Like most people, we tend to spend that little extra time in the supermarket aisle and will carefully look at the food labels to ensure that it contains no preservatives, no GMO, no MSG, no artificial additives and no other hidden toxic ingredients. We try to make our best judgement in making sure the product we buy is natural, where possible organic and most importantly good for you and your family. With many foods including fresh fruits and veggies displaying a ‘genuine’ certified organic label on their products, we feel confident that we are purchasing the ‘Real Deal’.
Yet, do we do the same when purchasing our personal care products?
Commonly used certifications used in personal & cosmetic care products from around the world can somewhat be confusing and misleading. Have you ever picked up an ‘organic’ personal care product, tried to read the never ending ingredients, half of which you can’t even pronounce and thought “Well, it has an organic logo, so it must be organic?”
Unfortunately this isn't always the case.
Personal care products are not required to comply with the same stringent labelling standards that govern organic foods, so it's easy for some companies to label their products 'organic' even though they are not. Once you take a good look at the ingredients, some 'organic' products are far beyond from being a truly organic product!
The only way you can be assured that you are purchasing genuine organic products, free of synthetic chemicals and GMOs, is to purchase products which have been organically certified with a leading independent certifying body such as ACO(Australian Certified Organic), USDA(United States Department of Agriculture), BFA (Biological Farmers of Australia) & IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). You can be confident that certifiers such as ACO & USDA are food standards and are prohibited to containing any chemicals, synthetics, pesticides and toxic ingredients.
There are other certifiers from around the world that their standards are not the same and have different requirements. Unfortunately some logos do not meet the standards of what one would expect to find on a certified organic product, so then we have a cocktail of different varying standards containing very little or if any, organic ingredients.
Certified Organic Claims
For ACO and USDA Certified organic food standards you need a minimum of 95% organic content (excluding water) to be certified organic under the ACO or USDA logo. Some of the other certifiers only need minimum of 20% organic content (including water).
Yet, do we do the same when purchasing our personal care products?
Commonly used certifications used in personal & cosmetic care products from around the world can somewhat be confusing and misleading. Have you ever picked up an ‘organic’ personal care product, tried to read the never ending ingredients, half of which you can’t even pronounce and thought “Well, it has an organic logo, so it must be organic?”
Unfortunately this isn't always the case.
Personal care products are not required to comply with the same stringent labelling standards that govern organic foods, so it's easy for some companies to label their products 'organic' even though they are not. Once you take a good look at the ingredients, some 'organic' products are far beyond from being a truly organic product!
The only way you can be assured that you are purchasing genuine organic products, free of synthetic chemicals and GMOs, is to purchase products which have been organically certified with a leading independent certifying body such as ACO(Australian Certified Organic), USDA(United States Department of Agriculture), BFA (Biological Farmers of Australia) & IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). You can be confident that certifiers such as ACO & USDA are food standards and are prohibited to containing any chemicals, synthetics, pesticides and toxic ingredients.
There are other certifiers from around the world that their standards are not the same and have different requirements. Unfortunately some logos do not meet the standards of what one would expect to find on a certified organic product, so then we have a cocktail of different varying standards containing very little or if any, organic ingredients.
Certified Organic Claims
For ACO and USDA Certified organic food standards you need a minimum of 95% organic content (excluding water) to be certified organic under the ACO or USDA logo. Some of the other certifiers only need minimum of 20% organic content (including water).
ACO Certified Organic claim must have a min 95% organic content (excluding water & Salt). Certified organic products under this logo contain more than 95% certified organic ingredients. The remaining small percentage (up to 5%) must be naturally produced plant or mineral products with strict processing criteria, (e.g. absolutely no GMOs or synthetic chemicals). Products bearing the ACO logo (Australian Certified Organic) meet all of the requirements above. ACO is Australia's largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce and has over 1500 operators within its certification system.
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Miessence Certificate of compliance
USDA Certified Organic claim must have a min 95% organic content (excluding water & salt). Products bearing the USDA logo (United States Department of Agriculture) meet all of the requirements of standards of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The USDA National Organic Program accredits private businesses, organisations, and state agencies to certify producers and handlers of agricultural products according to NOP regulations.
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Products bearing the ACO/IFOAM logo (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) meet all of the requirements of ACO certification in addition to the standards set by IFOAM. IFOAM is the worldwide umbrella organisation for the organic movement, uniting more than 750 member organisations in 108 countries.
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Made with certified organic ingredients - Registered products
BFA (Biological Farmers of Australia) has low organic content because of mined minerals clays minerals, zinc & iron oxide- things that are not agricultural. BFA registered products is still a standard with non-agricultural ingredients that are allowed to be used in organic products. Miessence registered products are mineral-based products with a small percentage of organic ingredients. These are non-agricultural substances (e.g., clay, bicarb soda, minerals), that are subject to strict processing criteria (e.g. absolutely no GMOs or synthetic chemicals). These products otherwise are natural, conform to the general stipulations of the organic standards of the world and are deemed the “best in their class”.
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Certified Organic (Cosmetic)
Miessence Certificate of compliance
Certified Organic (Cosmetic)
ACO Certified Cosmetic claim. For ACO they have developed a different logo for their cosmetics which is ‘made with xx% organic cosmetic logo’. Miessence organic cosmetic products contain more than 70% certified organic ingredients. The remaining percentage (up to 30%) must be naturally produced plant or mineral products with strict processing criteria, (e.g. absolutely no GMOs or synthetic chemicals) or products of green chemistry. These products bear the Organic Cosmetic xx% logo.
