At Sally B’s Skin Yummies, we are proud to offer a range of EWG verified products in our skincare range! EWG (Environmental Working Group) is an organization that has worked tirelessly since 1993 to reform our nation’s broken chemical safety and agricultural laws. They are pushing industries to adopt their standards and resist chemicals of concern. They also educate consumers with useful information and inspire demand for safer products.
EWG VERIFIED holds products to the strictest standards for your health. This means products with the EWG Verified Seal have full transparency, none of EWG’s chemicals of concern, and a label you can trust. The ultimate goal of EWG Verified is for all products on the market to be free of harmful chemicals so that everyone’s purchasing decisions are finally stress-free. The Environmental Working Group also raises awareness of the need for real cosmetic safety reform through Beauty Made Better campaign.
However, becoming EWG VERIFIED is not for the faint of heart, as the process has strict guidelines and a meticulous application process. But the rewards are great, as the seal is tangible proof that our products meet and, in some cases, exceed some very strict safety standards.
What makes products that earn EWG VERIFICATION™ different?
When I decided to turn my hobby into a business, I knew there would be regulations and requirements that I had to familiarize myself with. But instead, I was surprised to find that the cosmetics industry was self-regulating. This meant that all the products I had used throughout my life may or may not have been safe.
Sally B’s has made it their mission to ensure that every ingredient is carefully researched and sourced before being added to a formulation. We also wanted to set our products apart by being 100% transparent with our labeling and marketing. But aside from my trust in our products and our word, what would make our products stand out as safe, beneficial and high quality?
We considered certifying our products as organic through the USDA Certified Organic program. While our products could earn the seal, the program was written and applies primarily to food products. Although our products are technically safe to ingest, we do not recommend that you do so! Have you heard someone qualify their skin care purchase by saying, “I only put on my skin what I would eat?” Our answer to that is that you definitely want to use organic shea butter or organic tamanu oil on your skin, but you definitely wouldn’t want to eat either.
Just before we were forced to make this critical decision of whether or not to apply for USDA certification, we introduced the EWG VERIFIED program. This program offers us the opportunity to earn a seal indicating that our formulas have been tested for safety unlike any other program available in the United States. It’s an identifier we’re proud to put on our products.
Why aren’t all Sally B’s products EWG tested?
Some of our formulas simply do not apply to verification. For example, we characterize ours B Akotos as an insect repellent and there is currently no “licensed category” for bug repellents.
Then there are just some ingredients that are harder to verify, like essential oils. The EWG has very strict criteria regarding certain essential oils. We have been asked to provide specific test results for certain essential oil ingredients. For example, to get products with organic peppermint essential oil approved, we had to provide test results that measured the amount of Pulegone, a natural compound in the essential oils. None of my very trusted suppliers had ever tested for Pulegone. Many of our ingredients are simply too difficult or expensive to obtain that meet EWG standards.
Although there are challenges, we believe so much in the EWG VERIFIED program that we are willing to jump through hoops to verify our current collection and future products. We will update you as the products are verified.
Why should shoppers choose an EWG-verified product over one that isn’t?
The EWG program is rigorous and their standards meet or exceed other programs. We often look to Europe and Canada to provide standards of excellence in the formulation of safe cosmetic products. These countries have banned approximately 1,300 ingredients from cosmetic formulations on the market. The US has only banned 11! The EWG takes much of this information, as well as its own quality standards, and uses it when evaluating a product made in the USA.
What does EWG VERIFIED mean for Sally B’s Skin Yummies?
This seal of verification has given us the support and credibility to stand behind what we say about our products. We create effective, non-toxic alternatives to everyday products. We use the highest concentration of certified organic ingredients available. And now with the EWG VERIFIED seal, we can say we’ve been tested and approved by one of the most recommended sources for personal care product safety.
Shop Sally B’s Skin Yummies EWG VERIFIED skin care products HERE.
