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ECOCERT was established in 1991. It is a certifying
agency which has successfully established a standard for formulating,
manufacturing and marketing natural and organic personal care products.
The standards imparted by ECOCERT require that products is be
manufactured using substantial quantities of natural and organic
ingredients procured using environmentally friendly processes.
Furthermore, ECOCERT prohibits processes that are regarded as
unsustainable, such as ethoxylation and genetic engineering. ECOCERT
requires that each ingredient used in a product be traceable back to its
source and that the farming methods, extraction methods and packaging
are acceptable to the agency.
Ecocert defines 'natural' as any
plant, animal or mineral product coming directly from agricultural
production, from harvest or physical extraction processes. It also
allows certain chemical processes that include hydrolysis, esterification and saponification but not ethoxylation or chlorination.
Unlike some certification bodies it also allows hydrogenation and
biotechnological fermentation provided the latter does not involve
genetically modified organisms. Alkyl sulphates are permitted, water is
regarded as a non-certified organic ingredient and wild harvesting and
ingredients of marine origin are also permitted.
The Ecocert standard limits use of
ingredients such as synthetic oils and other petroleum derivatives and
is very restrictive on the preservatives that can be incorporated into
the product and its constituent ingredients. It also bans the use of
synthetic colours, antioxidants, perfumes and silicones and any
ingredients that cannot be obtained by natural processes.
What are the requirements for ECOCERT products?
100% of ingredients
comply with their standards. At least 95% of total ingredients are
natural or of natural origin. No more than 5% of total ingredients can
come from synthetic molecules, which are considered indispensible to the
formulation. They must comply with a list of acceptable ingredients and
the method used to obtain these ingredients must be the same used to
obtain the natural ingredients.
Hemptons
only works according to the "Natural and Organic" definition, which is
the highest possible rating - although we do not make these claims as
explained.
The following synthetics are
prohibited: Synthetic Colorants, -Perfumes, -Dyes, -Anti-Oxidants,
-Emollients, -Oils and -Fats, Silicones, Petrochemicals - basically any
ingredient which cannot be naturally produced.
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