Washington, D.C.—The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is crying foul on four personal care companies that supposedly misrepresented products with man-made ingredients as “All-Natural” or “100% Natural” in online ads.

FTC approved four final consent orders against Trans-India Products, Inc. (DBA ShiKai), Erickson Marketing Group (DBA Rocky Mountain Sunscreen), ABS Consumer Products, LLC (EDEN BodyWorks) and Beyond Coastal.

Examples from the orders include a lotion and shower gel from ShiKai that was called all natural, even though they contain dimethicone, ethylhexyl glycerin and phenoxyethanol, and Rocky Mountain sunscreens that were called 100% natural, but contained dimethicone, polyethylene, butyloctyl salicylate and neopentyl glycol diethylhexanoate.

The final settlements prohibit each company from making similar claims moving forward. They are required to have “competent and reliable evidence to substantiate any ingredient-related, environmental, or health claims it makes.”

 

Published in WholeFoods Magazine Online, 7/14/16