Sugarpuffish: soil association

Showing posts with label soil association. Show all posts

19.9.16

Organic Beauty Week: Look for the Logo

The Organic Beauty Week Campaign for 2016 is #lookforthelogo. A long time ago I wrote a piece titled "How to make sure you are buying truly organic skincare". It could do with updating but the general principals remain the same, in order to guarantee a beauty product is truly organic you need to look for a certification logo such as the Soil Association.

I thought I would share with you some of the organic brands which I enjoy using and talk you through my favourite products.

Odylique - if you are regular reader you will know that I rave non-stop about Odylique Gentle Herb Shampoo, honestly it changed my life the day I discovered it. No more itchy scalp for me, I can't be without it and purchase the 500ml bottle in bulk. I also love the Creamy Coconut Cleanser, my struggles with linalool have been well documented and this cleanser is a repeat purchase for me. I also think Superfruit Concentrate is one of the best facial serums your money can buy and if you struggle with eczema then I recommend the Repair Lotion.

Skin & Tonic - the Naked Beauty Oil is up there with Odylique when it comes to unscented facial oils. It's a beautiful product which I highly recommend. I haven't tried much else from the range because of my allergies but I know many of my blogger friends rave about their products so I'm confident there is something for everyone.

Terre Verdi - I've had the pleasure of knowing this brand through the Free From Skincare Awards and more recently they attended our Gorgeously Green Event. The brand has come a long way since my review last year. Elegant and stylish bottle full of gorgeous ingredients what more do you need.

Herbfarmacy - you'll often hear people mention their balms, Mallow Beauty Balm appears to be a cult favourite amongst bloggers and I have enjoyed using it over the years. I recently took on my holidays the Marshmallow & Vanilla Lip Conditioner and I know some many think "what's so special about a lip balm" but seriously it's a wonderful buttery blend of ingredients.

Botanicals - an award winning vegan brand that I've had the pleasure of knowing for quite some time. I highly recommend the Rose & Camellia Nourish Cleanse Melt is you love using cleansing balms. I also enjoy using their Raw & Pure range of Cold Pressed Oils perfect for those who like to keep things simple or have fragrance allergies.

Balm Balm - simple packaging and ingredients makes this brand awesome. I've been a fan for years and often recommend Super Light Coconut Cleanser if you have sensitive skin. Also an affordable range for organic certified products.

Lulu & Boo Organics - dig around in the archives and you'll find a review for the Chamomile Cleansing Balm and Shea Butter & Jojoba Hair Treatment. I've know this brand for a long time and I recommend them.

Do you have a favourite certified organic brand or product?

Sarah x

7.9.14

Organic Beauty Week 8th - 14th September 2014: Special Offers

Twitter

A social media campaign is in place to get #OrganicBeauty trending on Twitter at 11am on the 8th of September.

Soil Association

If you had not already realised Organic Beauty Week is part of the bigger celebrations for Organic September. Click here to view all promotions being run during September.

Odylique by Essential Care - www.odylique.co.uk

Have launched a box of trial/travel size favourites. Packaged beautifully and including six sensitive-skin friendly products, plus a £5 gift voucher. Favourites Box Contents: Creamy Coconut Cleanser (30ml), Timeless Rose Moisturiser (15ml), Avocado 24H Replenishing Cream (15ml), Calming Rose Super Tonic (5ml), Organic Superfruit Concentrate (2ml), Coconut Candy Scrub (20g). Priced at £22.50 this limited edition box offers irresistible savings worth £47.50

CosNatural - www.cosnatural.co.uk

During the Organic Beauty week, CosNatural will be offering a 10% discount on all products with the code organic10. They are also adding a Free Samples service to the website. Customers will be able to choose 3 free samples with each order.

zk’in makes its UK debut

The Australian-born range launches with online retailer, Love Lula on 8th September. Zk'in products are certified to the COSMOS Organic standard, free from BPA, GM ingredients, nano particles and suitable for vegans.

Vanessa's Choice - www.vanessaschoice.co.uk

The code ORGANICWEEK will get you 15% off orders at checkout. Vanessa is also offering £10 off initial Nutritional Therapy consultations, which are available via Skype or phone for those outside of London. Just mention the offer when booking - www.wellbeingandnutrition.co.uk

Adore Naturals - www.adorenaturals.co.uk
To celebrate Organic month, Adore naturals will be offering a new deal every week in September.

