Being USDA Organic Certified is something we are quite proud of. As a small company being certified for 15 years is no small task. The annual audit always makes me nervous as rules change all the time, not to mention the financial investment. So sometimes I ask myself, is it worth it? Let’s look at what this entails:
Organics
Did you know that to have “organics” in the name of your company all the products you sell must be USDA Organic Certified? Yes the National Organic Program actually owns the word. You could also be Ecocert certified, a European certification process that is less stringent and also ingredients that are manmade.
Process
It is not an easy process to be certified, we are audited annually. This audit is intensive and exhausting. This involves for example, tracing back each ingredient used in each product and cleaning logs.
Farming
For an ingredient to qualify as USDA Organic, regulation begins at the grower. Just like food, essential oils are agricultural products, which means that growing, harvesting and distillation must all meet government regulations. The actual farms, as well as the processing facilities, must be certified, and not just the final product.
Commitment
As a USDA Organic Certified company, HollyBeth Organics follows a strict set of government standards and practices. And using USDA Certified Organic ingredients means that not only are we using the very best ingredients for my products, but I feel an even a greater sense of good knowing I’m supporting organic agriculture, organic farmers and sustainable practices. USDA organic certified guarantees there are no agricultural pesticides, herbicides, chemicals and GMOs, which means a cleaner and healthier planet, and in the case of HollyBeth Organics, healthier skin!