What does 'Natural' mean to you, when it comes to personal care?

Like to have your say about what constitutes a natural personal care product?

Burt's Bees (Natural personal care company from the US), have launched an Australian survey, so you can have your say. It is easy to complete and takes around 5 minutes or a little less. You'll find the link on the Burt's Bees home page. http://www.burtsbees.com.au/

Below is a little information from Burt's Bees on the Survey.

Burt’s Bees and Porter Novelli Adelaide have launched an online survey asking Australian consumers about their concerns and attitudes to ‘natural’ ingredients – what ‘natural’ means to them and what matters to them about ‘natural’ ingredients in personal care (meaning products for body, face, hair etc). Burt’s Bees has done a similar survey in the US but as far as we know, no-one’s done one here.

Essentially, we would like to invite you to take a look at the survey and help us encourage people to participate. If you would like to take it further, we are more than happy to set up an interview with Emma Atkinson, the GM of Burt's Bees here in Australia, to discuss in-depth the ideas behind the survey and the ultimate goals for the results.

The survey process itself is only five minutes long and is just a series of simple questions about/around natural ingredients and natural personal care products. We are aiming to gather as much feedback as possible over the next three months, and will be sharing the results with online communities and health and beauty media. Burt's Bees is committed to transparency about 'natural' in the industry, and was instrumental in the creation of a 'natural' standard in the US - now we're aiming high here too! I think that for many people this issue is confusing and frustrating, and I hope that we can achieve greater clarity for everyone interested in natural personal care.

Why are we doing this? Firstly, because we just don’t want to make assumptions about what Australians think and know about ‘natural’ in personal care. Obviously Burt’s Bees is a ‘natural’ focused company but this survey is about understanding what consumers actually want. All sorts of assumptions get made in marketing and both Burt’s Bees and Porter Novelli Adelaide have decided that’s not enough for us. So we’re asking. We’ve decided to approach online communities because we know connecting online is one way consumers can share their unfiltered views and concerns, and that’s what we want to hear. Yes, you will be talking to a PR company and a manufacturer in the industry - because we genuinely want to know what people are thinking.

We will use the results of the survey in the following ways: we will report back to the blogs and site communities that link to the survey on what we find, we will share the results with the health and beauty media in Australia and we will make the results available via the Burt’s Bees website. We hope the results will help address any concerns or confusions about what ‘natural’ means and how it is presented in Australia. (One result of a similar survey in the US was that Burt’s Bees joined together with other major natural personal care companies to develop a national standard for ‘natural’ via the Natural Products Association.)

The results will be available to you to use and we hope the whole process encourages conversation and education about the topic.

The survey is for Australian residents and will run from August 20 until November 14. You can find it here.

As the results of this survey will be featured in the media, this is a great opportunity for CleanLife readers to have their say about what 'Natural' means.

Organic Beauty World

Mae is the founder and director of Organic Beauty World, and online store specialising in natural and organic product to make you feel and look beautiful. We caught up with Mae to find out a little about her, her company and her favourite products.


What inspired you to start Organic Beauty World and how has the journey been for you?

I used to spend most of my Saturday’s going from store to store looking for natural/organic products. This was a time consuming, costly and frustrating process. I remember thinking, surely it can’t be that difficult to buy organic hair products, natural makeup and natural supplements in the one place. Hence the idea for Organic Beauty World was born over a cup of green tea with some friends and encouragement from my 6 year old daughter.



The Organic Beauty World online store seems to have an ever growing range of products, including everything from certified organic beauty products and makeup to natural hair colours and breastfeeding teas, how do you choose which products you will sell?

In the beginning what to sell was based on trial and error. Now 2 years on I have a much better idea of what customers are looking for. Often our customers will tell us what they want or will let us know about a particular product they like. Many of our top selling products have been uncovered through customer referrals.


Many people find overhauling a chemically laden toiletries cupboard a little too daunting, so continue to use potentially harmful products. What would you suggest for people looking to make the change gradually without breaking the bank?

Keep it simple and throw out 1-2 toxic products a week to start with. Begin with the toothpaste and mouthwash. Gradually replace every single personal care item including sunscreen, makeup, hair care and body care with non toxic alternatives. The Chemical Maze Pocketbook may become your best friend on this journey. Its full of information about the potential health effects of food additives and ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products. Another great resource is www.cosmeticdatabase.com. Once you start using organic, natural, non toxic products you can’t go back to using the stuff you used to use. There is such a big gap between toxic and non toxic products in terms of quality, feel, smell and peace of mind. Organic and natural products work better!


Are there any standout best selling natural and organic beauty products?
Our top selling Organic Beauty World products cover both health (inner beauty) and personal care (outer beauty)


• Coral White Toothpaste (SLS Free) - helps re-mineralize tooth enamel

• Naturalene Invisible Glove Skin Protection - excellent for dry skin, chafing, nappy rash, eczema and Dermatitis

• Red Iron Plus">Red Iron Plus – a unique natural source of raw liquid iron sourced from an ancient rainforest

• Logona Herbal Hair Colours – 100% certified natural hair colours

• Natracare Organic Cotton Feminine Hygiene products

• Miessence Tahitian Breeze Organic Roll-on Deodorant – will keep you smelling lovely even after a work out

• Giovanni Hair Products – an excellent range even for the most sensitive noses


If you could have only three beauty products what would they be and why? First 3 products that came to mind:

I can’t leave home without smothering my face with the Devita Solar Moisturiser. It has an SPF of 30+ (perfect for the Australian climate). It’s non greasy and I love the way my dry skin feels – really soft and hydrated. It uses micronized (no nano) Zinc Oxide, fragrance-free, PABA-free, Gluten-free, safe for vegans, and titanium dioxide-free.

Miessence Organic Deodorant - a beauty must have to keep me smelling beautiful even when most of the day is spent running around doing things.

A handbag must have is the Suvana Certified Organic Paw Paw & Honey Lip Balm.
I use this on my lips and under and around my eyes. I really like the safe organic ingredients and the way my lips look plumper after putting it on.


Most people consider starting and running a small business a difficult undertaking, what keeps you going when things get tough?

In a word – my customers! They make me laugh, inspire and educate me and vice versa. In their words:

“I received my hair colours today and dyed my hair, my hair feels AMAZING! It feels so nourished, enriched and the colour is absolutely gorgeous! Just perfect, thank you for your tips”. Susan

“Hi, I just wanted to thanks for my upgraded tub of vital greens. It was a
nice surprise. Thankyou for your excellent customer service with all my
orders”. Kristy

“Thankyou very much for all your assistance. I love the makeup you recommended. I have been searching for quality organic cosmetics for a while now”. Amanda


Any advice for those individuals wishing to start their own ethical business?

Start with a big vision that drives you and keeps you excited about your business. Write it down so you can see it every day. Tap into any support offered from friends, colleagues, community (online and offline). Use this support base to share information, market your idea, find untapped markets and bring in new customers.

Use your existing networks to find someone with a big database to market your products to. Don’t spend time worrying or fearing about what to do. Take action and do not indulge in negative thinking. Be open to all possibilities and solutions.


What is your favourite way to indulge?
A long soak in a tub filled with warm water, 2 tablespoons of Himalayan Detox Bath Salts and a few drops of rose essential oil. Soft music playing in the background. I can just relax and day dream.


The perfect day is different for everybody, how would you describe yours?
Every day is perfect, just because I woke up and am able to live and love one more day.


Check out www.organicbeautyworld.com.au for a huge range of natural and organic products.