This is a great article and discusses issues that I’ve been bringing up since I started this blog back in 2006. Here’s a quote from the article:

For cosmetic consultant John Woodruff, ingredients should be chosen on safety and efficacy regardless of their natural or synthetic status.

“We owe it to the consumer to provide the most effective, safe product possible. Our choice of ingredients should depend on safety and efficacy not unfounded safety scares and efficacy studies that owe more to folklore than to science,” he said.

He went on to accuse some companies operating in the natural sphere of selling on fear not science, and damaging the reputation of the industry in general.

I am so happy to hear an objective, knowledgeable discussion about this. What of my pet peeves from some of the “green beauty pushers” is that everything should be natural, no need ever for synthetics. Now as an organic beauty blogger, I am before everything, a realist. Obviously, through the years we as consumers have relied quite heavily on technology to create products that are cheaper for mass use.  The scare tactics of groups with an obvious agenda purporting cancer and other disease as a reason for staying away from parabens, synthetics, et al has always disturbed me because very little of that information is based on solid, scientific fact. In fact, take a look at this interview with the director of Organic Monitor as he disusses the confusion caused by this desire to create organic certification.

A single study by one professor has been misquoted and mangled to fit the needs of whatever group is using it and thereby making people think the end is near when they slather on lotion. I would love to see where naturals and synthetics can be a happy couple, co-existing in peace, but I think because both are supporting such huge monies, it won’t be possible. However, continued objective studies and research are welcome and I look forward to learning more.

Please share your thoughts, comments and observation about this issue.