Advice from Green Beauty and Wellness Expert Rona Berg
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ona Berg is an internationally renowned green beauty and wellness expert, and best-selling author of Beauty: The New Basics and Fast Beauty: 1000 Quick Fixes. Berg is the former Beauty Editor and Deputy Lifestyle Editor of The New York Times Magazine, Editorial Director of ELLE, Contributing Editor to SELF, co-founder/editor-inchief of Organic Beauty. Berg is passionate in her belief that “green is not a trend, it’s a lifestyle.” We sat down with this expert and asked her for advice on switching to natural cosmetics, choosing products for sensitive skin, toxic ingredients to avoid and more. What is the difference between “organic” and “natural” cosmetics? There is a lot of consumer confusion about what is and isn’t natural or organic. It’s important to know that there is no regulation behind the term “natural.” Most consumers assume that natural products contain a majority of ingredients derived from natural sources. But even products that are 99 percent synthetic can claim to be natural. That’s why consumers looking for an authentically natural product need to educate themselves on specific ingredients to avoid, or find responsible brands that do not “greenwash” their labels. Organic is a different story. There are specific USDA criteria, based on organic food and agriculture guidelines--i.e., ingredients grown without pesticides--that allow beauty products to use the term “organic.” To be “USDA organic,” or to claim “made with organic ingredients,” you are expected to comply. If a product contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients, the product cannot use the term “organic” anywhere on the main label—but many still do, though that is changing. There are also independent global seals and certifications (Natural Products Association, Ecocert, BDIH, Soil Association, and more) that enable the consumer to know that those products are natural or organic enough to qualify. What are the benefits of switching to organic or natural cosmetics? Not only are organic and natural beauty products stylish, sophisticated, and luxurious, they are healthy and they really work! The granola-crunchy days of green beauty are gone. When I interviewed the actress Olivia Wilde she said, “At first I wasn’t committed to natural and organic. I was committed to products that work. Now I realize that natural and organic really do work—so why would anyone sacrifice their health with what they’re putting on their body?” 37 T H E E V O LV E F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
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