Organic beauty products the only safe alternative: BFA

The organics sector is calling on Australian consumers to reject marketing from big cosmetic companies promoting nanotechnology, claiming that the safety of the technology is still unknown and that the only safe alternative is to purchase organic beauty products.

Nanotechnology  is  a  field  of  applied  science  where  matter  is  manipulated  at  the  nanoscale  (down  to  1/100,000  the  width  of  a  human  hair)  to  change  the  internal  structure  of  compounds  and  create  new  materials  and  products.

The  full  health  implications  of  nanotechnology  being  used  in  creams  applied  to  the  skin,  or  cosmetics,  is  not  yet  completely  understood,  however nanotechnologies  are  reportedly  reaching  the  market  at  a  rate  of  3‐4  new  products  per  week  with  cosmetics  and  sunscreens  representing  a  reported  60%  of  listed  products.

In a recent marketing campaign, suncreen brand Invisible  Zinc labelled  its  product was  ‘not  nano’.  Complaints  were  made  from  other  companies  and  the  Therapeutic  Goods  Administration  (TGA)  ruled  that  the  claim  of  ‘not  nano’  be  removed  from  the  product.

Carla  Oates,  representative  for  organic  industry  representative  body,  the  Biological  Farmers  of  Australia (BFA),  says  it  is  important  consumers  are  aware  of  nanotechnology  in  their  products  and  the  TGA  ruling  is  arbitrary  and  inconsistent.

“The  people  who  are  really  losing  out  are  consumers.  They  are  caught  up  in  the  middle  of  marketing  antics  of  big  companies  and  the  inefficiency  of  regulating  bodies,”  Ms  Oates  said.

“The  only  way  you  are  to  be  guaranteed  of  getting  a  truly  safe  product  is  by  purchasing  a  certified  organic  product.  If  you  don’t,  it’s  important  to  look  up  all  the  ingredients  on  the  ingredients  list  in  order  that  you  are  aware  of  what  you  are  putting  onto your  skin  and  potentially  into  your  blood  stream.”

A  Position  Paper  released  this  year  by  the  International  Federation  of  Organic  Agriculture  Movements  (IFOAM)  said;  In  the  absence  of  a  moratorium,  all  food,  agricultural  and  other  products  which  include  manufactured  nanomaterials  must  be  clearly  labelled  to  allow  consumers  and  farmes  to  make  an  informed  choice. The  paper  goes  on  to  say;  Those  who  seek  to  commercialise  manufactured  nanomaterials  should  be  required  to  demonstrate  the  safety  of  the  new  technology  efore  the  technology  is  released.  (2011)

Owen  Gwilliam,  BFA  Cosmetics  Advisory  Group  Convenor  says,  “The  Therapeutic  Goods  Administration,  by  ordering  a  cosmetics  company  to  remove  a  nanoparticle‐free  claim  has  set  a  worrying  precedent.

“While  the  jury  is  still  out  on  whether  or  not  such  particles  are  dangerous,  surely  consumers  have  the  right  to  know  what  is  in  the  product  they  are  using,  or  at  least  have  the  choice  to  buy  a  product  that  does  not  contain  ingredients  they  are  concerned  about.”