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News Release (May 1, 2008):  Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Personal Care Products

Fact Sheet: Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Personal Care Products

FAQs: Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Personal Care Products

Advisor's List: Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Personal Care Products

Natural Products Association Natural Standard

Fact Sheet: Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Personal Care Products
To help consumers and protect the integrity of what’s natural, the Natural Products Association announced today the Natural Products Association Standard and Certification for Personal Care Products.  The new program defines natural and includes an easily-identifiable seal which will be featured on products meeting the standard.

The Need for a Standard for Natural
The natural personal care industry is growing five times faster than regular personal care products, but there is no standard definition for what is truly natural.  Natural ingredients have been used for skin remedies for centuries, but as technology evolved, synthetic substitutes for ingredients were introduced because of cost-effectiveness, ease of use, ease of supply and reliability. However, some of these synthetic ingredients have suspected human health risks, as well as environmental risks because they aren’t always biodegradable or renewable, as in the case of petroleum. Most consumers prefer knowing their personal care products don’t carry these risks because they are natural.

Products Eligible for the Natural Certification and Seal
All personal care products (e.g., lotions, balms and shampoos) regulated and defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will be eligible.  (Note: The standard applies only to personal care products and would not apply to other FDA-regulated categories, such as food, dietary supplement or drug products.)

What Qualifies As Natural
(full criteria available at  www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural)

• The product must be made up of at least 95% truly natural ingredients, or ingredients that are derived from natural sources
• No ingredients with any potential suspected human health risks
   No processes that significantly or adversely alter the purity/effect of the natural ingredients
• Ingredients that come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral)
• Unnatural ingredients only when viable natural alternative ingredient are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks

When Consumers Will Start Seeing the Seal
Consumers could start looking for the seal in a matter of weeks, and can expect to see the seal on more products in the coming months.  In the meantime, consumers can find qualified natural products on the Natural Products Association Web site.

Size of Natural Personal Care Market
The natural personal care market topped $7 billion last year in the United States, a 17 percent increase over 2006. But even with double-digit growth, the natural and organic personal care segment is only a portion of the $56 billion health and beauty care industry. Source: Nutrition Business Journal

Costs to Consumers and Industry
It is not anticipated that this new program will result in any significant cost changes to consumers, but it will provide instant value since consumers will now know what they are buying.  Other costs are impossible to predict, and will likely not follow any trend.  Manufacturers already making products the natural way won’t have to change anything, while others who wish to offer natural products bearing the seal would have to improve their products and their manufacturing methods.  Over time, consumer prices may go down as more manufacturers seek to enter this market. 

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FAQs: Natural Products Association Standard and Certification for Natural Personal Care Products

What is the Natural Products Association Standard?
The standard is simply a clear definition of what can and cannot be considered “natural” in terms of ingredients and manufacturing practices for natural personal care products, such as lotions, balms and shampoos. The standard also describes what manufacturing practices meet the criteria for being minimally processed.

Our standard is science-based and draws from a variety of sources. For instance, we looked at the work other third-party organizations have done, existing research as well as drawing on our own experience. What we’ve arrived at represents a consensus from the industry itself on a definition of natural.

How will consumers know which products have met the natural standard?
Consumers will see a distinct seal on the label for those products meeting the standard.

When will consumers start to see the seal on products?
Keeping in mind that there may be some lag time in getting products labeled once they qualify for the seal, we anticipate within a few months of the launch of program. In the meantime, as soon as a product is OK’d through our program, we will post that information on the Natural Products Association Web site:  www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural.

Also, as soon as the standard is published, consumers will be able to find it on our Web site. Shoppers who are looking for natural products can use our list while waiting for the seal to appear on labels.

Why did you create this standard?
Consumers demanded it and we delivered. People have a right to know, and so this standard will help them identify natural products from ones that aren’t or aren’t even close.  Believe it or not, some estimates say roughly two-thirds of products that say they are “natural” contain ingredients like petroleum, and that’s not right.

Products today could be 100 percent natural or 0 percent natural and both could still have” natural” on the label, so we felt it was time to do something to help consumers.

How big is the natural personal care market?
More than $7 billion last year in the U.S. That’s a 17 percent increase over 2006. But even with double-digit growth, the natural and organic personal care segment is only a small portion of the $56 billion health and beauty care industry. Source: Nutrition Business Journal

What’s included in the personal care category?
A wide variety of products including face creams, balms, shampoos, soaps, and lotions.

What exactly does the NPA Natural Standard say? How can consumers find it?
As you might imagine, the definition of natural sounds simple but it really isn’t, so the actual standard is lengthy and technical.  For those who want to see it, it’s on our website at www.naturalproductsassoc.org/certifiednatural  But it all boils down to what’s natural and what isn’t. Our standard is science-based and draws from a variety of sources. For instance, we looked at the work other third-party organizations have done, existing research as well as drawing on our own experience. What we’ve arrived at represents a consensus from the industry itself on a definition of natural.

What does this mean for consumers?
It makes their lives easier, and it will give them much greater confidence in knowing that what they buy is actually natural.  They won’t have to do a lot of independent research, it’ll be easy to spot the seal right on the label that says:  It’s a great thing for consumers.

One of the biggest global trends in the past 20 years has been the growing interest in health and well-being.  It’s largely comprised of two separate trends: 1) the desire to improve one’s inner well-being (health); and 2) the desire to improve one’s outer well-being (environment)

Are natural products better for you?
In most cases, natural products have a longer history of safe use. We find out all the time that approved synthetic ingredients, despite going through scientific testing, can actually be harmful when used over time. Contrast this with a commonly used natural ingredient like aloe, which has been used by generations for its healing benefits.

What’s the main difference between something that has this seal and something that doesn’t?  Where did you draw the line?
Consumers can be assured that products displaying the Natural Products Association’s seal have been manufactured to ensure they meet rigorous criteria, such as being made with renewable and non-synthetic ingredients that are minimally processed.

What does this mean for retailers?
It means they will have information to provide their customers with so that they can empower them to make an informed decision in the marketplace

How are “natural” and “organic” products regulated?
Organic is a subset of natural. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the use of the term “organic” for food and non-food products, such as soaps, oils, and cosmetics. The non-food items may display the USDA organic seal, so long as such products are certified to meet the National Organic Program (NOP) standards for organic agricultural products.

Until the Natural Products Association established its standards for use of the term “natural,” there was no widely accepted standard developed by a third-party that applied to personal care products. The USDA regulates the use of the term natural as applied to meat and poultry.

Why is this only limited to health and beauty products, can’t you do one for food or supplements?
We may address the term “natural” as applied to other products, such as foods, in the future. Right now, establishing a definition for natural in the personal care sector was a big undertaking and one that the industry wanted.

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