PRODUCT INTEGRITY

We believe the organic beauty industry can sometimes seem a little daunting.
What does organic really mean? Why buy an organic product? How does a product get certified?

Here we hope to shed a little light on what it all means...

What does organic really mean?

  • Jo Wood Organics is certified organic by ECOCERT, the leading French certification organisation.

  • An organic brand is only ORGANIC if it has been certified by one of the following independent bodies: ECOCERT, Soil Association, USDA and BDIH.

  • Organic brands don’t use synthetic chemical ingredients.

  • Organic brands use farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years.

  • Organic brands have to keep detailed written production and sales records.

  • To avoid contamination organic brands have to physically separate organic products from non-certified products.

  • Organic brands have no irritants and are therefore kind to the skin as well as our precious environment.

  • Natural brands are NOT organic and DO use chemicals.

  • Organic brands don’t use petrochemicals, Parabens, glycols, PEGs, Silicones, SLS and synthetic fragrances. These can be carcinogenic, toxic and disruptive to your hormones. You wouldn't knowingly eat them, so why put them onto your body to absorb?

  • It is only in the last 50 years that we have been putting chemicals into cosmetic products, we don’t as yet know the long-term affects.

  • What we put on our skin goes directly into our bloodstream e.g. just look at an anti-smoking patch and how that works!

ECOCERT is an inspection and certification body who have offices in 18 countries worldwide carrying out work in over 90 countries, their activities are governed accordingly by the public authorities and legislation. ECOCERT has developed rigorous standards that allow companies to promote environmental practices, and manufacture organic products and obtain recognition for this. ECOCERT’S main focus is on ingredients proceeding from organic farming. By having the ECOCERT stamp this give Jo Wood Organics international credibility and reassurance with our consumers and the organic industry that we have complied to these standards.

Why buy an organic product?

Jo Wood Organics believes consumers should have a choice.

Organic is not just about health benefits, but supporting organic industries also has a huge impact on our environment, it protects our wildlife and it also boosts the economy as it increases employment.

Organic farming is ruled by strict standards; at Jo Wood Organics we chose to be organic because we care about what we put in, and on our skin. Not only do we want to eat foods full of their natural nutrients, but we want to avoid using harmful additives and harmful pesticide residues on our treasured land and the plants we grow. Organic farmers cultivate healthy soil, which in-turn promotes animal welfare and the environment.

How does a product get certified?

This is a very lengthy process but it ensures we deliver the best quality product to you that we can.

  • Formulations Our technical team develop formulas that must comply with strict regulations set out by the organic certification organisations. Once Jo & the team of testers have tried, tested and signed off the formulas the lab then submits the documents for approval by our chosen certifier.

  • Suppliers We have to work with ingredients suppliers that are certified organic. This means the plants are grown using organic farming methods and that each ingredient can be traced back to its roots…literally!

  • Manufacturers Jo Wood Organics is made in the UK. We have to work with a manufacturer that is also certified organic. This means all the organic ingredients and oils are stored separately from non-organic ingredients to avoid contamination.

  • Packaging The team then have to source packaging that is recyclable and sustainable. We say a big NO to plastic, but some plastics do comply with the regulations and are better than glass in some instances. We then submit all the technical sheets from the bottle to the cap, the label to the pump to the organic certification organization to have this approved.

  • Design Then we brief our designers to do the artwork, this also has to get signed off too to ensure we label the products correctly and they are easy to understand for you our consumers.

  • Organic % Once everything has been submitted, traced and approved by the organic certification organisation we are then issued with our organic %.