Certified Organic
WHAT IS ORGANIC?
As your guarantee of the products integrity, the ingredients used in our products help you without harming the environment. SOiL products are certified organic by ECOCERT, France.
SOiL is not merely a brand of essential oils. We don’t just buy in bulk and repackage for retail, we actually farm many of the plants we use and distill the oils on our organic farms in Zululand, South Africa. We understand essential oils intimately and know what determines quality and we demand this same quality from the other organic farmers who supply us.
CERTIFIED ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS ARE THE BETTER CHOICE FOR YOU AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
Growing our plants organically means that no chemicals (pesticides or fertilizers) are used. It has been proven that using these chemicals kills off micro-organisms in the soil, therefore reducing soil diversity. These chemicals also pollute our groundwater, killing off fish and marine life as well as polluting our drinking water. Not using these chemicals results in nutrient-rich, fertile soil which nourishes the plants and protects water quality, plant life and wildlife. Therefore farming organically leads to a cleaner and more natural environment.
It takes a great deal of plant material to create even a small amount of essential oil and due to the way that essential oils are produced; residues of pesticides in concentrated form may appear in the oil if not produced organically. Organic farming ensures that the end product is free of many of these residual toxins and results in a purer and more effective oil. This is comforting to know when you consider that 60% of what you put onto your skin is absorbed into your body!
The organic certification is issued by an independent third party (ECOCERT), who inspects our farming and processing facilities to ensure we meet strict organic requirements. Organic products are farmed and processed without the use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. This produces nutrient rich fertile soil which nourishes the plants by keeping chemicals off the land and protecting water quality, plant life and wildlife.
THE CHALLENGES OF ORGANIC FARMING
Organic farming can be challenging. Yields are often variable because the farmer cannot intervene artificially in the growing process. Not using pesticides and herbicides means it is also labor intensive which has various cost implications. Organic farming is also more expensive as the start-up and yearly certification costs can be quite high. Many farmers starting out in organic farming also have to undergo a period of conversion, where they cannot use chemicals on their land for a certain number of years so as to clear the land of toxins before the certifiers will grant organic status. As you can imagine, this causes lower yields, yet the farmer is unable to charge a higher price for his product because at this point it is not yet certified as organic.
Because plants are seasonal, the organic nature of the product may result in stock fluctuations, price variations and the like.
WHAT ARE THE ORGANIC STANDARDS?
These are internationally agreed standards as to what constitutes the definition of organic. Most organic certification bodies worldwide agree on these standards—from seedling to shelf, all processes that occur in the production of the oil must comply with these stringent standards. The organic logo on our aromatherapy and skin care products means that at least 95% of the ingredients in the product you are buying is certified organic.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IT IS REALLY ORGANIC?
The reality is that unless a product is certified organic, you cannot be sure whether it is truly organic. SOiL Aromatherapy products are certified organic by ECOCERT, France.
WHO IS ECOCERT?
ECOCERT is a control and certification organisation, whose activities are governed accordingly by public authorities and legislation. ECOCERT is accredited for structure and procedures by COFRAC (French committee for accreditation), in accordance with guide standard ISO 65 (EN 45011), which requires independence, competence and impartiality by means of the ECOLOGICAL AND ORGANIC COSMETICS standards. ECOCERT defines a requirement level that is superior to the conventional regulation governing cosmetics, thereby guaranteeing the genuine practice of environmental respect throughout the production line, respect for the consumer and the promotion of natural substances of a superior ecological quality. There are two logos that our labels use, the ECOCERT ORGANIC COSMETIC AND THE ECOCERT COSMOS ORGANIC. Both these logos fall within the above mentioned standards.
COSMETIC INGREDIENTS
Why do our products work
Our organic aromatherapy and skin care ranges have been formulated with high quality, organically certified ingredients known for their beneficial properties and effective action on the skin. Specially selected essential oils have been chosen primarily for their therapeutic qualities as well as their precious and unique fragrances.
Behind the label:
We take time to read the labels on the foods we eat so we should also be wise enough to read the labels on the skin care products we use.
Some common chemicals used in commercial cosmetics but NOT in SOiL products
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and its ethoxylated version Sodium Laureth Sulphate are detergents commonly used in shampoos, shower gels, soaps and toothpastes. This chemical compound started out as an industrial degreaser and garage floor cleaner. It is a known skin irritant and has been shown to cause problems particularly with eye tissue. We do not use SLS in any of our products.
Mineral oils
Mineral oil (liquid paraffin) or liquid petrolatum are by-products in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is produced in huge volumes and is a low value oil thus a popular ingredient in moisturizing products. It is marketed as baby oil when fragrances and other ingredients are added. Mineral oil is a synthetic emollient that cannot be synthesized by the skin and causes pore blockage due to the size of its molecules compared to those of natural plant oils. We do not use petroleum-based ingredients in any of our products. Instead of mineral oils we use natural plant oils in our products. These are similar to the skin’s own sebum and contain vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids to support and condition the skin.
Parabens
Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and toothpastes. In recent years, parabens have had a negative press after researchers found it may be carcinogenic. We do not use parabens in our products. Instead we used natural preservatives such as vitamin E and package our products in brown containers to reduce the amount of UV light that can affect the product.
Colorings
Synthetics colorants are used in the production of commercial cosmetics and are skin irritants. If our products are colored, this comes from the natural colors of the plant based ingredients. We feel that synthetic colorings are unnecessary and possibly harmful. We do not use them.
Parfum
International cosmetic labeling laws only require a product’s fragrance components to be listed to as “parfum”. Many synthetic and potentially harmful ingredients can be hidden behind this word. We list every individual ingredient in our products and have no need for synthetic fragrance as the essential oils that we choose for their therapeutic actions already lend their amazing aromas to our products.
Silicones
These ingredients are increasingly used in toiletries to create slip and impart a silky feeling of the product on the skin or hair. They can block pores and reduce the skin’s natural ability to breathe and detoxify. We do not use silicones. With such gorgeous textures available from nature we do not feel it necessary to use silicones in our products.
SOiL ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS
Our organic aromatherapy ranges have been formulated with high quality certified organic ingredients known for their beneficial properties and effective action. Specially selected essential oils have been chosen primarily for their therapeutic qualities as well as their precious and unique fragrances.
Care is taken with each step of the distilling, manufacturing, bottling, labeling and dispatching process. Our essential oils are either produced on our farm or sourced from other certified organic distillers. By knowing the exact source of our oils, we can be confident that they are 100% pure, certified organic and unadulterated.
We package our essential oils and aromatherapy products in 100% recyclable amber glass bottles to protect them from UV light, which can degrade the oils.
SOiL Premium Oils
This range of highly prized essential oils are sold in smaller amounts of 2.5ml and 5ml bottles. Where possible these oils are sourced directly from the farmer.
One of these oils, the SOiL Organic Frankincense Essential Oil is produced in Somalia and regions of Ethiopia. This Frankincense collective is a company that SOiL supports through its vast orders for this popular and precious oil. There are over 100 households and registered collectors of Frankincense resin who are mainly women. Collection is organized and sustainable and this has played a significant role in reducing poverty in the area.