With a growing interest in natural personal care, consumers’ confusion over what “natural” actually means is at an all-time high. “Arriving at a clear definition of the word ‘natural’ is something both our industry and consumers want,” says Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D. of the Natural Products Association (NPA). To inform consumers about naturals, Burt’s Bees is working with the NPA to set a standard on what “natural” means in personal care.

The Natural Standard outlines what they believe natural products should and should not contain, as well as processes that should and should not be used to maintain the purity of ingredients. Burt’s Bees brought together like-minded brands such as Dr. Bronner’s, Aubrey Organics and Now Foods to develop the standard. The NPA will lead the development of a steering committee, which will drive the formal process of creating and implementing the Standard. The committee will include manufacturers, retailers, vendors, industry organizations and other interested parties, guided by the NPA. Ultimately, the committee will finalize a standard and develop a seal that can help consumers easily identify truly natural products.