THE SINNERS – AND THE TRUE SAINTS

SHAMPOO

SINNER: Boots Beautiful Hair Moisturise & Nourish Shampoo, €1.89 THE bottle states ‘added organic argan oil’, but contains only a tiny amount. At the same time it has six ingredients that wouldn’t be permitted in a certified organic shampoo, and some may be bad for the environment.

Boots says: ‘Our labelling complies with European cosmetics regulations.’ SAINT: Urtekram Nordic Birch Shampoo for Dry Hair, €5.99, dolphinfitness.co.uk MADE by Scandinavia’s largest organic wholesaler, this shampoo, which uses aloe vera and glycerine to moisturise hair, is certified organic by COSMOS.

SHOWER GEL

SINNER: Faith In Nature Raspberry & Cranberry Shower Gel & Bath Foam, €6.99, Holland & Barrett THE packaging claims ‘Certified Organic Ingredients’, but only three of the total 17 are organic.

A spokesman said: ‘All of our Faith In Nature hair care, shower, bath, hand wash, skincare and Humphrey’s Corner baby range has a minimum of 99% naturally derived ingredients.

‘We make every effort to ensure our packaging is clearly labelled. We take great care in selecting what goes into our products, which are independently safety tested in line with European cosmetics and toiletries regulations.’ SAINT: Bentley Organic Revitalising Body Wash with Cinnamon, Sweet Orange and Clove Bud, €4.80, biggreensmile.com THE organic arm of a soapmaker established in the 1800s makes this body wash, which is part of a range certified by COSMOS and also adheres to company policy that products should be ‘of the Earth, not costing the Earth’.

SUN PROTECTION

SINNER: Coola Pina Colada Sun Screen Spray SPF30, €37, Space NK SAYS it’s made with ‘70%+ certified organic ingredients’, but it contains five that wouldn’t pass muster in a certified organic formulation, including some that could disrupt hormones, cause allergies and affect the neurological development of babies.

A spokesman said: ‘All of COOLA’s organic sunscreens are formulated with over 70% organic ingredients in accordance with the California Organic Products Act (COPA).

‘The ingredients mentioned by the Soil Association are, in fact, sunscreen active ingredients, among the limited number allowed by the FDA for UVA/UVB protection. Knowing this, we work hard to ensure almost every ingredient, other than the sunscreen active ingredients, are organic.’ SAINT: Green People Organic Children’s Sun Lotion SPF30 Scent Free, €18.99, superfooduk.com A NON-IRRITATING, non-greasy, non-scented sun cream that offers broad spectrum sun protection, is suitable for those with sensitive skin and sufferers of prickly heat. COSMOS-certified.

NIGHT CREAM

SINNER: Dr Organic Organic Dead Sea Mineral Night Cream, €10.99, Holland & Barrett CONTAINS two ingredients that would not be permitted in a certified organic or natural product. So suggesting, as the name does, that it’s a wholly organic product is misleading.

Michael Lightowlers, Dr Organic marketing director, said: ‘Sea Mineral Night Cream states on the packaging this product contains a minimum of 70% organic ingredients to help inform a consumer’s buying choices.’ SAINT: Odylique Avocado 24-Hour Replenishing Cream, €25, odylique.co.uk CERTIFIED organic by COSMOS, this rich cream contains cold-pressed avocado and olive oils, plus sea buckthorn and horsetail to aid skin regeneration.

EXFOLIATOR

SINNER: Goop Exfoliating Instant Facial Masque, €120, nordstrom.com WHILE the Goop website claims the beauty products they sell ‘go beyond all natural, beyond non-toxic, beyond greenwashing to be truly good for you’, this product contains two ingredients derived from petrochemicals.

Goop said: ‘Our philosophy is to ensure that ingredients linked to health harm are not found in our products. This is not an exact science.’ SAINT: Intelligent Nutrients Detoxifying Glycolic Gel, €50, naturismo.com CERTIFIED by the Soil Association, this gel contains the same alpha hydroxy acid as the Goop one, but without the petrochemical ingredients.