Climate Crisis

September 6, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

What is Ethical Sourcing for the Cosmetic Industry? Climate crisis: we are the problem, and we are the solution. How can we, the cosmetic industry, more actively help mitigate climate threats? I believe that “ethics” desperately needs to be added to our commitment to ingredient supply. More so, include thoughtfulness about the long-term impacts of […]

Transparency?

July 5, 2023.Reading time 3 minutes.

What exactly does “transparency” mean and what is its value? It means knowing where your ingredients come from and who grows & processes them: complete transparency back to the producers. What is its value? The ability to protect your supply and anticipate your costs. Why is this important? Climate change is hammering farmers. Costs go up and supply goes […]

Earth Day: Seed and Soil

April 22, 2023.Reading time 3 minutes.

I recently read a “transparency plan” that caused me to stop and reflect. While the brand was able to call out the location from which each ingredient came, I’m not so sure that they understood how the ingredients were made. Or, exactly what the inputs were in each ingredient. For this Earth Day we are […]

Are essential oils sustainable?

March 17, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Let’s be clear. This blog is not going to look at safety of essential oils (EOs) except to say, the world seems pretty messed up about “safety” and EOs. I recently saw a study issued by “doctors”, saying that lavender oil was causing a physical reaction. When I looked at the products examined by the […]

The Future Cost of Beauty

January 27, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

I am astonished by the inability of some people to connect the dots. “Which dots?” you may ask. The dots that connect the massive three weeks of storms, floods and slides we’ve had in California to the ongoing international dedication to petroleum-based chemistry. To be very clear: CO2, a product of combustion engines and other […]

“Natural” is in fact SUSTAINABLE

November 3, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Lately I’ve heard that “natural” is not “sustainable”. Let’s explore a few things. A very little history… Essential and natural oils have been used for 10,000 plus years in every region in the world. There is a lovely article in the current edition of the NYSCC “Cosmetiscope” about the history of “natural ingredients”. This small […]

How do you validate ingredient claims?

August 18, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

I once asked an FDA inspector what her basic rule was for ingredient claims and she said, “tell the truth”. That means, you need to know what the truth is. Certificates Ask for certificates. If it is organic, you are required by law to be able to prove it with a certificate. If it […]

Sustainable? I call BS.

July 20, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

Alright folks. I’ve had it. We’ve been promoting and selling organic ingredients into the cosmetic space for 22 years and now there are multiple companies talking about the “sustainable” ingredients they sell. I call BS and here is why. I just read an interview of someone saying they were making “natural” ingredients but their supply […]

What is so wrong with “Clean Beauty”?

April 19, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

This is a very personal rant, it is based on the reason Oh, Oh Organic exists and why we do what we do. There is increasing push back on the term “Clean Beauty”. While the term may not be defined to everyone’s satisfaction, it is a good faith effort and a step on the path […]

What makes a good certification standard?

October 28, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

Every time I turn around there is a new standard. Some people make “dirty lists” and call them standards but how can a two or three page list cover all the problematic chemicals used in personal care? Some standards are laws or regulations: the Organic Rules are a regulation (law) but COSMOS is a private […]