"Pure and Natural," "P&N," 100% Pure & Natural," what do they actually mean, if anything?

[Bill Roberts]

"Pure and Natural," "P&N," 100% Pure & Natural," what do they actually mean, if anything?

We have learned, sadly, that with many vendors including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers at least once thought reputable, the words "Absolute" or "Essential Oil" mean nothing in commerce today beyond "aromamaterial."

The next question is, does P&N mean anything? How about 100% Pure & Natural? Etc.

We had a little discussion about this before with Perfumer's Apprentice making a big point of it, claiming there was just no way anyone would dare claim such without the product being totally legit, due to alleged strict EU regulation on this, but my understanding is they were asked to back that up and they responded with exactly no evidence for their claim.

I have never been able to find anything.

I know that in the US for foods and cosmetics there is no definition for this, and hypotheses such as Bkkorn's that a product could be made of natural isolates only and still be called "100% Pure & Natural" seem to have no evidence against them.

Does anyone have any facts?

Or are these terms undefined fluff on which we should not rely anything past being warranted as all natural, but all natural what?

I would hope that with a good manufacturer, there would be a distinction, such as Payan Bertrand calling their recon "100% Natural" not "100% Pure & Natural" but I would like to know if there really is basis that a manufacturer can't legally call a recon "Pure & Natural" and if so, what is that regulation, law, codification, or reference as to accepted practices?

 

[Darren Alan]

Re: "Pure and Natural," "P&N," 100% Pure & Natural," what do they actually mean, if anything?

All good questions Bill. I cannot comment on EU regulations, but I know that in the US, the FDA does not recognize the term “pure” or “natural”. There is no criteria for the use of these terms & they are solely used for marketing purposes with no requirements set forth for their use.

In 2019 Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney introduced the Natural Cosmetics Act into congress (H.R. 5017), but as far as I am aware, it has gone nowhere. Especially with the issues due to COVID-19, it’s understandable how this proposed legislation has taken a back seat. But no, there is no set of standards in the US that a manufacturer or retailer must meet in order to advertise their product as “natural”.

As someone who works in this industry, I really hope this bill does eventually pass (although it actually doesn’t go far enough IMO…but it’s a good starting point). There needs to be some set of standards to be adhered to. Otherwise we will continue to see bullshit like these fake essential oils & absolutes marketed as natural. Anyone who wants to read the proposed bill can find it here:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5017/text


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[Bill Roberts]

Re: "Pure and Natural," "P&N," 100% Pure & Natural," what do they actually mean, if anything?

Thank you, Darren.

Yes, for example, let's say I want to put together some "superfood" and sell it as a nutritional supplement.

There's no doubt I can go get some spirulina let's say to which nothing has been added, and likewise some acai powder, some goji berry powder etc all of which have had nothing done to them, blend them together, and call the result "100% Pure & Natural" if I like.

As there's no legal problem, US or EU (based on what we see) on calling something So-and-So Absolute when there is none of So-and-So in it, it doesn't seem that much of a stretch to call it So-and-So Absolute 100% Pure & Natural if the same as above can be said for the ingredients used. No preservatives added, not spiked or extended with synthetics, etc.

This was Bkkorn's theory, which Perfumer's Apprentice could find nothing against either, except their bare assertion that no one would dare do that. (This, re a product whose SDS matched up beautifully with being a fake. If you dare one, why not the other?)

Personally I am strongly suspecting the term to be meaningless including in the EU.

 

[Bill Roberts]

Re: "Pure and Natural," "P&N," 100% Pure & Natural," what do they actually mean, if anything?

Since no one knew of evidence I tried harder to find it.

I am going to call "Bull-SHITE!" on any claim that this term is regulated in the EU and therefore wherever an EU manufacturer says this, the product offered by the retailer has just got to be the pure Absolute or what have you.

If that existed, I would expect it to be in one of these, and it is not, nor anywhere else I can find:

https://cosmeticseurope.eu/files/77...ics_Directive_-_Consolidated_version_2004.pdf
https://cosmeticseurope.eu/files/41...etics_Directive_Explanatory_Brochure_2004.pdf
https://cosmeticseurope.eu/files/58...mation_Requirements_in_the_European_Union.pdf
https://cosmeticseurope.eu/files/47...ngredient_Labelling_in_the_European_Union.pdf

At this point, as zero evidence was ever given for the claim, I think the burden of evidence is on it having any truth (the claim that these phrases legally mean anything whatsoever as to identity of product, beyond simply being natural as presently defined.)