Why should you be careful with greenwashing?
Should you take the time to read about “Greenwashing”? Of course yes. Above all, if you have the objective of reducing the negative impact you cause on the planet and you are beginning to get to know the area of organic products. It is likely that you still do not know how to distinguish what is organic or natural from what is not.
Keep in mind that greenwashing is a bad thing that makes people trust products that call themselves "natural". It is very important to know what are the points that will make you differentiate between a product that is truly natural, and one that is not. If you also want to be able to distinguish these types of products, read on.
What exactly is greenwashing?
Unfortunately, today there is still a lot of misinformation about natural cosmetics and some companies in this sector take advantage of it. This type of company carry out what is called “ Greenwashing ”, in Spanish “Green Washing”.
But... What does it consist of?
The objective of this practice is to position the products in the first places of sales. People who buy them think they are green, vegan or natural cosmetics . Those who do not know this area well are the ones who are fooled by this.
What they do is invest money in the elaboration and advertising of their products so that they have a more natural appearance. Companies that do so are aware that these types of deceptive practices generate a high level of revenue. In short, greenwashing is making a product appear organic when it is not .
How do they manage to pretend that something is natural?
For companies that do this (we clarify again that they are not all) it is very easy to get this bias. Consumers have a prototypical perception of natural products and agencies know this firsthand.
What some marketing departments do is implement strategies that convey the wrong idea to the consumer . When you see the product, you immediately think that it is something natural and environmentally friendly.
We can find greenwashing practices when:
- They use words like “toxic free”, “sustainable”, “green” and “natural” without justifying why.
- The containers are in shades in which the green color predominates.
- They use photographs, drawings or forms that are related to organic elements (flowers, plants or leaves).
- We find words coined from other languages (usually English). The most used are “organic”, “green” and “clean”.
- Adjectives that make believe that the products are respectful with the environment and/or with health. For example, “gluten free” and “vegan”.
- In the composition of the products are striking colorants or perfumes that have a powerful sensory connection with nature.
- Some companies even lie about the characteristics of what they sell.
How to avoid greenwashing products?
Surely you wonder: "How do they get away with it?", As we said before, there is a lot of misinformation about this topic. In addition, there are still legal loopholes that these types of companies take advantage of.
Now, an important question to clarify is: How can you make sure that the products you buy do not have greenwash?
One point that we think we should clarify is that with the information in this article we do not mean that greenwashing products are not safe . Obviously, to be launched on the market, the regulatory entities make sure that they comply with the standards established in each country.
One way to distinguish a natural product from one that appears to be is to see if it has certifications . These last ones originate from many countries, to receive them it is necessary that criteria are met both in the elaboration and in the distribution.
Go for products without greenwashing!
You already know that when looking for organic and truly environmentally friendly cosmetics, it is important that you know how to choose. If you want to buy these kinds of products, be careful not to decide on a greenwashed .
Take care to read the composition of the product and choose the one with ingredients that respect the planet. If you don't want to risk buying greenwashed items, shop somewhere you trust.
To find true natural products, you just have to enter our store and see our catalog of premium vegan cosmetics. What are you waiting for to give your body what really suits it?