A: Some Distributors have asked why the Desert Flower Shampoo and SunShower Bodywash are not certified organic. To be certified organic, 95% of the ingredients must be certified organic. Currently, the "foaming agent" is not and it makes up about 27% of the product.
The "foaming agent" we use is "polyglucose". Coco polyglucose is a "non-ionic surfactant" (foaming agent) synthesised from coconut and glucose from corn. Polyglucose has excellent dermatological compatibility. It is very mild on the skin. Based on the Duhring Chamber Test it has the lowest irritation score of all common surfactants tested. It is free from ethylene oxide, which can cause nitrosamine contamination, and free from preservatives.
It also has a very low environmental impact due to:
It is very good, however it is still not certified organic. We will do better. We are working on replacing it with a certified organic "foaming agent" of similar functionality, but it takes time. Rest assured that as soon as we have a certified organic replacement that works, we will introduce it.
A: We use a unique blend of aqueous extracts obtained from native Australian certified organic flora as a base for all of our products. It's properties are soothing, healing, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, immuno-stimulant. It is entirely safe, non-toxic and non-irritant.
A: We use certified organic beeswax in our lip balm and moisturisers. Whilst there are vegetable waxes that could quite adequately do the job - none are available in certified organic form. So, unfortunately, we cannot do without it with our present requirements of being certified organic.
Some people claim that all honey/beeswax production is cruel. Yes, conventional beekeeping IS cruel. There is a vast difference between conventional "mass-production" beekeeping and organic beekeeping.
Conventional beekeeping involves:
I spoke to our apiarist and he was quite upset that his loving and natural method of bee-keeping could in any way be regarded as cruel.
His version of bee-keeping:
"Our bees gather honey form nearby organic eucalyptus forests. As honey is the bees food, we only take surplus honey. We leave as much as we can to keep our bees happy and healthy. The wax is the protective cap of the hives, which keeps the honey nice and fresh. When we harvest, we take the wax cap off the hive, pull out the comb, and drain off the excess. The bees are not hurt in any way. The comb is the put back in the hive."
As you can see, there is no cruelty or artificial manipulation involved. Organic agriculture is a better way of doing things, and we wish to support those farmers who are doing the right thing for our planet.
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