"Thou canst not stir a flower without the troubling of a star."
~Francis Thompson
Certified Organic & Natural Ingredients
Only the absolute finest, most natural ingredients are used in my soaps. I use only certified organic, wild-crafted, and/or bio-dynamic ingredients in my products. When an herb or root is wild-crafted, it is not certified organic; however, I only purchase wild-crafted herbs and roots from qualified herbalists who harvest in areas which are remote and pristine, and are sure to harvest herbs in the proper ways so that the herb can continue to flourish naturally in the area in the future. When I create a recipe I take many things into consideration. I want to offer products that heal and nourish the body, mind and spirit. Using pure & sustainable ingredients is a cardinal rule; we must be kind and respectful to the earth and its inhabitants in order to leave our children a decent place to call home.
I have carefully researched every ingredient used in my soaps and body products, and I can say wholeheartedly that you can feel good about supporting Mama's Herbal Soaps. Each soap contains natural spring water (or harvested rainwater when possible), certified organic and fairly traded oils of olive, coconut, virgin palm, and hemp seed. Depending on the particular recipe, some soaps contain organic raw African karite (shea) butter, organic goat's milk, raw local honey or beeswax, organic oats, and/or organic, wild-crafted, or bio-dynamic botanicals. I use natural clays, plants, and minerals to color. I do not use synthetic colors or fragrances. My soaps are scented with pure aromatherapy-quality essential oils, which are regularly GC/MS analyzed for purity and quality.
Fairly Traded, Certified Organic & Sustainable Palm Oil
In the past I have not used palm products because the harvesting of palm has greatly contributed to the destruction of rainforest land and the decline in quality of life for many indigenous tribes (for more info see links below). I have found a reliable source for organic virgin palm oil which assures me that every effort is made to grow and harvest this palm in kind and sustainable ways, and that the workers are paid a fair living wage. The owner of this company has visited the site himself. Because of the amazing quality of this particular palm oil, I am now including it in all of my soap recipes, as I feel that it adds to the healing benefits of my soaps.
Fairly Traded, Certified Organic Olive Oil
We source our organic olive oil from a family-owned business which practices fair trade standards. They own a mill in Tunisia which produces most of the organic extra virgin olive oil which they import. They consistently pay their farmers at least 10% more for their fruit than what they could otherwise earn. In exchange, they demand superlative quality organic fruit which translates in to the high quality organic extra virgin olive oil which I use in my soap. The best thing about this is that the Tunisians have grown their olive trees for centuries in an organic fashion, so the quality is virtually flawless.
Fairly Traded, Certified Organic Coconut Oil
The Coconut Oil used in my soaps is a high quality, food grade, expeller-pressed coconut oil made from certified organic coconuts. This oil is processed the "old" way by what is called "physical refining." The modern way of processing coconut oil is by chemical extraction, using solvent extracts, which produces higher yields and is quicker and less expensive. The coconut oil in my soaps is NOT extracted using solvents. This oil is also NOT hydrogenated, and contains NO trans fatty acids. This coconut oil is not mass-produced by machines; it is made by hand and benefits families in the rural areas of the Philippines where the coconuts grow. The coconut trees and family producers are certified organic according to strict USDA standards. The families who produce the oil are also trained according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards and re-certified each year.
Fairly Traded, Natural Karite (Shea) Butter
Some soaps contain raw, unrefined African karite (shea) butter. It has been analyzed and is 100% pure. This shea butter is made from the gathered nuts of wild shea trees scattered in the fields and forests of the wooded Savanna and Central and Northern Togo AND purchased from a fair-trade source (please see the link to the fair trade association to learn more about this).
Pure Essential Oils
I use only pure, aromatherapy-quality essential oils. I avoid the use of synthetic fragrance oils because they can be extremely harmful to our (yours & mine) health and to our environment. This is not my opinion, it is a scientifically proven fact (see links below).
What is an essential oil? An essential oil is a volatile, aromatic oil obtained by steam or hydrodistillation of botanicals. Different parts of the plants can be used to obtain essential oils, including the flowers, leaves, seeds, roots, stems, bark, wood, etc. Certain cold-pressed oils, such as the oils from various citrus peels, are also considered to be essential oils. Not all essential oils are counted equal. Unfortunately, many are not pure and may contain carrier oils of unknown origin or traces of insecticides/pesticides. The company from which I obtain my essential oils is a family owned and operated business. They are not just another company selling essential oils, and their level of integrity and education is unsurpassed. Each essential oil is regularly GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy) analyzed for purity and quality. You can rest assured that there is no "funny stuff" in these essential oils.
Our
Business Policies
We only purchase from family-owned businesses and those who adhere to fair trade standards and green business ethics. I always use natural spring water or rainwater that we have collected ourselves. We use only certified organic, bio-dynamic and/or wild-crafted herbs. Some of our herbs are wild-crafted locally by my mom and me, some come from reputable herb suppliers, and some are wild-crafted by another work at home mom and herbalist. I also love using natural clays from the earth for their healing attributes and unique coloring. We use only pure essential oils which are GC/MS analyzed for purity and quality standards. These are also purchased from a family business.
Cruelty-Free Animal Products
Some soaps contain local raw beeswax, honey and /or organic goat's milk. Soaps that contain these products are clearly labeled in respect to those who do not wish to use animal products. However, I assure that these ingredients have been acquired in a kind way. So, all that said ~ have a fabulous, guilt- & cruelty-free bath!
Our Green Mission Statement
- All printing is done on recycled paper, including labels and tags, etc. and I am working to move to tree-free papers.
- My soaps are made of certified organic, bio-degradeable & eco-friendly ingredients.
- I go the extra mile to purchase fair trade ingredients and products. This is a sweat-shop free business!!!
- All soap batches are hand-stirred with stainless steel equipment ~ not machined in plastic buckets.
- Our home/office is now powered by 100% renewable energy ~ thus offsetting our "climate footprint."
- We recycle all unusable paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass.
- We use USPS-issue Priority Mail boxes which are post-consumer recycled. When we add packing materials, we either recycle by re-use or purchase bio-degradeable packaging.
- We re-use materials, boxes, etc. every chance we get. Re-using is a key element to being kind to Mother Earth!!!
- We support small family businesses as much as possible. Please note
this flower symbol next to products which have not been made by me,
but that have been hand-crafted by a work at home mama or papa:
To learn about the dangers of fragrance oils and synthetic ingredients:
Natural Ingredient
Resource Center
