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| Organic Information
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Essential Wholesale has been a Certified Organic Facility for manufacturing and handling Organic products. We are inspected and reviewed by the Oregon Tilth regularly.
Essential Wholesale prides itself on its pristine, state of the art manufacturing areas, so it was no surprise that our organic certification inspectors told us how impressed they were with the Quality Assurance and ingredient and manufacturing documentation we that voluntarily maintain prior to going through the certification process.
There is a lot of confusion regarding Organic standards. The key to unlocking the mystery is understanding that the USDA Certified Organic standard was designed and created for the food industry. There are many food ingredients that cross-over into the cosmetic industry, but not as many cosmetic ingredients that are also used in food. A cosmetic ingredient that is not used in food will not be among the approved ingredients for organic.
Why Oregon Tilth?
As you probably know, we had a choice when it came to whom to ask to inspect and certify us as a USDA Certified Organic facility. We selected Oregon Tilth (OTCO), because we were impressed by how strictly OTCO enforced USDA standards, and we wanted to be certified by the most restrictive certifier we could find.
OTCO has fully integrated organic certification services with a high level of service and commitment. They actually helped develop the USDA's National Organic Standards, and were one of the first certifiers to gain accreditation and begin offering USDA organic certification status. OTCO offers certification services to producers, manufacturers, food handlers and more, both nationally and internationally.
We chose OTCO because we believe it is the most respected name in organic certification.
Strict Standards
In order to achieve certified organic status, Essential Wholesale had to be able to show all of the following:
A history of substances applied to land for the previous 3 years
The organic products being grown, raised, or processed
An Organic System Plan (OSP), which describes all of the practices and substances used in production. The OSP also describes the practices the company uses to verify that the plan is effectively implemented
Record-keeping system
practices used to prevent commingling of organic and non-organic items, and to prevent contact of these items products with prohibited substances.
That's a lot to do just to obtain certification. But it doesn't end there. Once we were certified, Essential Wholesale must continue to maintain accurate post-certification records documenting the production, harvesting, and handling of agricultural products that are labeled and sold as certified organic.
We pass all of our inspections with flying colors. Now that we are a USDA certified organic facility, our products should be certified organic yes? Because so much confusion surrounds the world of organics, it's time for a primer on the various terms so you are better equipped to choose the best products for your business.
100% Organic
Products labeled as “100 percent organic” must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients and processing aids.
Organic
Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the National List (NOP) including specific non-organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form. This approval list is the only reason that our Organically Preserved Bases aren’t certified organic. The Emulsifying Wax is one of those emulsifiers that the USDA does not recognize on their National List! (More on this later.)
Products meeting the requirements for “100 percent organic” and “organic” may display these terms and the percentage of organic content on their principal display panel. Interestingly enough, the list of products that would make this category is quite short, and yet more and more companies are somehow putting the USDA seal on their products.
The USDA seal and the seal or mark of involved certifying agents may appear on product packages and in advertisements of properly certified products.
Processed Products Labeled "Made With Organic Ingredients"
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients can use the phrase “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three of the certified organic ingredients the principal display panel. For example, crème made with at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients may be labeled either “crème made with Certified Organic Aloe, Shea and Jojoba,” or “crème made with certified organic ingredients.”
The percentage of organic content and the certifying agent seal or mark may be used on the principal display panel. However, the USDA seal cannot be used anywhere on the package.
Processed Products That Contain Less Than 70 Percent Organic Ingredients
These products cannot use the term organic anywhere on the principal display panel. However, they may identify the specific ingredients that are organically produced on the ingredient deck.
Example #1: Gel
If you have read this far, you are probably keenly aware of all of the companies out there claiming to sell certified organic products. Yet, when you ask, how many of them can produce precise documentation of exactly what is and is not certified organic in their supply chain, can they answer you? No. And here's why.
You see, in order to have a certified organic product, that product must be composed of ingredients that meet strict certified organic standards throughout the entire harvesting, manufacturing and production process. That is, in order to claim certified organic status, all of the producers in the supply chain -- ALL of them -- must be certified organic producers.
That means that the operations that produce the organic agricultural ingredients and raw materials, as well as the handlers of these ingredients and also the manufacturers of the final products must all be certified by a USDA-accredited organic certifying agent.
Gel, for example, cannot possibly be USDA certified organic because by its very nature, it contains surfactants, and surfactants (except Castile) cannot be certified organic. The surfactants that go into an otherwise organic gel like ours, remove the end product from certified organic status.
That's why our new Sulphate-Free gels and other products, which contain a large percentage of listed certified organic ingredients, is not a certified organic.
So next time a supplier tells you that a product is certified organic, ask them if each ingredient in that product is also certified organic or on the NOP list. If they tell you that each ingredient is certified organic, ask them for a list of ingredients and for verification that each one is certified organic.
Example #2: Lotion
Essential Wholesale believes in full disclosure. It is a hallmark of our business, and a significant reason for our success and the trust our customers place in us.
If you purchase a lotion base that is labeled certified organic, ask whether that lotion contains emulsifying wax. If it does, and the lotion is labeled as certified organic, the supplier of that lotion may be breaking the law.
Emulsifying Wax Trumps Everything
In order to have a lotion, an emulsion that does not separate, an emulsifier must be used. We use emulsifying wax NF (National Formulary), and guess what? It is not on the National List! What does this mean? You know now! The lotion cannot be labeled and sold as certified organic!
The emulsifying wax we use is composed of ingredients that are naturally derived (vegetable based), but those ingredients are not considered 100% natural ingredients. Many emulsifying waxes contain animal derived components, but Essential Wholesale sought out the emulsifying wax that is specifically made with vegetable waxes so it would be vegan. Remember, the standards for certified organic were designed for food and food doesn’t require emulsifying wax, hence the ingredient was never even considered.
There are more “natural” options to emulsify products, such as: borax with beeswax, or botanical derivatives (Sorbitan Olivate, Soap Bark Extract, etc.). Borax is derived from boric acid so the toxicology information is the same. Borax is often used in detergents, where it is safe, but it is not a healthy ingredient for a leave-on product like a lotion or crème. The European Union has banned boric acid for children, and it is on the Canadian hot list. It is very bad for irritated, injured or peeling skin. There are numerous studies from the FDA, Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Group, and the US Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that illustrates the dangers of this ingredient.
In any event, none of the botanical derivatives listed adequately emulsify oil and water, and we have experimented with several. Emulsions made with ingredients other than emulsifying wax separate within days of production. The issue of emulsification extends beyond the physical appearance of a product; an un-emulsified product can have preservative issues.
While our Research and Development Lab tests alternative emulsifiers on an ongoing basis, Emulsifying Wax NF is the safest, most effective option that we are currently aware of. After years of trying, and after finding out that we cannot get Organic Certification on anything containing emulsifying wax, we’ve decided that the efficacy of the product and the care of the skin are far more important than the certification.
Because it's not on the list, but is in our otherwise organic lotion, we cannot label the lotion as certified organic.
We Never Stop Learning, and Neither Should You
By now, you know that the world or certified organics is different from the world of organic. You also have a better understanding of why the world of organic is different from the world of natural.
All of this underscores the fact that, the buck stops with you. You are on the front lines for your customers. Essential Wholesale will always tell you the truth, so you can tell the truth to your customers.
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