Now let’s take a look at the differences between the certifying bodies
Now let’s take a look at the differences between the certifying bodies
•Minimum content of certified ingredients (including whether that minimum content is inclusive of water)
•How the certified organic ingredient is to be treated - physical processes, basic processes, chemical extraction
•Allowed mineral and non-organic substances permitted for use in 'organic' and 'made with organic' products
•Allowable preservatives
Physical process used to extract from the plants such as distillation, vacuum extraction ,pressing and pressure, fermentation, spray & freeze drying, supercritical fluid extraction are non-toxic and all allowed in the certification bodies. Basic process such saponification, electrolysis, esterification, Trans-esterification & hydrogenation are a “green” chemistry process and are also all allowed in the certification bodies.
Some petro chemically derived chemical processes such as aikylation, amidation, calcination, carbonisation/addition, etherification, ionic exchange, neutralisation, and oxidation reduction and sulfation turn natural and organic raw materials into synthetic cosmetic ingredients. ACO do not allow any of those types of chemical processes, where other certified bodies do allow those petro chemical process.
Allowed minerals for ACO, BFA, ACO Cosmetic, NASAA, & NASAA Approved Cosmetics are very simple- mined minerals and clays such as, sand, kaolin clays, salts, pumice, chalk, zinc oxide & iron oxide. USDA differs to ACO that only specified mineral listed on their section 205.606 or 205.605 are allowed.
Other known certifications however allow all of the above mentioned naturals minerals plus they allow synthetic minerals like manganese violet, manganese sulphate, ultramarine blue just to name a few. These are used in both natural & synthetic cosmetics, known as synthetic man made mineral pigments not naturally extracted mineral pigments but chemically synthesised colours in terms of minerals.
Preservatives allowed in selected standards
Many organic certifications allow quite a few nasty synthetic preservatives such as: Benzoic Acid, Salicylic, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbic Acid and its salts, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid/Sodium Dehydroacetate, Formic Acid and its salts, Sodium Salt, Propionic Acid and its salts, Hydroxymethylglycinate and Parabens.
You can be confident that ACO, USDA BFA, ACO Cosmetics, NASAA prohibit any of these kind of preservatives mentioned. Natural ingredients for a certified organic product displaying these logos must comply with very stringent standards in terms of non GMO, pesticides, no chemical extractions, no petro chemicals or synthetic toxic residues.
True organic products that contain the purest, most potent and freshly extracted natural & organic raw materials on the planet!
•How the certified organic ingredient is to be treated - physical processes, basic processes, chemical extraction
•Allowed mineral and non-organic substances permitted for use in 'organic' and 'made with organic' products
•Allowable preservatives
Physical process used to extract from the plants such as distillation, vacuum extraction ,pressing and pressure, fermentation, spray & freeze drying, supercritical fluid extraction are non-toxic and all allowed in the certification bodies. Basic process such saponification, electrolysis, esterification, Trans-esterification & hydrogenation are a “green” chemistry process and are also all allowed in the certification bodies.
Some petro chemically derived chemical processes such as aikylation, amidation, calcination, carbonisation/addition, etherification, ionic exchange, neutralisation, and oxidation reduction and sulfation turn natural and organic raw materials into synthetic cosmetic ingredients. ACO do not allow any of those types of chemical processes, where other certified bodies do allow those petro chemical process.
Allowed minerals for ACO, BFA, ACO Cosmetic, NASAA, & NASAA Approved Cosmetics are very simple- mined minerals and clays such as, sand, kaolin clays, salts, pumice, chalk, zinc oxide & iron oxide. USDA differs to ACO that only specified mineral listed on their section 205.606 or 205.605 are allowed.
Other known certifications however allow all of the above mentioned naturals minerals plus they allow synthetic minerals like manganese violet, manganese sulphate, ultramarine blue just to name a few. These are used in both natural & synthetic cosmetics, known as synthetic man made mineral pigments not naturally extracted mineral pigments but chemically synthesised colours in terms of minerals.
Preservatives allowed in selected standards
Many organic certifications allow quite a few nasty synthetic preservatives such as: Benzoic Acid, Salicylic, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbic Acid and its salts, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid/Sodium Dehydroacetate, Formic Acid and its salts, Sodium Salt, Propionic Acid and its salts, Hydroxymethylglycinate and Parabens.
You can be confident that ACO, USDA BFA, ACO Cosmetics, NASAA prohibit any of these kind of preservatives mentioned. Natural ingredients for a certified organic product displaying these logos must comply with very stringent standards in terms of non GMO, pesticides, no chemical extractions, no petro chemicals or synthetic toxic residues.
True organic products that contain the purest, most potent and freshly extracted natural & organic raw materials on the planet!
Miessence is the world's first extensive range of internationally certified organic products for skin, hair, body, cosmetic, oral and Superfoods nutrition.To give you confidence, all Miessence products undergo internal quality control processes which are then all certified organic by Australian & International independent bodies. Miessence products fall into one of three organic categories; Certified Organic (food grade), Certified Organic (cosmetic) and Made with Certified Organic Ingredients - Registered Products.
So it’s quite simple. Make sure you look for independent, certified audited organic standards and no matter what the claim is ALWAYS read the ingredients. The easiest way to determine the best products for you and your family to use is to look for the ACO or USDA label. Miessence products carry certifications from both ACO and USDA and you can be confident to use Miessence products every single time.
If you'd like to know more about what chemicals might be found in your personal care & household products, then take a look at the Hazardous Ingredient Glossary. This following information has been sourced from Material Safety Data Sheets (or MSDS), recognised as the international standard for providing safety information about chemical ingredients used by humans.
If you'd like to know more about what chemicals might be found in your personal care & household products, then take a look at the Hazardous Ingredient Glossary. This following information has been sourced from Material Safety Data Sheets (or MSDS), recognised as the international standard for providing safety information about chemical ingredients used by humans.
Source: Narelle Chenery , Director of Research development of Miessence.
Comparisons between selected standards for beauty care products around the world.
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