for and whether they’re one you want to support with your dollars... or not.
Courtesy of momscleanairforce.org
1. Start With the Ingredient Label.
If no ingredients are listed anywhere on the package, that’s your first sign of deception. Every single product should share its ingredients. Only companies who have something to hide will keep ingredients secret.
They may hide behind “trade-secret laws” and if they won’t share with the product user what’s in the product, we should think twice before purchasing the product. You have a right to know and you should to be able to access that information right at the point of purchase.
2. Read Between the Lines:
Beware of “plant-based” claims. It can mean that the ingredients once came from plants, but were brought to a lab where they were put through highly chemically intense processes, and may now even contain genetic engineering or synthetic biology. Just because something is plant-derived doesn’t make it natural.
Take a look at the company and see if they seem to "get it." What else do they do to "go green" or sustainable? What’s their packaging like? Do they participate in 1% for the Planet or another give-back program? These details can tell you a lot about who a company is, and whether or not to trust their marketing claims.
3. Steer Clear of Anything That Stinks!
Avoid the terms “fragrance," “scent,” or “parfum/perfume”, which are actually just umbrella terms for what can be hundreds of undisclosed ingredients that make up a single fragrance. What’s worse, many of those secret ingredients have nothing to do with fragrance, but can include harsh chemicals, preservatives and other ingredients that serve to fill the product.
4. Don’t Be Duped by Single-Chemical Claims.
When you see single ingredient claims—think “BPA-Free”, “Phthalate-Free”, “PFOA-Free”, etc. – it’s worth probing a little further. That single claim doesn’t tell you much, given that it’s only one out of over 85,000 potential ingredients in use in consumer products. Turn over the package and read the rest of the ingredient list. You may find that one hormone-disrupting chemical like, BPA, or bisphenol-A, may have been swapped for BPS, or bisphenol-S, a similar chemical thought to be even more harmful to children’s health. Researchers call this a “regrettable substitution” – when one chemical is banned, only to be replaced with another chemical just as harmful, or potentially worse.
5. Look for Independent Third-Party Certifications Instead.
This means that an organization or some other body, independent of the company, has assessed the product. You may be familiar with big ones like USDA Organic or the Non-GMO Project. But there are many more specific ones, like MADE SAFE for nontoxic products, or Fair Trade for worker protections, or OEKO-TEX for fabrics.
6. What is the Price Point and Can it Tell You Anything?
Unfortunately, it’s often an unavoidable truth that better ingredients tend to cost more, which means the product can sometimes be more expensive. So if a product claims to be made with only good ingredients and yet is ultra-cheap, look a little deeper. Sometimes, these products have taken short-cuts or are filled with inexpensive synthetic ingredients that don’t always serve a purpose in the end product.
7. Get to Know the Companies You Buy From.
Check them out. How do they treat their employees? Do they have sustainable practices? Who do they support with their work? Do they do more than just sell? All of these things can tell you a lot about what a company stands for and whether they’re one you want to support with your dollars... or not.
You MUST know your Farmer + Distiller.
As a YL Customer you are welcome on any YL Farm worldwide!
Erica Lee visiting the YL Farm + Distillery in Naples, Idaho (8/2022).
Evergreen Essence (a blend of "Christmas" trees) in the final steps of distillation.
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