In recent years, the words “green”, “all-natural” and “organic” have been penetrating every area of our lives. New breeds of cars, cleaning products, food and even clothing are being manufactured to meet the demands of the new green consumer. It only follows that cosmetics manufacturers are trying to make their products seem “natural” and good-for-you as well.

But buyer beware: There are no government rules that regulate the use of the word “natural” in beauty products.

A soap with pomegranate extract is comparable to a lollipop made with “real fruit juice”. Having a natural ingredient in a product doesn’t make it all-natural – but cosmetic manufacturers make it seem that way.

Anyone can slap on a “natural product” label – and they do! Next time you’re shopping, pay attention to all the beauty products that claim to be natural. Most often, this means the company throws one or two plant extracts into a 98% synthetic formula and proceed to tout the aforementioned ingredients as if they actually have some benefit.

This commonplace deception is the culinary equivalent of Coke’s latest ingenious product; Diet Coke Plus. An impressive mix of artificial sweeteners, flavors and a dash of oh-so-wholesome vitamins thrown in for good measure – what a way to make Coke a healthy option!

Take a good look at the product selection next time you’re shopping.  Every brand has at least one “natural” product in its repertoire. Adorned with images of fruits, flowers or leaves and packaged in a green bottle, most of these items have just a pinch of a natural ingredient added. Many brands take their standard formula, chuck in a minute amount of organic fruit extract and then highlight the naturalness of their “new” product. 

The CoverGirl NatureLuxe collection. The products are beautiful, but not all-natural (even though they’re made to look like they are!)

Personally, the word synthetic doesn’t scare me too much. Manmade ingredients go through myriad levels of safety testing before they can be used in finished products. Also, without the helping hand of science, perfumery and cosmetics would be nowhere near the levels of sophistication and ease of use that they are today.

Whether you insist on purely natural products or not, it’s imperative to be aware of how manufacturers can mislead you into thinking their wares are “all-natural” when they are far from it.

Do you care if your cosmetics are natural or synthetic? Does it bother you that brands try to fool their customers into thinking their mostly artificial products are natural?

(This article originally appeared in The Jewish Press)