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Recover BasketAbout Essential Care
Based in Suffolk, England, Essential Care is a small family team of Margaret, Colin and daughter Abi. Margaret began researching Essential Care skincare formulations in the 1980s, after rekindling a lifelong passion for natural medicine by studying aromatherapy and herbal medicine. Motivated by the lack of products suitable for her ownand her family's very sensitive and eczema-prone skin, she set about creating truly effective formulations, based only on organic herbs, plant oils and natural active ingredients that are compatible with the most sensitive skin.
Ingredient quality
Our philosophy is simple: To create chemical-free bodycare that gives great results and is a joy to use. This means using the highest quality organic herbs and essential oils in therapeutic concentrations for optimum benefit. Plant oils must be virgin and cold-pressed, so that they have their full antioxidant vitamin-content intact to actively nourish the skin and protect it from premature ageing. To protect the vitality of these ingredients we use opaque white containers, rather than clear packaging which risks damage to the ingredients from light and oxidation.
Value
We continually source the highest quality, pure, organic and ethical ingredients and do not compromise the quality and effectiveness of any of our products to cut costs. We believe safe, organic products should be affordable by all so where possible, we economise on unnecessary external packaging and lavish advertising, concentrating the value where it is most important - in the product itself.
Our environment
We have an active commitment to the care of the environment which includes supporting natural and organic farming methods, widely acknowledged to cause lower pollution from sprays, produce less carbon dioxide & dangerous wastes and benefit wildlife.
As well as organic certification of our products, we choose raw materials which are locally-sourced where possible, are from sustainable and renewable resources, and are either recycled or can be recycled safely. Almost all of our packaging is made in the UK in order to minimise air miles.
Manufacture
To maximise the freshness and vitality of the precious herbs and oils, Margaret carefully makes all Essential Care products by hand in small batches. Her formulae are unique to us.
We test the products only on willing human volunteers, not animals and ensure our raw materials suppliers do not either. All Essential Care products are suitable for vegetarians. Vegan products (those that do not contain beeswax or propolis) are indicated as such.
Organic skincare is not yet regulated in the same way as organic food & drink. Health & beauty products can be called organic, even if they contain a tiny percentage of organically grown ingredients. So products that don’t carry the symbol of a recognised organic body (such as the Soil Association) may not be as organic as you would like them to be. The number of bodycare products that are actually approved by organic bodies is quite small. We are the only company that makes shampoo which is approved under UK (Soil Association) organic standards. All Essential Care products are organically certified except 2 bodywashes and one soap which fall below the 70% required minimum level of organic ingredients.
The two main advantages of certified organic products are:
1. Independently controlled organic purity
If an ingredient is available organically, it must be used; no cutting corners or costs. A minimum of 95% of all ingredients must be organically certified before the product can be described as “organic”. Where insufficient organically grown ingredients exist, the Soil Association will approve products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients (such as our Shampoo) and non-organic ingredients are strictly controlled.
We must provide the Soil Association with certificates of organic status for every single supplier we use during the year. Our formulae, labelling and production methods are examined regularly for quality and integrity.
2. Any non-organic ingredients are subject to strict rules
Ingredients that are damaging to human health or the environment are not allowed. This means that Paraben and other harsh preservatives, sodium lauryl sulphate (and all other ethoxylated sulphates) and many other common cosmetics chemicals as well as hydrogenated, solvent extracted and GM ingredients are automatically banned.
Ingredient quality
Our philosophy is simple: To create chemical-free bodycare that gives great results and is a joy to use. This means using the highest quality organic herbs and essential oils in therapeutic concentrations for optimum benefit. Plant oils must be virgin and cold-pressed, so that they have their full antioxidant vitamin-content intact to actively nourish the skin and protect it from premature ageing. To protect the vitality of these ingredients we use opaque white containers, rather than clear packaging which risks damage to the ingredients from light and oxidation.
Value
We continually source the highest quality, pure, organic and ethical ingredients and do not compromise the quality and effectiveness of any of our products to cut costs. We believe safe, organic products should be affordable by all so where possible, we economise on unnecessary external packaging and lavish advertising, concentrating the value where it is most important - in the product itself.
Our environment
We have an active commitment to the care of the environment which includes supporting natural and organic farming methods, widely acknowledged to cause lower pollution from sprays, produce less carbon dioxide & dangerous wastes and benefit wildlife.
As well as organic certification of our products, we choose raw materials which are locally-sourced where possible, are from sustainable and renewable resources, and are either recycled or can be recycled safely. Almost all of our packaging is made in the UK in order to minimise air miles.
Manufacture
To maximise the freshness and vitality of the precious herbs and oils, Margaret carefully makes all Essential Care products by hand in small batches. Her formulae are unique to us.
We test the products only on willing human volunteers, not animals and ensure our raw materials suppliers do not either. All Essential Care products are suitable for vegetarians. Vegan products (those that do not contain beeswax or propolis) are indicated as such.
Why Organic Certification?
Organic skincare is not yet regulated in the same way as organic food & drink. Health & beauty products can be called organic, even if they contain a tiny percentage of organically grown ingredients. So products that don’t carry the symbol of a recognised organic body (such as the Soil Association) may not be as organic as you would like them to be. The number of bodycare products that are actually approved by organic bodies is quite small. We are the only company that makes shampoo which is approved under UK (Soil Association) organic standards. All Essential Care products are organically certified except 2 bodywashes and one soap which fall below the 70% required minimum level of organic ingredients.
The two main advantages of certified organic products are:
1. Independently controlled organic purity
If an ingredient is available organically, it must be used; no cutting corners or costs. A minimum of 95% of all ingredients must be organically certified before the product can be described as “organic”. Where insufficient organically grown ingredients exist, the Soil Association will approve products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients (such as our Shampoo) and non-organic ingredients are strictly controlled.
We must provide the Soil Association with certificates of organic status for every single supplier we use during the year. Our formulae, labelling and production methods are examined regularly for quality and integrity.
2. Any non-organic ingredients are subject to strict rules
Ingredients that are damaging to human health or the environment are not allowed. This means that Paraben and other harsh preservatives, sodium lauryl sulphate (and all other ethoxylated sulphates) and many other common cosmetics chemicals as well as hydrogenated, solvent extracted and GM ingredients are automatically banned.
