Certified Organic since 2006!
Here at Sanctum, we have been making 100% natural skin care since 1992. We followed the rise of organic skin and body care with interest, and in 2005 we reformulated our range to become Certified Organic in 2006.
We did not want to just jump on the bandwagon and be seen as another organic player in the market. Nor did we want to risk jeopardising the standards of the products we produce, as we have found that some organic products currently in the market do not feel, smell or look like mainstream skin and body care products. Some companies have one Certified Organic product and declare their whole range organic.
We believe that only Certified Organic companies can genuinely call themselves NATURAL, as the certification process and random manufacturing...
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Certified Organic since 2006!
Here at Sanctum, we have been making 100% natural skin care since 1992. We followed the rise of organic skin and body care with interest, and in 2005 we reformulated our range to become Certified Organic in 2006.
We did not want to just jump on the bandwagon and be seen as another organic player in the market. Nor did we want to risk jeopardising the standards of the products we produce, as we have found that some organic products currently in the market do not feel, smell or look like mainstream skin and body care products. Some companies have one Certified Organic product and declare their whole range organic.
We believe that only Certified Organic companies can genuinely call themselves NATURAL, as the certification process and random manufacturing audits separate the truly natural companies from the rest.
Yes, it would have been easy for us to follow others down this path and have products on the shelf that fall apart and smell funny after a few short months. However, it was important to us that the integrity of our product was NOT to be compromised under any condition. It is also essential that there is truth within labelling, as many other brands state they are natural, organic or have organic ingredients, and after carefully scrutinising their ingredient list, they are not!
As the demand increased for more organic food, the market of suppliers and growers of organic raw materials also changed. Ten years ago, what you could purchase organically for skin and body care was extremely limited. Now there are many more natural and organic ingredients available, allowing us to create quality skincare products that are also Certified Organic.
The product's integrity is just as important to us as the percentage of organic content. For example, we looked at our Hy C Serum and could have made it over 96% Certified Organic; however, that meant we needed to reduce some of the active ingredients (Vitamin C). We chose to keep the therapeutic amount of Vitamin C and made a conscious decision to achieve as much organic content in each product as possible, but without the reduction of quality.
We have scanned the world for organic ingredients. We make an effort to buy locally first, but we also buy from Asia, South America, South Africa, Europe, and wider Australia. Where possible, we purchase from FAIR TRADE producers in underdeveloped communities. It has not simply been a matter for us to go organic, as each product had its ingredients carefully assessed for a change from non-organic to organic.
Did you know there are, in fact, 3 classes of organic products recognised worldwide?
These are as follows for products that are :
1. Under 70% organic content are to be described as non-organics
2. Over 70% is described as containing Certified Organic ingredients
3. Over 95% organic content can be termed Certified Organic
The balance of the formula, not including water and minerals, MUST be of natural origin and therefore can not include ingredients such as typical preservatives, e.g. Parabens, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, etc., nor should the preservatives be hidden in terms like Parfum.
In the calculation method, water and minerals are not included (this is why you can get certified lipsticks and mascaras). All Sanctum products are now over 70%, with many over the 95% threshold. We have not sacrificed any quality in achieving this, just time and careful formulation work. We chose organic raw materials carefully and have maintained therapeutic levels of active properties selected for functionality in our products.
As the labelling standards in Australia are open to all sorts of interpretation, some of the label claims on products on the shelf here reflect anything but what is in them. So you can just about call everything "organic" and get away with it except if you wish to export. This is where there are rules and laws policed by AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) to help protect Australia's good name in overseas markets. To export any products and claim them to be organic, you must be a Certified Organic processor/grower and have your manufacturing facility and formulations approved by an AQIS-approved certifying body. Numerous certifying bodies in Australia can audit manufacturing facilities and approve products. All these organisations come under the control of AQIS, a Federal Government Department which sets the Government legislation that everyone must abide by.
There is no national standard for skin care or cosmetics at this stage, so classification must be under the National Food Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce.
Sanctum has certification through the Organic Food Chain Pty Ltd and proudly bears its logo on all our products, which gives you the confidence that you are buying a truly organic product.
It's what's inside that counts.
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