Origins Organics: A closer look
In the fall of 2007, Origins unveiled a new group of skin-, body-, and hair-care products that the company is marketing as the first USDA-certified organic line from a major cosmetics maker. But just because a product is certified organic doesn’t mean all of its ingredients actually are organic. To find out just how organic the Origins Organics line is, we recently took a closer look. Here’s what we found:
The name doesn’t say it all. Out of nine products currently in the Origins Organics line, only six carry the USDA organic seal, meaning they contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The other three contain less—between 73 and 90 percent.
A major ingredient is exempt. As is true for most skin- and hair-care products, the first ingredient in five of the nine Origins Organics products is water, which is exempt from organic certification and not counted in the percentages.
The bottom line. If you’re looking for a 100 percent organic personal-care product, you won’t find it in Origins Organics line. But most of the products do come close. In the end, the best way to judge how organic a product is, is to look for the USDA organic certification seal and/or the percentage of organic ingredients in the product. Then it’s up to you to decide how much extra you’re willing to pay for it.
Related links:
How to find real organic products 9/06
Personal care product buying guide 2/06
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