How the USDA Defines Organic...
... And What This Means for Soap and Skincare
DON'T BE FOOLED!
Organic certification is the only way you can be sure a company's product truly complies with organic standards. No certification = No proof = Not organic.
Sales of organic products are on the rise, and growth rates average over 20% per year. Because of this, many companies are trying to catch this wave by offering "organic" products for sale. But what does "organic" mean? How do organic standards apply to soap and skin care products?
The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) provides the benchmark, global standard for defining organic. Within the NOP, there are three levels of certification. A product's classification is based on the total percentage of its organic ingredients (without counting water or salt). Here's what they mean, and then we'll discuss how the standards apply to soap and skin care.
Organic certification is the only way you can be sure a company's product truly complies with organic standards. No certification = No proof = Not organic.
Sales of organic products are on the rise, and growth rates average over 20% per year. Because of this, many companies are trying to catch this wave by offering "organic" products for sale. But what does "organic" mean? How do organic standards apply to soap and skin care products?
The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) provides the benchmark, global standard for defining organic. Within the NOP, there are three levels of certification. A product's classification is based on the total percentage of its organic ingredients (without counting water or salt). Here's what they mean, and then we'll discuss how the standards apply to soap and skin care.
USDA Organic Definitions
1) "100% Organic"
This means just what the name implies.
2) "Organic"
The category "Organic" applies to products containing a minimum of 95% organic contents by weight. Usually, these are products that contain a small amount of a natural preservative or processing aid that prevents them from reaching the 100% mark. For example, many fixed oils (such as palm and coconut oil) contain a trace amount of citric acid to increase their shelf life. Importantly, these trace ingredients must conform to the USDA's list of approved ingredients that can be used in organic products.
3) "Made with Organic..."
"Made with Organic..." applies to products that contain a minimum of 70% organic content but do not reach the 95% mark. The USDA has determined that 70% is the minimum amount of organic content a product can have and still use the terminology of "organic" in its labels and marketing. Here too, a product's ingredients that are not-certified organic must conform with the USDA's list of allowable products. Because of their chemistry, bar soaps cannot ever reach the 95% level of organic content...
This means just what the name implies.
2) "Organic"
The category "Organic" applies to products containing a minimum of 95% organic contents by weight. Usually, these are products that contain a small amount of a natural preservative or processing aid that prevents them from reaching the 100% mark. For example, many fixed oils (such as palm and coconut oil) contain a trace amount of citric acid to increase their shelf life. Importantly, these trace ingredients must conform to the USDA's list of approved ingredients that can be used in organic products.
3) "Made with Organic..."
"Made with Organic..." applies to products that contain a minimum of 70% organic content but do not reach the 95% mark. The USDA has determined that 70% is the minimum amount of organic content a product can have and still use the terminology of "organic" in its labels and marketing. Here too, a product's ingredients that are not-certified organic must conform with the USDA's list of allowable products. Because of their chemistry, bar soaps cannot ever reach the 95% level of organic content...
How This Applies to Soap and Skincare
Because of their chemistry, bar soaps cannot ever
reach the 95% level of organic content... Organic soap and skin care
products are among the most misrepresented organic products. This has to
do with formulation issues, labeling requirements, and a
misrepresentation of the standards. All bar soaps, and most skin care
products, fall short of the 95% organic mark. Bar soaps require sodium
hydroxide (NaOH, or lye) for their production. Sodium hydroxide is on
the allowed list of non-organic ingredients that can be used in making
organic products, and it accounts for approximately 10-15% of the
ingredients, by weight (not including water or salt and depending on the
recipe). Even if every other ingredient in a bar soap were certified
organic, the soap would never have an organic content of more than 90%,
as this is the maximum level of organic content in a bar soap.
Note the organic comments in our Jessiepearl soap ingredient descriptions.
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