A question people often ask when visiting the shop is, "Do you use all natural ingredient in your products?" But the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. We do our best to choose ingredients that are both safe andsustainable. "All natural" doesn't necessarily mean sustainable, and synthetic doesn't always mean toxic. We have done our research and found a balance that we are comfortable with.
We Use Sustainable Carrier Oils
All of the carrier oils and butters we use in our products are purchased from Columbus Vegetable Oils (unless there is a supply chain issue or something that forces us to shop elsewhere, which is rare). This Midwest-based company is:
- Verified Non-GMO
- Rainforest Certified - meaning the company meets standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
- Women Owned (okay, so this doesn't really affect the final product, but it's a selling point for us).
We Buy Safer Synthetic Fragrances
We order our fragrance oils from a few different suppliers, but we always ensure that they are free from:
-
Phthalates - sometimes fragrances are produced with a specific solvent (Diethyl Phthalate) to extend the aromatic strength. You know when you regret trying on a perfume at the cosmetics counter, but no matter how many times you wash, you can't get rid of the smell? That's because of phthalates (a known hormone disruptor).
-
Nitro Musks - Before the 1980's, the musk scent in fragrances came from animal sources (mmm, deer urine, so sexy). Fortunately, synthetic musks are now the norm, but some types of musks (like musk xylene and nitro musk) are found to accumulate in the body and in the environment.
-
Animal Testing - No way would we ever buy a fragrance that was tested on animals.
Why Not Use Essential Oils Only?
There are several reasons that we choose to use essential oils sparingly in our products.
-
Fewer Scent Options - There are only so many scent combinations that can be achieved with essential oils and they are mostly herbal, woodsy or floral in nature. We like to offer more than that. You can't make an essential oil out of cucumbers or Fruit Loops, after all.
-
Sustainability - It takes enormous quantities of plant matter to make essential oils (I'm talking 3,000 lemons to make 2 lbs of oil). Because they are so popular, the purity of essential oils comes into question due to ingredient scarcity. One of the big name essential oil companies is harvesting Hawaiian Frankincense to extinction. Sandalwood is nearing extinction as well. It takes around a half pound of essential oil to fragrance a 4 loaf batch of soap and we just don't feel comfortable contributing to the extinction of sacred plants. (Read more).
-
Health Concerns - Some of our products have to be hot when adding the fragrance to them and some essential oils become toxic when heated. Filling our workspace with large quantities of essential oil vapor is unsafe for the people inside.
-
Rising and Unpredictable Costs - As ingredients become endangered, the cost of essential oil goes through the roof. This also happens when supply is temporarily limited. For instance, poor crop yield in 2017 and 2018, combined with crop hoarding by multi-level marketing companies led to a lavender shortage not too long ago. Lavender used to be one of the less expensive oils. This is no longer the case. And recently, dark patchouli essential oil increased by $40 a pound overnight at our usual supplier.
For these reasons, we prefer to save the essential oils for leave-on products and aromatherapy inhalers and use mostly fragrance oils in soaps (since the oils are just rinsed away down the drain).
We Choose Safer Preservatives
Some products just require a preservative. Anything that is water-based or will come into contact with water during use, like lotions or sugar scrubs, must have a preservative or they will develop bacteria that can make you sick. That being said, we only use preservatives that are free from parabens and formaldehyde (because, ew).
While this may not be the answer someone is looking for when they ask about all natural ingredients, it is the honest answer and the reality of the bath and body industry. At Cedar Witch Goods we prioritize safe, sustainable and ethical ingredients. While our approach may not be 100% “natural,” it is thoughtful, transparent and rooted in responsible sourcing.
