The global organics industry is estimated to now be worth in excess of US $50 Billion per annum (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 2009) and has been growing an average of 20% per year for the last ten years while the emergence of the massive green & eco-friendly market place estimated to be worth US $420 Billion by 2010 (Nielson White Paper, 2009).

This phenomenal growth has lead to increasing number of companies trying to cash in on the organic boom with slick "green" marketing and calculated packaging changes rather than providing quality eco-friendly and organic products.

Many companies are now claiming to use "organic" ingredients in their products. But what percentage is actually organic and what about the rest of the ingredients? Are they safe?

Sarah Underwood is one of several reporters identifying this trend in an article for WBZTV last year where she discussed the limits of terms such as "organics" on cosmetic product labels. She said:

"A face mask has organic in the brand name, but contains propylparaben. A shampoo also calls itself organic, but includes cocmidolpropyl betain. These synthetics have not been approved as organic ingredients."

So is there an authority that governs the use of the term "organic" on labels? The simple answer is NO.

However, the term "certified organic" IS governed by a number of internationally recognised bodies. Searching for products with the logo of a certifying body on the label is the only way you can guarantee the organic authenticity and integrity of every ingredient in the product. Without this, the organic claim means nothing, as it cannot be verified.The only way customers can be assured that they are purchasing REAL ORGANIC products produced without the use of synthetic chemicals and GMO's is to purchase products which have been organically certified with a leading independent certifying body such as the;

• US Department of Agriculture Logo - USDA (US Department of Agriculture),

• International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Logo - IFOAM

• Australian Certified Organic Logo - ACO (Australian Certified Organic),

Consumer Reports' ShopSmart has advice on how to tell if a product is really organic. Look for a seal that says the product is certified organic. One common seal is from the U.S.D.A., and that means the product is 95 percent or more organic.

If you don't see a seal, a quick look at the ingredients will likely tell you it's not entirely organic - that way you won't end up overpaying for something that's not quite as organic as it seems.

How Do We Know What We Are Buying Is Really "Natural" And "Organic"?

Fortunately, there is a very simple way to differentiate between hype and truth in cosmetics - and that is to read the ingredient list on the label. It is a legal requirement that all skin care products must be labelled with the ingredients in descending order of their quantity in the product.

A good rule of thumb is if you cannot pronounce an ingredient you know it is a synthetically produced chemical!

The skin is the largest organ in the body and absorbs everything so unless you can eat it why would you want to put it on your skin?

These two simple strategies - looking for organic CERTIFICATION and reading ingredient labels, will help you avoid being conned by the dirty practice of green washing.

For certified organic products with organic food grade ingredients check out LivingPureOrganics.com