A product is organic if it was grown or produced in the most natural way possible. That means no unnatural pesticides, no genetically modified ingredients, no hormones, no antibiotics and etcetera. In order for a company to claim their product consists of organic ingredients, is partially organic, or full organic, the company has to go through the USDA. The USDA has a monitoring system in order to determine how organic a product truly is. After their monitoring period is over the product is evaluated and ranked to represent the appropriate level of organic.
massage lotions often advertise organic ingredients. For example, Sacred Earth Botanicals advertises that their lotion consists of certified organic sunflower oil, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, lavender extract, arnica extract, white tea extract, chamomile extract, jojoba oil, borage oil and tamanu oil. However, the company cannot claim their product to be one-hundred percent organic due to other ingredients. For example, phenoxyethanol and ethyl hexyl glycerin are preservatives that are not approved by the USDA as an organic material. However, there are a handful of other ingredients which were not USDA certified organic including: octyl palmitate, vegetable glycerin, glyceryl stearate, tromethamine stearate, cetyl alcohol, panthenol (vitamin B), allantoin, tocopherols (vitamin E), and sodium carbomer. These inorganic ingredients are mainly used as emulsifiers, thickening agents, and antioxidants. Sacred Earth's massage oil is 99% certified organic due to its ability to stay fresh without preservatives.
Biotone's Pure Touch Organics massage cream follows the same path. There are the organic ingredients: chamomile botanicals, sunflower oil, decyl cocoate, shea butter, jojoba oil, sesame oil and safflower oil. There are the inorganic ingredients: emulsifying wax, cetyl alcohol, glycerin, dimethicone, carbomer, phenoxethol, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate and aminomethyl propanol. These inorganic ingredients are mostly used as emulsifiers and preservatives.
Bon Vital�s Organica lotion is like this too. The organic ingredients: arnica extract, chamomile extract, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, sesame seed oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, olive oil, soybean oil, and aloe vera extract. There are the inorganic ingredients: cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, phenoxyethanol, diazolidinyl urea (and) iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, triethanolamine, carbomer, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Pro Vitamin B5 (Panthenol), Vitamin E (Tocopherol Acetate). These inorganic ingredients are mostly used as emulsifiers, preservatives, and antioxidants.
In conclusion, something can have organic ingredients but can simultaneously be considered inorganic due to ingredients it is paired with. If you have questions, call one of our product specialists.