In a market without strict regulations concerning the meaning of the word natural, The Natural Products Association (NPA) strove to give consumers some guidelines. Now, following its two-year old natural standard certification program, the NPA has announced that it has certified more than 300 natural personal care products.

“The demand for natural products continues to grow—even in the face of the recession,” said John Gay, NPA’s executive director and CEO. “Consumers are more and more concerned about the quality and purity of the products they use every day. We are delighted to provide this important service to those looking for truly natural products, and to retailers and manufacturers who want to fill that need. This program has been so successful, that we recently launched a similar seal for home care products,” said Gay.

Cara Welch, Ph.D., NPA’s Scientific and Regulatory Affairs manager said “As the only standardized definition of the term ‘natural’ used by the personal care industry, the NPA natural certification program has set the bar for truly natural products. And as strict as the criteria are now, we are committed to strengthening the standard in the years to come.”

Under the NPA’s program, to merit bearing the seal, products must follow strict guidelines set by the association. Products must be made up of at least 95% natural ingredients—meaning they must come from a renewable or plentiful source found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral). Non-natural ingredients are allowed only when viable natural alternative ingredients are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks. Products cannot use animal testing beyond what is required by law, and must use a majority of biodegradable and post-consumer recycled content in their packaging.

NPA also certifies ingredients as natural. These 100% natural ingredients can be used by manufacturers to develop products that are in compliance with the natural standard. Currently, there are 100 certified natural ingredients.

These companies manufacture the personal care products currently certified as natural by NPA: Arch Personal Care Products, Aubrey Organics, Baby’s Bliss, Belcam Inc., Biolements, boom Creative Development, Burt’s Bees, CARA B Naturally, Highland Laboratories, J.R. Watkins, Naturals by Lauren Hutton, Naturals by Safety 1st, Nature’s Way, Noah’s Naturals, Organique by Himalaya, RAW Health International, Smith & Vandiver, Tsi-La, W.S. Badger Company, wet n wild Natural Blend, XanGo, and Yes To Carrots.

The full criteria, certified products list, certified ingredients list, and NPA’s natural certification program for home care products, can be found at www.thenaturalseal.org.

The Natural Products Association (NPA), founded in 1936, is the largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry, representing more than 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids. As the leading voice of the natural products industry, the NPA’s mission is to advocate for the rights of consumers to have access to products that will maintain and improve their health, and for the rights of retailers and suppliers to sell these products.