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September 4, 2008, Second Edition

Welcome to Watkins Green Almanac. From 1901 to 1918 and 1934 to 1948 Watkins published an Almanac and Home Book filled with valuable information for all Watkins patrons. Times have changed but one thing is still the same ... Watkins loves to share helpful tips that are safe for your home and the environment! Enjoy!

Lavendar Body Cream

Watkins Product Development Personal Care Manager Andrea Buckner

Be Label Savvy!

In the personal care segment many companies are applying "natural" to their product labels. Without a governing agency to set natural standards for personal care, any brand on the market can call itself natural, regardless of its ingredients. Definitely deceiving to consumers!

Without set standards it is easy to see why consumers are confused! With Watkins you can trust our entire line of 95% and above natural personal care products are natural. But just how do you decipher the truly natural products from impostors? Watkins Natural Personal Care Product Manager Andrea Buckner sat down with me to explain and offer a few helpful tips.

What makes a personal care product natural?


The ingredients in a product determines if a product is truly natural or not. At Watkins, we believe that in order to call a product natural, the product as a whole needs to be formulated using natural ingredients. In an ideal world, all of our products would be 100% natural, and that is something we are striving for; however, there are circumstances when a natural substitution is not available. We take into consideration the origin of ingredients, as well as the processes that it may under take to be a useable ingredient in personal care products. Just because a product contains one or two natural ingredients, doesn't mean it's truly a natural product.

What are the clues we should be looking for on the label that tell us the product is not truly natural?


Because the market is not regulated, being label savvy is really important when it comes to natural personal care products. If you see parabens (Methyl-, Propyl-, Ethyl-, Butyl-), petrochemicals (petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin), chemical sunscreens (Oxybenzone/Avobenzone),or phthalates, you can be sure the product is not natural. Also, be apprehensive when you see a personal care product that says all-natural, made with natural, contains natural. . . .etc. Check the ingredients!

What if a product contains a natural ingredient? Is it natural?


Definitely not! There are companies out there who do this exact thing. Their lotion contains natural lavender oil, so they call it a natural lavender lotion. This is very deceiving to the consumer, but because natural personal care is not regulated, companies get away with stuff like this. This is why we put our natural percentage bar on each product that we have. We are honest with the consumer.

But it says "natural" or "organic" on the label.


Correct, and legally the companies can call it what they want. Recently, however the Natural Products Association (NPA) has stepped forward with a set of guidelines that have defined what 'natural' means. At Watkins, we are in the process of having all of our natural personal care products certified by the NPA, which will allow us to put a seal on each product. This seal ensures the consumer that the products they are purchasing are truly natural. It also helps to separate those who are not natural companies. I encourage everyone to visit their website at www.naturalproductsassoc.org it contains a wealth of information on natural personal care.

What ingredients should we steer clear of?


As mentioned above, there are a handful of ingredients that natural products steer clear of. At Watkins, we have developed what we call our Freedom Code. We adhere to this code in the development and formulation of J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary.

  • Parabens
  • Chemical Sunscreens
  • Petro Chemicals
  • Glycols
  • Phthalates
  • DEA/TEA-synthetic stabilizers
  • Formaldehyde Donors
  • 1,4 Dioxanes
  • Polymers
  • Acrylates
  • Carbomer
  • PVP
  • Chemical Preservatives
  • Silicones
  • Quats
  • Talc

Bottom line, read your labels! As the old saying goes, you can't always trust a book by its' cover, or in this case, a natural personal care product by its' label.

1935 Almanac Cover

From the Archives

The following article was featured in our 1935 Watkins Almanac and Home Book. Times have changed, but one thing is still the same!

The first thing off the Medicine Shelf - Watkins Liniment

The handiest bottle in the whole medicine cabinet is the one containing Watkins Liniment, it is one of the oldest; the most widely sold and most favorably known liniments in the world. It was the foundation of the Watkins business back in 1868, and the satisfaction that it has given for 67 years and the steady demand for it in millions of homes are its best recommendations. Any medicine is judged by its results, and Watkins Liniment has been put to the test millions of times. It has made good. It is the friend-in-need, always ready to give aid, relief and comfort. Keep a bottle handy in your medicine cabinet. The assistance that this good, old-fashioned Liniment will give you in times of need is worth many times its moderate cost.

Watkins Fabulous Lip Tints

Coming in 2009 — Natural Remedies!

Take a sneak peek at what our Product Development Team has been hard at work developing! Keep an eye out for reformulated natural remedies sometime in 2009, as a few of our tried and true remedies get a natural face lift. Watkins Liniment will be one of the first to enjoy this natural transition with a natural formula that excludes F,D,& C red #40. This natural product sports a ruddier color, the natural color of the formula! Be one of the first to see the proposed product packaging for this line.

What's In? 100% Natural Lip Care!

Watkins Fabulous Lip Tints

Protect your lips with renewable resources from Mother Earth! Watkins natural lip care offers unsurpassed protection and because it is formulated with natural beeswax, not petrolatum (a petroleum by-product) like those other lip balms, you can rest assured earth's environment is protected too! Our light weight, natural formula contains vitamin E and natural shea butter to provide a protective barrier against dry, chapped lips.

With our natural Lip Tints you get all the benefits of our 100% natural beeswax lip balms, with a hint of color! They go on smooth and are perfect for your morning makeup routine or on the go.

  • Choose from four attractive shades: Berry Charming, Simply Mauve-lous, Strike-a-Rose, and Tickled Pink.
  • Naturally flavored with pure peppermint oil.

(.0.9 oz/2.55 g)

Available online at www.WatkinsOnline.com.