FAQs

 

Why choose products with organic or all natural ingredients?

Simply put - as part of a healthy lifestyle!  Products with organic or all natural ingredients are gentle to the skin and are rich in natural, active ingredients that are great for healthy skin.  Our skin is the largest organ and everything we use on our skin is absorbed into our bodies.  We may not know the effects of every chemical, but if it is not safe to eat, why put it on your skin?  Reducing chemicals in your products, such as pesticides, fertilizers, synthetic and genetically modified ingredients, is why we choose products with organic and all natural ingredients. 

The more we can make healthy choices in our lives, the better! 

Organic or natural?

We are always asked what the difference between organic and natural is and whether the terms are interchangeable.  The answer is no. 

The term "organic" refers to both sustainable farming practices and to products ecologically made from ingredients grown on certified organic farms. According to federal standards, such products have to be at least 70% organic by non-water, non-salt weight. Organic products not only support sustainable farming, but also farm worker health and ecological processing methods.

For a product to be considered organic, the ingredients and methods used must be certified organic.  This means the process of growing the ingredients to the handling of the ingredients into making the product must be organic.  Various certifications will have their own definitions of what is considered organic and what can be certified.  For an ingredient to be considered natural, ingredients must come from a renewable resource that is found in nature, such as a mineral or a plant.    

There are some ingredients, such as water, minerals and salt, which are not grown and, therefore, cannot be certified organic. 

Selected sources: 

• National Organic Program - United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
• National Products Association, www.npa.org

What are parabens?  What is their purpose?

Parabens are preservatives used in both cosmetic and food products.  In addition to being a preservative, parabens prevent bacterial growth in products.  You will see them as methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben and benzylparaben.  The use of parabens are considered safe up to levels of 25% but are usually at a level from 0.01 to 0.3% in products today. 

Parabens have been found to mimic estrogen in the body and have been found in biopsy samples of breast tumors.  Estrogenic activity has been found to be associated with certain forms of breast cancer.  At this time the FDA has concluded, through various studies, that there is not enough concern to consumers with the amount of parabens used in products.  However, the FDA does acknowledge the studies they relied on left “several questions unanswered” regarding the effect of parabens on the development of breast cancer. 

The point here is what your comfort level is.  The FDA will ban an ingredient after a problem occurs and the long-term effects of most chemicals are not known.  Estrogen is a naturally occurring hormone in the body.   However, if you are concerned about adding to that estrogen, you may consider it prudent to avoid products with parabens.  The question remains what the long term exposure to a chemicals absorbed into your skin and what the effects are to your body and health.            

 Selected sources: 

• US Food and Drug Administration “Parabens," http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticingredients/ucm128042.htm
• American Cancer Society “Learn About Cancer,” http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-rsik
• Breast Cancer Fund, “Chemicals in Cosmetics,” http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-linked-to-breast-cancer/cosmetics/
• Environmental Working Group “Beauty and the Beasts,” http://www.ewg.org/news/beauty-and-beasts   

What should I look for when buying organic products or all natural products?

For organic, look for the USDA certification seal.  This symbol certifies the product’s ingredients are 95% or more organic.  If a product does not have the USDA certification seal, take a look at the ingredients.  The organic ingredients will have an asterisk next to them with (* certified organic) at the end of the list. 

For a product to receive the “all natural” seal given out by National Products Association (npa.org), the product must be made at least with 95% all natural ingredients.  Not all products have received the label, but the NPA has put together a helpful list of natural ingredients.  Please go to:  http://198.171.234.134/npa/clientuploads/naturalSeal/Updated%20Illustrative%20list%20v122110.pdf

For a list of ingredients to avoid, the following are some great resources to go to:

• Breast Cancer Fund, “Chemicals in Cosmetics,” http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-linked-to-breast-cancer/cosmetics/
• Environmental Working Group, Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/top-tips-for-safer-products/

Are some organic products better than others?  

