5 Questions to Ask

In the process of educating yourself about the personal care products you use and what's in them, you might come up with a few questions. Here are some important ones to get you started, along with our answers.

We want you to have all the information you need to protect yourself and your family from any potentially harmful products. So we encourage you to ask these questions of some other companies who make "natural" personal care products. If their answers don't match ours, or they don't know the answers, you'll naturally want to think twice about what's getting absorbed into your skin next time you use their shampoo or moisturizer.

1) On average, what percent natural are your products?

Truly natural products should be 95% or more. Across our line of 150 products, we currently average 99% natural, with half being 100% natural. And we won't rest until every single one hits the 100% mark.

2) Do you use any of these ingredients: Parabens, Sulfates, Chemical Sunscreens, Petro Chemicals, or Formaldehyde Donors?

Each of these ingredients has potential and suspected human health risks and that's why we don't use them. In addition, safe natural alternatives are available. Truly natural products should contain only ingredients that come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature—in other words, flora, fauna or mineral sources. Any synthetic ingredient must only be used in a personal care product only when there is no viable natural alternative ingredient available and only when there are absolutely no suspected human health risks.

3) Do you use any of these processes: Ethoxylation, Sulfination or Polymerization?

Truly natural products should not use any of these industrial processes. They have the potential to change the chemical make-up of ingredients that start out natural, so in the end, they aren't natural ingredients at all. That's why we never use these processes and instead, stick to what we call "Kitchen Chemistry." This approach, including good processes like distillation/condensation, extraction/steamed distillation/pressure cooking and hydrolysis, maximizes the purity of our ingredients and causes no negative effects.

4) On average, what percent PCR (post consumer recycled) is your packaging? Are they recyclable?

71% of people think that a product labeled "natural" should be in packaging made from recycled materials. That's why most of our products and packaging are created in part from recycled materials, or have been developed with re-use in mind, like our easy-to-recycle aluminum containers. Plastic bottles should be at least 50% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) and be recyclable. Ours are.

5) Do you test on animals?

An animal should not ever be tested on to make a personal care product. We do not test on animals.

Share these questions and answers with your friends so they can start educating themselves about the personal care products they use.