WASHINGTON–More than 300 natural personal care products have been certified during the 2-year history of the Natural Products Association’s (NPA) natural standard certification program. Products bearing NPA’s seal must be made up of at least 95-percent natural ingredients – coming from a renewable or plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral). Non-natural ingredients are allowed only when viable natural alternative ingredients are unavailable, and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks. Products cannot use animal testing beyond what is required by law, and must use a majority of biodegradable and post-consumer recycled content in their packaging.
“The demand for natural products continues to grow – even in the face of the recession,” said John Gay, NPA’s executive director and CEO. “Consumers are more concerned about the quality and purity of the products they use every day. We are delighted to provide this important service to those looking for truly natural products, and to retailers and manufacturers who want to fill that need. This program has been so successful, we recently launched a similar seal for home care products,” Gay said.
Cara Welch, Ph.D., NPA’s Scientific and Regulatory Affairs manager said, “As the only standardized definition of the term ‘natural’ used by the personal care industry, the NPA natural certification program has set the bar for truly natural products. And, as strict as the criteria are now, we are committed to strengthening the standard in the years to come.”
These companies manufacture the personal care products currently certified as natural by NPA: Arch Personal Care Products, Aubrey Organics®, Baby’s Bliss®, Belcam Inc., Biolements®, boom Creative Development, Burt's Bees®, CARA B Naturally®, Highland Laboratories, J.R. Watkins®, Naturals by Lauren Hutton, Naturals™ by Safety 1st, Nature's Way, Noah's Naturals®, Organique by Himalaya®, RAW™ Health International, Smith & Vandiver®, Tsi-La, W.S. Badger Company®, wet n wild® Natural Blend, XanGo and Yes To Carrots™.