Organic shampoo: how to tell the real from the fake?
In France, the organic and natural cosmetics market grew by 8% in 2020 and now represents €972 million, according to a Xerfi study. By 2023, sales in this sector are expected to reach €1.4 billion. The enthusiasm for organic cosmetics is therefore a lasting trend, driven by the desire to consume products that are good for both health and the environment. Within this sector, hair care products are among the top sellers. Organic shampoos, natural conditioners, clay masks… all promise you beautiful hair without compromising your health or the planet. Unfortunately, many of these products fall into the trap of greenwashing, boasting the label “natural” or “organic” without truly being so. So, how can you choose a real organic shampoo without being misled? Don’t worry, we’re sharing our best tips to help you separate the real organic from the fake.
Learn to read the label of your organic natural shampoo
You’ve finally decided to make the switch to a gentle organic shampoo. No more shampoos that strip your scalp, it’s time to get back to basics. Excellent choice! A true organic natural shampoo does not contain toxic substances harmful to your health or the environment. It is made from natural ingredients sourced from organic farming and may contain a few synthetic substances in very small amounts. Be careful not to confuse organic shampoo with natural shampoo: the former must be certified and labeled, unlike the latter!
By choosing a gentle organic shampoo, you’re doing your hair a big favor. Free from chemical additives, your strands regain their strength and vitality. Now the challenge is to pick the right product, which means learning how to decode shampoo labels. Focus on the ingredient list, not just the visuals: just because a bottle is green with a leaf on it doesn’t mean it’s truly organic or natural! Many brands engage in greenwashing, presenting themselves as eco-friendly when they’re not. Forget about colors and visuals, always check the actual composition of the shampoo.
On the label of a genuine ultra-gentle organic shampoo, you should not find parabens, phthalates, sodium laureth sulfate, PEGs, or silicones. Ingredients ending in -eth should also be avoided, as they indicate that the shampoo has undergone chemical processing. Of course, reading and decoding labels takes time, and ingredient names can vary from one product to another, a real puzzle! To save time, here’s a tip: enter the ingredient name into the INCI search engine, which will rate it from “very good” to “not recommended.”
In addition to ingredients, the label of your organic liquid shampoo must feature one essential element: the certification label. Without it, a shampoo cannot be considered organic, so this is something you must pay special attention to.
For a quality organic shampoo, trust the labels!
Without an organic label on your shampoo bottle, your hair care product cannot be considered truly organic. Nothing guarantees its quality, nor the absence of harmful substances for your health or for the environment. Many so-called organic shampoo brands claim to be “natural” or “green,” but without a certification logo, it’s very difficult to know for sure.
On the other hand, if your shampoo carries a recognized organic certification label, you can feel confident. This means your product has been tested and approved by an official certification body. However, there are many different labels in France, and not all of them have the same standards. Some require the brand to be vegan, others demand biodegradable products, and so on. Among the best-known and strictest labels are Cosmebio, Ecocert, Nature & Progrès, and Ecogarantie. The latter is considered the most demanding label in the European Union, and it is the one we use for our Hairborist products.
Each of these certifications has a strict set of guidelines that every organic shampoo brand must follow in order to earn its seal of approval. By choosing a certified organic shampoo, you can be sure your product meets key criteria, such as:
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The use of natural ingredients and/or ingredients from organic farming
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Eco-friendly packaging
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No GMOs
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A ban on silicones, industrial preservatives, and petrochemical ingredients
Certified organic hair shampoos therefore offer you a guarantee of quality that uncertified products simply cannot provide. If you want to give your hair the very best (and we’re sure you do), it’s always better to choose a professional organic shampoo with a recognized label!
How to be sure you’re choosing the right organic shampoo?
Decoding labels, analyzing ingredients, checking certifications… Our tips will help you see more clearly in the jungle of organic shampoos, but the list of criteria is still long. So how can you be sure you’re making the best possible choice?
The very first step is to look for the most demanding organic certification label, to ensure you’re using the most natural and professional organic shampoo available. As mentioned earlier, Écogarantie is the strictest label in the European Union, making it the ideal choice if you’re looking for a high-quality organic shampoo. All Hairborist organic shampoos are Écogarantie-certified and therefore 100% organic, neutral, GMO-free, and biodegradable.
Next, you need to choose your organic moisturizing shampoo according to your needs and hair type. Like all shampoos, an organic formula doesn’t treat, it cleanses, but it must still respect the sensitivity of your scalp. For example, if you have an ultra-sensitive scalp, the Sensity shampoo is ideal for you, since it contains no essential oils or fragrance. If your hair has been chemically colored, the Color Clean organic moisturizing shampoo will hydrate your hair thanks to rice protein and reduce the harmful effects of chemical coloring.
Finally, choosing the right organic purifying shampoo also means adapting your hair care routine and opting for organic and natural treatments. Imagine using a high-quality organic moisturizing shampoo, but following it with a conditioner full of harsh chemicals. Not very logical, or beneficial, for your hair, right? Instead, choose a professional organic conditioner like Sweet Care, and deeply nourish your hair with a pre-shampoo oil such as Renovator.
With this routine, you now have the perfect toolkit to care for your hair while respecting both your health and the environment. Say goodbye to greenwashing, you now know how to tell the difference between real organic and the fake!
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