Why Organic?

Have you ever bought a cosmetic that you were assured was natural, only to get it home, read the label and wonder what on earth those long names were?

So what does 'natural' and 'organic' mean on a cosmetic label?
Nowhere do the terms "natural" or "organic" take a more gratuitous bruising than the cosmetics industry! Here we hope to clarify some basic differences between Miessence® and others....

Miessence® Products definition of natural: "Existing in, or formed by nature; not artificial."

Commercial definition of natural: "Any ingredient "derived from" a natural substance."

Explanation: We often see long chemical names followed by the phrase "derived from coconut oil". For example, to create cocamide DEA from coconut oil requires the use of a carcinogenic synthetic chemical (diethanolamine - DEA). It is therefore no longer natural (or safe). To insinuate that it is a natural substance by adding the phrase "derived from coconut oil" is deceitful. Just because vodka can be made from potatoes, doesn't mean it's good for you!

Miessence® Products definition of organic: "Grown, cultivated and stored without the use of chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, fumigants and other toxins."

Commercial definition of organic: "Any compound containing carbon."

Explanation: The organic chemistry definition of organic, is any compound containing carbon. Carbon is found in anything that has ever lived. So, by using this definition of organic we could say that the toxic petrochemical preservative, methyl paraben is "organic" because it was formed by leaves that rotted over thousands of years to become the crude oil used to make this toxic preservative.

To be CERTIFIED organic is a quantum leap beyond “made with organic ingredients”. CERTIFIED organic products, such as Miessence® products produced by ONE Group, must pass stringent quality testing and standards. No synthetic chemicals may be used at any stage of the production chain, beginning with growing, harvesting, storage, transporting and processing, through to the final ready-for-market product. Where there is an ingredient that is essential for the product to function (e.g. xanthan gum to thicken) and that ingredient is not yet available as organically grown, then up to a maximum of 5% of non-organic ingredients may be used in the product, and only until that ingredient becomes available, organically grown. There are also strict criteria for the 'permitted' non-organic ingredients, such as: they must be naturally extracted plant products and they may not be genetically modified.

The ONLY way to know whether a product is truly CERTIFIED organic is to LOOK FOR THE LOGO!