www.brianclarkhoward.com/bodycarebrawl.html -
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Published on: 11/17/2008
Last Visited: 11/17/2008
But Tim Schaeffer, brand manager of Avalon, replies, "That is not why we started using hydrosol.
We chose it because we wanted a way to more fully harvest the benefits of lavender.
Far from being ,mostly water', properly made hydrosol gives you an exact representation of what's inside the plant, and it has therapeutic benefits for the skin."
Schaeffer adds that the use of hydrosol supports organic agriculture, a claim that is dismissed by Kaye, who says the unregulated material can be made as dilute as anyone wants, meaning very little organic ingredients are actually needed.
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Schaeffer insists his company uses only full-strength, certified hydrosol, which he points out is actually rather expensive.
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Schaeffer says the issue is more complex with shampoos and a few other products, such as foaming face creams, because the active ingredients the vast majority of Americans expect haven't been found in nature.
The debate boils down to a growing philosophical rift in the industry.
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Schaeffer and Light strongly support labeling guidelines, even, they say, if it means they will no longer be able to advertise certain products as organic.
Schaeffer says regulations will help stimulate much-needed research into natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients, since "companies are now afraid to invest too much in a process that might get excluded from future rules."