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In a recent study on the value of eco-labels, UCLA researchers linked the rise of eco-labels to the price premium they can help command, but pointed out that the certification processes behind various labels alone can also deliver benefits to companies. “The cosmetic industry needs it just as urgently as the food industry: products we put on our skin are just as important as the food we put into our mouths.”Īn increase in eco-certification programs could be good for the personal care industry even if it doesn’t equate to more on-product labels. “Eco-labeling is a critical step in the regulation of the private sector, and third party labels are generally more trustworthy than the industry’s self-certified labels,” says Xinghua Li, a professor of media studies at Babson College, who researches green advertising. On-package labeling could become a common practice as retailers like Walmart and Target roll out programs vetting the chemical ingredients in personal care products.

The labels have helped some companies justify price premiums, but have also served to confuse consumers in industries like food where a large number of labels with varying degrees of credibility – ranging from baseless “all natural” claims to more rigorous organic certifications – can make it difficult for shoppers to separate the green from the greenwashed. The number of eco-labels on consumer products across industries has grown from a few dozen in the 1990s to more than 400 today. Before now, the personal care industry has mostly shied away from eco-labels, in spite of rising interest in non-toxic beauty products from consumers and the increasing popularity of eco-labels for other types of consumer products.

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