The world of “natural” skin care is difficult to navigate.  I have reviewed hundreds of products, and yet I still become befuddled by ingredients and marketing terms like “naturals”.

We were recently sent some products I viewed with trepidation, as they bear the Disney label, one of my least favorite companies.  True Disney brought magic to my own childhood and continues to do so for children today, but the marketing of products today goes beyond the magic of Walt envisioned.

We were sent some baby products from Disney’s Daily Renewal Naturals line.

These products, although marketed as “natural”, contain synthetic ingredients.

Disney Baby Shampoo Powder Fresh: “Made of pure botanical extracts, Disney baby shampoo gently cleanses, conditions and maintains the natural oils in your baby’s hair. The light powder scent smells fresh as spring rain.”
Disney Baby Wash, Lavender and Chamomile: “Gentle, pure Disney baby wash cleanses, nourishes and protects baby’s delicate skin with natural botanical extracts for carefree play all day. The calming scents of lavender and chamomile soothe and relax.”
Disney Baby Wash Powder Fresh: “Gentle, pure Disney baby wash cleanses, nourishes and protects baby’s delicate skin with natural botanical extracts for carefree play all day. The fresh-as-a-breeze powder scent keeps your baby smelling sweet and clean from head to toe.”
Disney Baby Washcloths, Powder Fresh: “Disney baby natural washcloths gently cleanse, nourish and protect baby’s delicate skin with natural botanical extracts. The fresh-as-a-breeze powder scent keeps your baby smelling sweet and clean from head to toe. Just add water.”

Although I commend Disney for making these products sulfate-free, paraben-free, 1,4-dioxane-free, and quaternium-15-free, cruelty-free, as well as disclosing the ingredients, this is another example of the term “natural” being loosely described and fooling consumers.

My go to guide for evaluating the safety of beauty products is the Environmental Working Group, who has not evaluated these Disney products in their cosmetic database. I also could not find any of the cautionary ingredients in the products, which is good. What I did find that upset me came from Disney‘s frequently asked questions:

We have heard that benzoic acid can be derived from animals what is the source of the benzoic acid in Disney Baby? 
The benzoic acid used in Disney Baby is derived from a synthetic source.

Are there any synthetic ingredients in your products, if so why?
Yes, there are synthetic ingredients in Disney Baby. These ingredients enhance product freshness, shelf life and add to the desired smell.

What does natural mean? 
There is no globally recognised definition of ‘natural’ in personal care products. Many organizations are run based on their individual definition of what natural is.

Are there petrochemicals in Disney Baby? 
Yes. Synethetic fragrances have petrochemically derived ingredients.

When you click the links to look at the product ingredients, across the top in large letters it reads:

Thankfully, Disney makes it easy to see on the list under “Where it comes from” that four of the baby wash ingredients are synthetic.  Shouldn’t the baby wash be advertised as “mostly natural” at the very least?

Natural to me means 100% natural!

I am tired of companies using this term loosely and misguiding consumers who don’t have time to go to the website of each product they use. Enough is enough!

Consumers are turning towards green, natural products for their health and the environment. Major corporations don’t want to lose this profit. I wish there was more honesty and integrity in marketing.

disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.