The beauty industry nowadays is moving more and more in a sustainable direction and we love that; but there are a lot of misconceptions and misleading information regarding this topic.
It is very common to get eluded by marketing claims if you are not sure what a natural product means and what an organic product stands for. That’s why we would like to take a moment to unpack this together. Let's start by acknowledging that natural cosmetics can, but don't have to, be organic, whereas organic cosmetics are always natural. Don’t worry, we will explain.
A natural product is made of natural ingredients from a natural source. Typically you can find ingredients like botanical oils, butter, waxes, extracts and more. All of these ingredients can come directly from nature and be considered natural; but for them to be organic they must follow some strict specifications like farming conditions, restrictive usage of pesticides, sustainable extraction processes, and so on. If you consider water as an example, a large portion of cosmetic products are made with large quantities of water which is considered natural, but not organic. That’s why you should be aware of 100% organic claims since the probability of that is very unlikely.
So what does it take for a natural product to be organic, and how do we make sure the product is actually organic?
Nowadays there are many different companies that can certify a product or raw material as organic. These entities have strict rules and specifications that the suppliers must follow to make sure that their products meet those standards and are able to be certified. We are sure that you can recognise a few of these companies:
Source: DSM 2018
As a sustainable-conscious company, at SOWÉ we make sure that all of our ingredients are certified by a recognised entity. All of our ingredients are selected very carefully, taking into account the supplier's sustainable practices, extraction processes, the source of the ingredient and whether the ingredient is certified organic. We can proudly say that all Sowe’s ingredients are organic and Ecocert Certified.
Ecocertified manufacturers focus on effective waste management, energy usage, maintaining ecological balance, biodegradable materials, and minimizing contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins, nitrosamines) and are audited twice a year to make sure they are following the requirements of the organic certification standard. In case you are curious, we have provided a list below of some of the requirements of the Ecocert certification:
- All processes (including harvest, extraction methods, etc.) are audited and Ecocertified
- No synthetic fragrances, colors, petroleum derivatives, polymers, parabens or other potentially harmful substances
- Absolutely no animal testing
- Only animal by-products that do not directly harm animals' lives and whose use do not adversely affect the ecological balance can still be used (bee wax, honey, milk, etc.)
This reassures us that we work with the best quality natural and organic ingredients for our formulations. Find out more about our ingredients by visiting our website and our ingredient library.
Sources
- DSM (2018) Natural /Organic Certifications: Different guidelines - what are the differences? Retrieved: https://www.dsm.com/content/dam/protected/personal-care/en_US/concept/house-of-naturals/EcoLabels_Introduction_2018-07.pdf
- Ecocert (2022) Agir pour un monde durable. (2022). Retrieved: https://www.ecocert.com/fr-FR/home
