Ask Summer Rayne: Organic Personal Care Products

I recently saw the USDA Organic logo on a facial cleanser. Isn't that something you only see on food products?

Your eyes aren't deceiving you, and you can expect to see more personal care products flaunting the U.S. Department of Agriculture Certified Organic seal. A few commonly available brands that currently carry this seal include Dr. Bronner's, Miessence, Terressentials, and Origins Organics. Intelligent Nutrients, which is launching this coming summer, will also bear the label when it hits store shelves.

Since there is no official certifying body for organic cosmetics here in the United States, some companies are choosing to use ingredients that meet USDA food-grade organic standards. That doesn't mean I would suggest eating your shampoo, but at least you can be assured that the products comply with the same high quality required for foods. Under the USDA National Organic Program regulations, products labeled "organic" or "certified organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining ingredients must consist of non-agricultural substances from the National Organic Program's approved list. Products that tout "made with organic ingredients" on their labels must contain a minimum of 70 percent organic ingredients (again, excluding water and salt); the remaining 30 percent must be from the same NOP list. If a product is labeled "certified organic," it should also contain the logo of a third-party certifying agent, such as Oregon Tilth or Quality Assurance International.

Please be aware, or at least knowledgeable of personal care products that flippantly use the terms "organic" and "natural" without appropriate food-grade quality certification. A recent study from the Organic Consumers Association shows that 1,4-Dioxane, a cancer-causing contaminant, was present in many leading "natural" and "organic" branded products, none of which are certified under the USDA National Organic Program. The contaminant is a byproduct of ethoxylation, which is the addition of petro-based ethylene oxide to make harsh ingredients milder.* All in all, arm yourself with the knowledge of the best ingredients for you and be sure to read the label.

To avoid 1,4-Dioxane, the OCA urges consumers to search ingredient lists for indications of ethoxylation including: "myreth," "oleth," "laureth," "ceteareth," any other "eth," "PEG," "polyethylene," "polyethylene glycol," "polyoxyethylene," or "oxynol," in ingredient names.

Difficulty level: Easy

Summer Rayne Oakes is Planet Green's fashion and beauty expert. Got a pressing question you'd like her to tackle in this column? Email asksummer@treehugger.com. Read her previous columns here.