Is it really organic?

And does it matter? A guide for the perplexed

The numbers are crystal clear: Products labeled natural and organic are the fastest-growing beauty segment, having clocked a 20 percent (US$3 billion) increase in sales between 2005 and 2006. What's utterly unclear, at least in the U.S., is what constitutes a natural or organic product. "Right now, it's pure snake oil. You can say and do anything you want," says Gene Martignetti, the founder of Simply Organic, which turns out to be a case in point (but we'll come back to that). He's right. In the U.S., just labeling a product natural makes it so: There are no regulations defining the word's usage. It's also perfectly legal to use the word organic in a brand name even if the product isn't. (Same goes for pure.)

While the FDA prohibits beauty companies from claiming that a cosmetic treats or prevents disease or affects the skin's structure or function, it admits, in its Cosmetic Labeling Manual, that it "does not have the resources or authority under the law for pre-market approval of cosmetic product labeling." What is certain is that very few products bear the USDA-certified-organic seal. Estée Lauder's Origins Organics, launching in October, will be the first mass brand to use it. The seal means the contents are at least 95 percent organically farmed; however, these products may still contain some chemical emulsifiers and preservatives. Seal scarcity is due to the difficulty of complying with the standards, which apply only to agricultural products, from lettuce to lamb. There are no USDA standards for cosmetics, says Joan Shaffer, a USDA spokesperson. "If a product complies with the agricultural standards, it can use the seal." Moreover, many small growers, the ones boutique beauty companies often seek out, can't afford the expense of becoming certified. "This makes lots of good products go without a seal," explains Deborah Burnes, the proprietor (and superego) of Sumbody, a Sonoma Valley beauty line sold at high-end spas such as the Carneros Inn.

In short, not being USDA-certified doesn't mean a product isn't well made. In fact, most "organic" products contain many organically grown ingredients, a handful of natural ones (sometimes wildcrafted, biodynamic, or fair trade), and, yes, a couple of chemicals to make sure the formulation doesn't go feral. Beyond that, it's a matter of decoding the label to the extent possible. Here's what I gleaned through a close reading of five product labels.