Guest Post by Lisa Rogers Sykes

Because they practice holistic therapy, spa professionals make up a large percentage of consumers who demand environmentally conscious products. However, because these professionals are occupied with daily business operations and lack the time needed to examine dozens of labels, they are often targeted by “predator” companies that send them emerald green catalogs touting, “We’re going green!” So, what does a spa professional do?

A strategy often repeated by legitimate, unbiased organizations is, of course, research. However, time is once again a factor. One can invest a short amount of time by reading through catalogs very carefully to find out if each company’s environmental claim is thoroughly explained and if it reads its own labels. While not all businesses are trying to trick you out of a dollar (some are actually well-meaning in their approach to improve their environmental standards), a few haphazardly create faulty self-checking systems without researching. For example, while recyclable packaging is a good attribute, it shouldn’t be the only attribute that deems a product “eco-friendly”. The product itself may contain a questionable mixture of FD&C dyes, parabens, and phthalates. Another example would be if a company vaguely states, “This product was created using an environmentally-friendly manufacturing process.” Who determines this? Is it ISO 14001-2004, Öko-Tex, or Skal certified? Ambiguous claims are warning signs that a company is not doing its research. Specific answers should always be given or readily available, and there should always be a department or a contact person who can accurately and efficiently answer customer questions.

Furthermore, don’t be afraid to inquire about a company’s environmental standards. Perhaps a company has good intentions, but its vagueness causes customer confusion. Calling attention to this type of blunder does two helpful things: (1) it catches errors, thus helping a well-meaning company improve its standards; or, (2) it alerts greenwashers that you’re paying attention, forcing them to actively support their claims.

Being eco-savvy is easier than it appears. Sometimes it just involves something as simple as a few minutes of invested time. Read a company’s standards, and if the standards are specific and make sense, then let the company read its own labels and interrogate its vendors for you, marking each green product appropriately. Ultimately, this will save you valuable time, and it could possibly evolve into a trusting, symbiotic relationship because a company that offers time-saving information, documented research, and a carefully constructed system for its environmental claims has already approached its own eco-advertising dilemma.

Lisa Rogers Sykes is Technical Copywriter and Eco-Friendly Specialist at Universal Companies, the ultimate source for spas. Universal Companies offers earth-friendly product lines, sustainable spa apparel, and environmentally conscious furniture. Call 1-888-558-5571 for our 2008 Spa Resource Book and learn more with free green webinars. Our environmental statement, research, and answers to your questions are always available at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .