Organic Monitor Unravels Natural & Organic Cosmetic Standards

London – New research finds the number of natural & organic cosmetic standards is proliferating; however prospects for a global unified standard appear low.

Organic Monitor’s new Technical Insights report critically assesses the leading international natural & organic cosmetic standards. A major finding is that although standards are gaining in popularity, adoption is mostly on a national basis. Very few standards have built a regional – let alone international - presence. Furthermore, the differences between the most popular standards in each region remain wide.

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Indie Shopping TV Launches: Click. Chat. Buy.

Entrepreneur Couple Hosts Live Internet Shopping Show

January 8, 2009 - Indie Business Media, LLC today announced the launch of Indie Shopping TV, an interactive online “chat and shop” service. Indie Shopping provides shoppers with an exciting new way to chat with their friends as they browse and buy unique products, many of them handmade by the nation’s smallest business owners.

“Indie Shopping provides greater access to the artisan and handmade products people love,” said Donna Maria Coles Johnson, Indie Shopping’s co-founder and CEO. “Our initial trials have generated favorable results, signaling the fun and convenience of this enhanced shopping service.”

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Big River Wholesale Acquires CraftLobby

Memphis, TN. - Nov 13 /SOAPWIRE/ -- Bath and body and personal care product manufacturing firm Big River Wholesale announced today that it has acquired candle and soap making supplier CraftLobby, LLC. CraftLobby had served as an online supplier to soap and candle making hobbyists and small businesses for the past six years. Big River Wholesale signalled that it intended to continue to service CraftLobby customers and to offer the company's most popular products, but that it would be adding products and services unique to Big River.

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Proposed Citrus Oil Limits in Perfumery opposed by The Natural Perfumers Guild and Cropwatch

IFRA proposed citrus oil limits are cultural vandalism on the art of perfumery and are based on bad science, reports NPG and Cropwatch.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla., April 24, 2008 /SOAPWIRE/ -- Cropwatch and the Natural Perfumers Guild have joined to charge The International Fragrance Association with cultural vandalism, claiming the proposed limits to citrus in perfumes will destroy perfumes.

The Natural Perfumers Guild (NPG) and Cropwatch decry the science and proposals of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) as slanted and overly-restrictive regarding the amounts of furanocoumarins to be permitted in perfume and fragranced products. According to NPG spokesperson Anya McCoy, "We are very disappointed that IFRA have not vigorously defended the use of citrus oil ingredients against pressure from Brussels, specifically the European Union Cosmetics Commission (EUCC)."

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Launch of OASIS The FIRST U.S. ORGANIC standard for the BEAUTY AND personal care industry

Milpitas, CA., March 5, 2008 /SOAPWIRE/ — Today, OASIS, the first organic standard for the US beauty and personal care market, will bring clarity to consumer confusion around organic product claims. The only “industry consensus” standard, it has the support of 30 founding members.

According to Nutrition Business Journal, the organic beauty and personal care industry has been growing rapidly, at 15% for the past 15 years. At the end of 2007, US sales of organic personal care products approached $9 billion representing approximately 15% of the personal care market.

As more and more products claim to be ‘organic’, the potential for consumer confusion also rises. This is compounded by the existence of disparate regulatory seals in the marketplace.

Organic And Sustainable Industry Standards – OASIS - was therefore formed by a group of concerned trade professionals representing the beauty and personal care industry supply chain. It is the first US organic standard for the beauty and personal care industry.

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Blue Ridge Gypsy’s Skin Free® Products Now on cvs.com

Shipman, VA., August 22, 2007 /SOAPWIRE/ -- All products distributed by Blue Ridge Gypsy Studio® are designed and formulated by owner and practicing pharmacist, Julie Hilton, who has over 30 years experience in compounding and natural skin care. “I started the Studio in 2000 when my husband and I moved to the Blue Ridge of Virginia. Our friends were calling us “gypsies”, so the name evolved naturally.” Originally planned as a gift shop, the Studio evolved into a lab for the development of natural skincare.

“Working in a typical retail pharmacy setting, I was constantly frustrated when asked to recommend products for patients with difficult skin problems, especially those with fragrance allergies. I recognized a void in the market and knew that I could offer effective and affordable products to fill it. Atopic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are life-long conditions and need to be addressed for the long term. Patients with diabetes or renal disease, pregnant women, babies, the elderly, and patients treated with chemo- and radiation therapy can all benefit from quality natural products. Even people who just have dry, sensitive skin can appreciate wholesome natural skincare.”

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The Green Robin Launches New E-Commerce Web Site Featuring Healthy Organic Home Products

A new e-commerce web site, www.TheGreenRobin.com, has been launched to provide organic home and baby products to interested online consumers. TheGreenRobin.com also offers education and information about organic products, personal care and all natural, healthy living.

Ahseville, NC (SOAPWIRE via PRWEB) May 11, 2007 -- In the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) 2006 Manufacturer Survey the OTA reported that consumer sales of non-food organic products increased by 32.5% in 2005 to reach a total of $744 million. Approximately 38% of these non-food sales ($282 million) were organic personal care products. Organic household products and cleaners generated $19 million, a growth of 29%. Organic fiber for linens and clothing totaled $160 million for growth of 44%. The OTA predicts this trend will continue and as part of this trend The Green Robin, an Asheville-based online retailer of organic household products, has launched a new e-commerce web site: http://www.TheGreenRobin.com. The new web site features luxury organic products for bed, bath, body, baby and home.

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Organic Personal Care Market to Reach £12 million by 2011, Says New Report Available from ReportBuyer.com

LONDON-- May 11, 2007 (SOAPWIRE via BUSINESS WIRE) -- Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has now added a new report on the growing demand in the UK for organic personal care products. “Natural Personal Care Consumers: Unlocking Future Potential,” forecasts that the market will increase from £9 million in 2007 to £12 million by 2011.

The organic personal care trend is part of a larger movement in the UK toward more natural ingredients generally in personal care products. Organic and natural personal care products lie at the intersection of health and ethical trends and have benefited greatly from changes in consumer lifestyles in both of these areas. This has led to the emergence of an ever increasing array of organic products on high street shelves.

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Saponifier Magazine Welcomes Tony Burfield to its Editorial Board

Feature & Aromatic Materials Editor

Tony Burfield has now spent 30 years in the aroma trade, mainly working hands-on with essential oils (their production, analysis and applications). After initially qualifying as a food scientist, he returned to academia mid-career to do a further degree in biochemistry, eventually becoming a Chartered Biologist. This was followed by a period of post-doctoral research in the microbiological biotransformation of essential oil components at Cranfield University. Now deeply involved in perfumery, natural perfumery, and with natural aromatic products generally, Tony is an aroma industry consultant, looking after the interests of various essential oil, cosmetic and fragrance clients, from the small to corporate (especially those with “green portfolio” credentials). Tony also writes, lectures and produces educational materials on aromatic topics.

Tony is the author of Natural Aromatic Materials – Odours and Origins (2000) the privately published second edition of which (updated and completely revised) is to be released shortly. Tony is also a co-founder of Cropwatch, the unfinanced Independent Watchdog to the Aromatic Natural Materials trade.

About Saponifier Magazine
Saponifier Magazine is the voice of the handcrafted soap, toiletry and candle industry. Every other month the industry looks to us to provide the information they need to run their businesses - from product formulating, packaging ideas, industry regulations, business marketing to establishing industry connections. www.Saponifier.com

A Wild Soap Bar Offsets Its Carbon Emissions

Manor, TX., February 28, 2007 /SOAPWIRE/ -- A Wild Soap Bar announced today that it offset 100% of its manufacturing and shipping related carbon emissions for 2007 with Carbonfund.org, the country’s leading carbon reduction and offset organization. This important step highlights A Wild Soap Bar’s commitment to be a leader in the handmade soap manufacturing community. “In addition to reducing, recycling, and re-using on a daily basis, we plan to offset all of our carbon emissions each year” says Maggie Hanus, soap bartender and owner of A Wild Soap Bar. “Small businesses like ours can make significant contributions and we’re proud to be part of the solution to global warming.”

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