Comments on: Organic Personal Care Article Series http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/ Organic food information and tips and gadgets for healthier living Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:03:14 +0000 hourly 1 By: Josh Fair http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-505 Josh Fair Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:52:12 +0000 http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-505 I just read this interesting consumer position clarifying some points about OCA position on organic personal care. Do you know that USDA allow the use of Caustic soda or Potassium hidroxyde to make certified organic liquid soaps or shampoos... This is what Dr. Bronner uses in their products to saponify the oils, but he doesn't make it clear in the labels. The labels just say saponified organic oils... but they are the one that OCA recommends everybody to buy... interesting, huh???? http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=1320 I just read this interesting consumer position clarifying some points about OCA position on organic personal care. Do you know that USDA allow the use of Caustic soda or Potassium hidroxyde to make certified organic liquid soaps or shampoos… This is what Dr. Bronner uses in their products to saponify the oils, but he doesn't make it clear in the labels. The labels just say saponified organic oils… but they are the one that OCA recommends everybody to buy… interesting, huh????

http://organicconsumers.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=1320

]]> By: Diane Vigil http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-488 Diane Vigil Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:24:17 +0000 http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-488 Thanks, Lynn, for your excellent clarification. This information will be useful to people as they search out organic products of real quality. Thanks, Lynn, for your excellent clarification. This information will be useful to people as they search out organic products of real quality.

]]> By: Lynn Cameron http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-487 Lynn Cameron Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:27:27 +0000 http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/03/15/organic-personal-care-article-series/#comment-487 The cosmetic marketers make the case that many of the additives in their over-the-counter products are there to preserve the integrity of the "spoilable" ingredients like nut and seed oils and fruits. While it is true that pure living foods packed into a jar of cream or foundation would get rancid and moldy without some form of preservative, I have two comments for WWOF readers to ponder. The first is that the amount of living and active fruit, nut, seed or vegetable in a retail product from a commercial source is likely to be very, very small; the tiny amount remaining has likely had the "good" cooked and processed right out of it. The carrier cream is usually a cheap filler that, to meet label claims, has had the "goodies" added back in from so-called "natural" sources that are fractionated (broken apart, inactivated)and that may or may not meet the newly relaxed organic standards. The second is that <a href="http://aromavital.com/aromavital_newsletter/essential-oils-for-the-skin.html" target="_blank">pure organic essential oils</a> --- steam distilled without harmful solvents --- act as completely natural preservatives in that absolutely NO fungus, bacteria or pathogen can thrive in their presence, and they are effective in simple emoliants uncomplicated by over-processed fillers. Not only does this <a href="http://aromavital.com/aromavital_newsletter/art-skincare-system.html" target="_blank">make preservatives unnecessary</a> in personal products like soap, deodorants, lotions, hair and dental care but allows the therapeutic and cosmetic value of the essential oils themselves to do a thorough job of oxegenating and regenerating the body through the pores of the skin and the mucous membranes of the mouth - vulnerable body areas of extreme permeability. The cosmetic marketers make the case that many of the additives in their over-the-counter products are there to preserve the integrity of the "spoilable" ingredients like nut and seed oils and fruits. While it is true that pure living foods packed into a jar of cream or foundation would get rancid and moldy without some form of preservative, I have two comments for WWOF readers to ponder.

The first is that the amount of living and active fruit, nut, seed or vegetable in a retail product from a commercial source is likely to be very, very small; the tiny amount remaining has likely had the "good" cooked and processed right out of it. The carrier cream is usually a cheap filler that, to meet label claims, has had the "goodies" added back in from so-called "natural" sources that are fractionated (broken apart, inactivated)and that may or may not meet the newly relaxed organic standards.

The second is that pure organic essential oils — steam distilled without harmful solvents — act as completely natural preservatives in that absolutely NO fungus, bacteria or pathogen can thrive in their presence, and they are effective in simple emoliants uncomplicated by over-processed fillers. Not only does this make preservatives unnecessary in personal products like soap, deodorants, lotions, hair and dental care but allows the therapeutic and cosmetic value of the essential oils themselves to do a thorough job of oxegenating and regenerating the body through the pores of the skin and the mucous membranes of the mouth – vulnerable body areas of extreme permeability.

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