Power is knowledge! Because deep down, real power comes through understanding and conquering a freedom that allows you to say. “I don’t know which brand I bought, but I remember very well why I bought it!” An advertiser’s nightmare and a revolutionary’s dream…. So unleash your superpowers with the 1st decoder of the dream machine…In short, learn how to distinguish between TRUE and FALSE and to precisely decipher the typical greenwashing phrases about formulas that you might come across as a “naive shopper”. Naive, but not for much longer!

3,2,1... Transcoder activated, revelations imminent!

Greenwashing alert n°1: “Product with 100% natural anti-ageing active ingredient”

As it says; a single anti-ageing active ingredient is natural but what about the rest of the formula? The other ingredients? Nada. Emulsifiers? Niet. Fatty substances (oils…)? Zero. Antioxidants, nothing. No other details about being natural are communicated apart from this headliner. I’ll let you guess why, the rest of the formula can’t be that natural….

Transcoder diagnosis: If there is a percentage, it must relate to the entire formula and not just to one or a few ingredients.

Greenwashing alert n°2: “A gentle cream with organic cornflower extract”

With this simple evocation,I can already see myself lying in my shopping trolly on a mattress of cornflowers smelling pure, untainted nature… Fortunately, my transcoder pulls me out of my dream and alerts me to one detail: is there a more precise description of the rest of the formula?The percentage of organic ingredients amongst all the ingredients in this voluptuous treatment?Obviously not, and believe me, it’s not an oversight on their part…

Transcoder diagnosis: Behind the tree, the forest isn’t always that green. Again you have to look at all the ingredients, not just one.

Greenwashing alert n°3:“My youth-renewing cream is NATURAL”

This is false marketing and a plain infringement of regulations. How many times on websites, catalogues (but curiously rarely on packaging) have I seen this mentioned, which is as clear as it is false. Indeed a product called “Natural” must contain at least 95% of ingredients of natural origin and be certified by an independent body.This is rarely the case.

Transcoder diagnosis: If a brand states it’s “natural” look for the percentage of natural ingredients, or for certifications by independent bodies. If you can’t find any: run a mile!

Greenwashing alert n°4:“Organic certified product - rated excellent on Yuka”

Warning! This statement is correct, provided of course that the product is properly certified and that the app actually gave this rating. But re-read it carefully…

At Novexpert,our exacting standards mean that we cannot tolerate that, too bad for the marketing. ALL our products are rated EXCELLENT by Yuka and not just a small selection…

Greenwashing alert n°5: "Not tested on animals

I can’t resist finishing this article without denouncing this claim. Totally relevant more than 10 years ago (when cosmetics were still tested on animals), this claim is now unnecessary and even banned in Europe because it is misleading. Why?Because it has been illegal to test cosmetic formulas on animals since 2009 in Europe.

At Novexpert our ambition is not to be merely creators of beauty but to become knowledge brokers.I hope this short article will have awakened your curiosity and aroused your critical spirit - don’t forget the dollar is also…. green!

Don’t hesitate to browse our website and our social media, they contain an arsenal of information to help you discover the science behind the label: IGTV, understanding INCI names on our product sheets, percentages of active ingredients, etc.