ESAS’s Sustainability and Natural Initiative : Our goal is always to be better than the standard. We not only want to disrupt the status quo with our products, but also in our efforts for best sustainability practices.
In an unregulated market, what does it mean to be :
Sustainable, biodegradable, compostable, natural, organic, naturally derived, synthetic, nature identical, clean beauty?
In some way or another these words overlap or mean differently than imagined. We developed ESAS knowing that this beauty marketplace is overly complicated and we’re here to take the time to step back before another word for “natural” becomes mainstream. As many of your know, none of these words are regulated by the FDA and is left to the brands or distributors to define them.
Here is how the US regulates these words and how Esas uses them for you. It’s best to describe them through the supply chain:
| US GOVERNING BOARDS | ESAS BEAUTY |
|---|---|
| SUSTAINABLE and GREEN PROCESSES | |
| No definition of sustainability from the FDA, but here is the EPA's definition of Sustainability : “Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.” | We started ESAS because we wanted to innovate beautiful things that not only make people happy but are also truly good for you, the people who make them and our environment.
|
| CLEAN BEAUTY STANDARD / NON-TOXIC INGREDIENTS | |
| None - Distributors and brands make their own list of ingredients to ban. | Our ingredients are 100% natural - either certified organic, organic, minerals, or naturally-derived with as limited processing methods as possible. |
| NATURAL INGREDIENTS | |
| From the FDA Cosmetic Resources Website - “FDA has not defined the term “natural” and has not established a regulatory definition for this term in cosmetic labeling.” |
We take “natural” in our cosmetics as seriously as we do in the food we choose to eat.
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| Nature identical : synthetically formulated to mimic ingredients found in nature. Can also be considered as sustainable alternatives for rare plant species. | |
| ORGANIC INGREDIENTS | |
| From the FDA Cosmetic Resources Website - “FDA also does not have regulations for the term "organic" for cosmetics. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the use of the term “organic” for agricultural products under the National Organic Program (NOP).” | Our everyday diet consists of certified organic vegetables, grass-fed meat, and cold-pressed oils. We take that same care in our formulations and seek out suppliers which share the same attention to detail. When possible, we seek out USDA Certified Organic Ingredients which - “USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible. Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.” |
| BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING | |
| ASTM / ISO Definitions of Biodegradable Packaging: “biodegradable plastic, n—a degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of naturally-occurring micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae.” | Note how the definition has no requirement for the time it needs to take to biodegrade. Therefore, if it biodegrades in 10,000 years, a packaging can be considered - yes, you guessed it - biodegradable. |
| COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING | |
| ASTM / ISO Definitions of Biodegradable Packaging: “compostable plastic, n—a plastic that undergoes degradation by biological processes during composting to yield carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass at a rate consistent with other known, compostable materials and leaves no visually distinguishable or toxic residue.” | Our secondary packaging is compostable to keep your products safe during shipment. Feel free to break down our starch peanuts in water or in your compost! |
TL;DR - We’re here to take the guesswork out for you. Our products are sustainable, natural, and organic. Our packaging is always sustainable and then compostable when feasible to maintain the integrity of our products.