No.  Products that have been given the USDA certification have gone through the same rigorous testing.  Products certified by another certification body have all gone through that organization’s certification process. 

One important note is that some products have ingredients, such as minerals or water, which are not grown and, therefore, cannot be classified organic or certified organic. 

Do organic products have a shelf life?

Most products have a two year shelf life.  Some products have a specific expiration date.  Also, many products, once opened, are best used within 6 -12 months.   

Will it benefit me if only some of my products are organic?  Is it "all or nothing"?

 You will always receive a benefit reducing the chemicals in the products you use.  Start switching over by purchasing 1 or 2 products that you currently need.  As you see the benefits of better looking skin, you will want to switch over to more organic and natural products.

What are biodynamics?

Biodynamics, or Biodynamic farming, is based on the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner.  The idea is that a farm is self-sustaining.  It involves using organic practices where no chemicals or growth hormones are used but rather compost and natural fertilizer (i.e. manure) is used to grow healthy plants.  In addition, the natural rhythm of the sun and moon is studied to time planting and harvesting. 

Selected sources:

• Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, http://www.biodynamics.com/
• Organic Consumers Association: Biodynamic Food & Farming, http://www.organicconsumers.org/biodynamics.cfm

 

Certifications - an overview of the certifications on the brands we carry:

 

USDA Organic

   

Regulated by the National Organic Program (NOP), a division of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products can be labeled organic when those ingredients meet the USDA/NOP organic standards of the National Organic Program (NOP) found in Federal Regulation 7 CFR Part 205. 

There are 4 organic categories under the USDA: 

• 100 percent organic
• Organic
• Made with organic ingredients
• Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients.

100 percent organic – The USDA Organic Seal can be used on products where all ingredients have been organically produced.  Water and salt are not included.  The seal may be accompanied by the phrase “100 percent organic”.

Organic – USDA Organic Seal can also be used on products that contain 95% organic ingredients.  The remaining 5% must be nonagricultural ingredients that are found on the National List (found in Federal Regulation 7 CFR Part 205) or ingredients not available in organic form.  Again, water and salt are not included.

Made with organic ingredients – this phrase can be used for those products with at least 70% organic ingredients.  Up to 3 of the organic ingredients can be used on the product label.  However, the USDA Organic Seal cannot be used.  

Less than 70 percent organic ingredients – the product cannot use the USDA Organic Seal.  Any organic ingredients can be identified as organic in the area where ingredients are found.  In this case, organic ingredients are usually identified by an asterisk  

For more information regarding USDA Certification go to:

• www.ams.usda.gov/nop and NOP's publication: "Cosmetics, Body Care Products and Personal Care Products"

 

BDIH

 

BDIH is a German certification.  To receive the Certified Natural Cosmetic seal, raw materials must be from plants and/or minerals.  No animal testing is allowed.  Only natural preservatives may be used and raw materials cannot be disinfected by radioactive means.  Ingredients including organic-synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, ethoxylated raw materials, silicones, paraffin and other petroleum products are not allowed.  No genetically modified ingredients are allowed. 

For more detailed information about BDIH guidelines, go to:

• www.kontrollierte naturkosmetik.de/e/guideline_natural_cosmetics.htm.

 

Cosmebio

Cosmebio (French Professional Association for Ecological and Organic Cosmetics) is a French organization whose mission is “to promote ecological and organic cosmetics in France and worldwide towards consumers and professionals.”  Cosmebio’s basic principles are to certify products that contain natural ingredients and ingredients from organic production.  Cosmebio looks at all involved in the process - from suppliers and growers of raw materials and ingredients, to cosmetic laboratories, to manufactures – to make sure a product with the Cosmebio label truly contains organic ingredients.  

