FTC's Order on "All Natural" Advertising

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued a decision against California Naturel, Inc. related to its advertising of "all natural" sunscreen on both its website and the product packaging itself. On its website, California Naturel was not only advertising its sunscreen as "all natural" but was describing the sunscreen as containing "only the purest, most luxurious and effective ingredients found in nature." The FTC found that this advertising conveyed that California Naturel's sunscreen contains only ingredients that are found in nature.  But because California Naturel admitted that eight percent of its sunscreen formula consists of a synthetic ingredient, the FTC determined that California Naturel's advertising constituted false and misleading advertising and that such advertising is likely to materially impact consumers' purchasing decisions.