Natural vs. Organic Skin Care

FIGHTING FOR THE LITTLE GUY - ALL NATURAL DEBACLE!

2009-07-06T06:57:00.001-07:00

I am truly baffled and frustrated!

My chemist assures me that all of the ingredients in our products are all natural. But recently two businesses - Whole Foods and Nuggets Markets - rejected us because they say our products aren't "all natural". Who is right?

We have food color (you could eat it) and aromatherapy fragrance added to our products to make them more appealing to consumers (vs. smelling like nothing and being white). Our ingredients are fruit and vegetable extracts. We also have a preservative which is necessary to keep bacteria from growing. Frankly, something that is 100% organic rots and grows bacteria and has no shelf life - do you really want to put that on your skin!?

The lawyers will tell you to follow FDA guidelines so that if anyone sues at least you can hang your hat on the fact that the ingredients are FDA approved. However, that doesn't cut it with stores who seem to have their own guidelines - the basis of which I cannot discern.

Who are the experts at these companies? What is their background? Are they professional cosmetics chemists like mine who is used by hundreds of companies and who is certifying my ingredients are natural? How did they determine their guidelines for what is "all natural"? My inquiries made in good faith in the hopes of "fixing" my product if it needs fixing go unanswered.

We need one, official organization that doesn't charge thousands of dollars to "certify" that our products are all natural. We are a small, majority woman owned business that is really trying to develop fabulous, healthy, natural products that people love. At live events people try our products and love them. We aren't trying to "dupe" people.

Little startup businesses don't have thousands of dollars to go get their products "certified" by an organization who is making great profits "certifying" people's products.

By the way - the businesses who rejected us for not being "all natural" carry other, popular name brands in their establishments which are so full of chemicals it would make your head spin. I wonder how those products passed the "all natural" test?

Where is the justice for the little gals?
Where is the justice for the little guys?

Is the Beauty World Ready for Recyclable Packaging?

2009-05-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

My company is creating a new spa line. As part of my research, I'm looking at packaging for lotions, scrubs, shampoos, conditioners and body washes. I've gone to stores and visited spas. A very beautiful new store in Healdsburg called La Farmacista is well worth the visit to find fabulous, high quality products. All the packaging is absolutely spectacular - jars, bottles, boxes of beautiful design - each one more elaborate than the last. BUT, what happens to all that packaging?

Unfortunately, most of it ends up as waste - further polluting our environment. Origins just started a fabulous program where you may bring ANY brand empty cosmetic packaging and they will recycle it. However, the secondary packaging (that pretty box around the jar of product) is not recyclable.

There are fabulous companies out there like Xela Pack and Tetra Pak that make recyclable packaging. Xela Pack makes small sample sizes - Tetra Pak makes food packaging. Most notably some wineries are going to Tetra Pak vs. glass bottles in the interest of preserving the environment.

So here is my dilemma...with scent being the #1 factor that attracts buyers and packaging being #2, do I dare put my products...which have fabulous, luxury ingredients...into an "ugly duckling" package? What if my Chardonnay-Honey Essence Lotion was packaged in a utilitarian Tetra Pack - square waxy box, with a plastic lid? Would anyone buy it? Would a spa even consider it?

So this is what I am pondering - conform and package my products in beautiful jars and boxes - or rebel and use plain-Jane recyclable packaging hoping spas will buy?

People...what say you???

Natural vs. Organic Skin Care - What Does It Mean?

2009-04-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of confusion in the cosmetics industry about organic skincare, natural skincare and the like. Unlike the food industry, regulated by the FDA - cosmetics are NOT regulated. Did you know that if a product has just one organic ingredient in it, it may be called "organic" in the cosmetics industry? The product may contain many bad chemicals, but it can still be called organic.

Natural is another designation that can mean the product has excellent quality ingredients - just not grown organically. Natural products can be every bit as good or even better than Organic products. In fact, if a product is 100% organic or 100% natural without a preservative, it would have little shelf life and would spoil very quickly. Bacteria can grow in that product from repeated contact with your skin! It can become very smelly or at the least very unsafe quite quickly. A local spa in my town was featuring some home-made "organic" products with no preservatives that they had out for people to try. I was alarmed that they had no idea that they could be spreading bacteria by letting anyone just dip their hands into each product.

Today many companies self-regulate. Hopefully soon the cosmetics industry will be required to meet standards just like the food manufacturers. Our company follows the guidelines of the Natural Product Association which means that at least 95% of our product ingredients (excluding water) are all natural. Our ingredients are all natural with a preservative - but the preservative is one on the approved list of the Natural Product Association.

So what's the bottom line? Read the label, understand that 100% organic or 100% natural may mean you are buying a science experiment if there is not a preservative that inhibits bacteria growth in that product. Ask questions - if you aren't sure, don't buy it. A reputable business will be happy to let you know what their ingredients are, why they chose those ingredients and whether or not they meet good guidelines such as those fostered by the Natural Product Association.