To receive the Cosmebio label, a product must have:

• At least 95% natural ingredients or derived from natural sources.
• At least 95% of plant ingredients produced by Organic Farming
• At least 10% of the total finished product contents are produced by Organic Farming (water and minerals are not certifiable)

Cosmebio will not certify products containing synthetic perfumes, synthetic colorants, products from the petrochemical industry (paraffins, silicons, PEGs), synthetic preservatives (parabens, phenoxyethanol), or genetically modified organisms.  It will not allow animal testing.  Cosmebio is approved by Ecocert and Qualité France and is associated with BDIH (Germany), BIOFORUM (Belgium), and SOIL ASSOCIATION (UK).

Selected sources:

• Cosmebio’s website - www.cosmebio.org/en/charte-cosmebio.php

 

EcoCert

  

EcoCert is a certification organization based in France and is accredited by the USDA.  Their purpose is to ensure the use of ingredients in products are derived from renewable resources and are manufactured by environmentally friendly processes.  Certification can be “Natural and Organic Cosmetic” or “Natural Cosmetic.”  For both certifications, a product’s total ingredients must be at least 95% natural and no more than 5% of the ingredients can be synthetic.  Further, to receive the “Natural and Organic” certification, 95% of the plant ingredients must be certified as organic.  To receive the “Natural” certification, at least 50% of the plant ingredients must be certified as organic.  EcoCert does not allow the use of genetically modified ingredients, parabens, phenoxyethanol, nonoparticles, silicon, PEG, synthetic perfumes and dyes, animal-derived ingredients (unless naturally produced by them, such as milk, honey, etc.) in products.  Animal testing is prohibited.

The standards of EcoCert are the result of a collaboration of professionals who work in the cosmetics industry and have backgrounds and knowledge in the use of natural substances and a respect for the environment.    

For more detailed information on EcoCert, please look at the following websites: 

• www.ecocert.com/en/natural-and-organic-cosmetics and www.ecocert.com/en/european-regulation-ec

 

Natural Products Association

 

The Natural Products Association is a US organization.  To receive the NPA seal, products must be made with at least 95% all natural ingredients.  Natural ingredients are defined as those coming from a renewable resource that is found in nature – plants, minerals.  No synthetic ingredients are allowed unless found not to be harmful and are environmentally-friendly. 

NPA will not certify any products containing parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), petroleum products, chemical sunscreens (avobenzone, oxybenzone), glycols, phthalates, ethoxylated ingredients (SLS, sodium myreth sulfate, PEGs, PPGs), ethanolamines (MEA,DEA,TEA), synthetic polymers (PVP, acrylates) or formaldehyde donors (DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone)

For more information on NPA’s list of allowed processes and ingredients, please visit their website at:

• www.npa.org

 

NaTrue

  

NaTrue (or True Friends of Natural and Organic Cosmetics) is an international and non-profit organization located in Brussels, Belgium.  NaTrue’s goal is “to promote and protect natural beauty and skin care products. We embrace all who commit to our high standards of quality and integrity.” 

Products that use the NaTrue label are guaranteed to have natural and organic ingredients and use environmentally friendly practices.  Products cannot contain synthetic fragrances and colors, petroleum derived products (such as paraffins, PEG, -propyl, -alkyl), silicon oils and derivatives, genetically modified ingredients.  The end product and botanical ingredients cannot be irradiated and products cannot be tested on animals.   

For more information regarding NaTrue Certification, please visit their website at www.natrue.org. 

 

Organic Tilth

 

Oregon Tilth is a US organization based in Oregon.  This nonprofit organization has been around for over 30 years and helped to develop the USDA’s organic standards.  Their purpose is to educate others about sustainable growing practices, how to conserve natural resources and protect the environment.  Their certification is given to organic growers, processors and handlers.   

For more information about Oregon Tilth, please visit their website at www.tilth.org. 

 

Interested in more information on organic and natural products? 

Here are some great additional links:

• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics - www.safecosmetics.org
• EU information regarding safe cosmetics - www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=346
• Laws and Regulations governing products - www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?list=type&type=30 
• Organic Trade Association - www.ota.com
• The Green Guide - www.thegreenguide.com