Turning Your Skin Green

By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan It happened with milk, produce and clothing. Now the debate about organics is hitting cosmetics, too. Some of the biggest names in skin-care are jumping into the organic market, which until recently was a niche product for specialty stores. Estee Lauder, for instance, has nine products in its new Origins Organics line. L’Occitane en Provence and fashion designer Stella McCartney are also expanding into organics. But such products are already raising some questions. One is whether organic cosmetics provide health or beauty benefits compared to nonorganic products. And for consumers who decide they want to go green, shopping can be confusing since the labeling isn’t consistent. Whole Foods Market and some environmental groups have formed a task force and are now pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt standards for organic skin care. Skin-care products calling themselves organic are now one of the fastest-growing categories in the U.S. beauty industry. Last year, sales of organic personal-care products rose almost 20% to $318 million — about eight times the rate of increase in overall sales of cosmetics and toiletries, according to Euromonitor International. As sales take off, the debate over labeling, standards and health benefits that […]

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