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27.8.13

Organic September 2013 - Small Changes, Big Difference

There is a theme to recent press releases and that is the promotion of Soil Association's Organic September (click here for more info). One of the key events during the month most relevant to my blog, is Organic Health & Beauty Weekend on 7-8 September. I thought I would share a couple of things which you may like to take part in.

Essential Care (@EssentialCareUK) are holding a twitter chat on Thursday 5th September at 7pm (UK time). The hashtag you need to follow is #organicbeauty and you have the opportunity to ask any questions about organic make up and beauty. Expert Guests including Laura Jane Sessions, will be on hand to offer tips and advice

Throughout September, Pinks Boutique is hosting an Organic Beauty Festival in partnership with spas and salons up and down the country. Participating spas and salons will be hosting events including organic tea parties and talks, free treatment tasters, special product promotions and gift with purchase offers. For the full list of participating spas and salons and to find out what’s happening near you click here.

If you are a Twitter addict like me, then keep your eye on the hashtag #OrganicBeauty it will be in use throughout the month.

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15.5.13

How to make sure you’re buying truly organic skincare

Louise, a cruelty free blogger (looweezbx.blogspot.co.uk) asked me an interesting question – “X label themselves as organic, do you know if they are legit organic or how can you tell?”

In Britain, laws governing the labelling on organic foods do not extend to cosmetic products. A company can describe a product as organic even if it contains small amounts of organic ingredients. Last year Boots Little Me Organics advert was banned by the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency). A complaint was made that said “claims that the product was ‘organic’ were misleading because they implied it met an independent organic standard. The product had less than 5% organic ingredients.”

If you are keen to use organic skincare then you need to look at product labels and websites for signs of organic certifications from a recognised association. You will need to keep in mind that each organisation has different guidelines as to what qualifies a product organic.

The Soil Association, UK - A product must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients but if it contains more than 70 per cent organic ingredients, it can still be certified by the Soil Association, so long as the exact proportions are stated. (source)

NaTrue, European Union - non-profit organization formed by natural cosmetic manufacturers in Europe. NaTrue has created 3 levels of certification (was a 3 star system) as follows: 1) Natural Cosmetics - Ingredients must be natural but they do not have to be organic (from organic cultivation). This level is the foundation of the NATRUE-Label: it defines which ingredients are permitted and how they may be processed. Products of the other two levels need to fulfil the criteria of this level first. 2) Natural Cosmetics with Organic Portion Natural cosmetics containing ingredients of organic origin:at least 70% of natural (and/or derived natural, where applicable) ingredients must stem from controlled organic production and/or controlled wild collection. 3) Organic Cosmetics - At least 95 % of natural* (*and/or derived natural, where applicable) ingredients must come from controlled organic cultivation and/or controlled wild collection.

Eco-Cert, France - Requires a minimum 95% of natural ingredients and a maximum of 5% of ingredients of synthetic origin. 10% of total product by weight (including the weight of water) must be organic.

USDA Organic, USA - a highly stringent set of organic standards for food manufacturers that requires at least 95% organic ingredients to use the "Organic" logo. Products that use 100% organic ingredients can use the "100% Organic" logo. (source)

Organic Farmers & Growers - Further information on The OF&G Certification Scheme for Cosmetics and Bodycare Products can be found here.

Now you know the certification logos to look out for you have to be aware that there are organic "fakers". Having a product certified organic is costly so I understand why smaller companies don't take the plunge. However, I see a growing number of smaller businesses not displaying logos but instead simply claiming and promoting "made with certified organic ingredients". Also using the word "Organic" in the name of your company portrays an image to the consumer which could be misleading, as with the Boots case I mentioned earlier. Some companies even going so far as to use made up logos (I shall not name & shame but I have seen this recently).

So why the fuss? Let me explain that saying a product uses certified organic ingredients is not the same as having the final product certified. One obviously way to spot an organic "faker" is to look at the non-organic ingredients. There are strict guidelines for the preservative systems which are allowed and they must meet toxicity and biodegradability standards e.g if you see parabens then you have a faker on your hands as these ingredients would not be allowed by the Soil Association. Getting a product certified also involves a set of procedures such as auditing the factory, batch testing products and ensuring correct labelling and packaging.

If buying organic skincare is important to you then purchase from Companies who are certified by a recognised organisation. If you are happy to buy from companies not accredited then make sure you read the labels and understand the true organic content. I see no reason to pay over the odds for a product which has only two certified organic ingredients within it and a bunch of questionable ingredients.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.

Thank you to Abi (Essential Care) & Tamara (Rainbow Feet) for helping me with my research for this blog post