You will notice that most ingredients in my line of products are listed as organic, wildcrafted, or unsprayed.
What’s the difference?
This is a very complex topic, but here are the main differences between organic, wildcrafted, and pesticide-free.
Organic: These are ingredients that have been certified by a third-party as being cultivated via organic farming. This generally involves paying a fee and going though a rigorous audit.
Wildcrafted: Ingredients gathered from their natural (“wild”) habitat. There are sustainability issues that arise from wildcrafting, and we seek out suppliers that adhere to sustainable practices.
Pesticide-Free: These ingredients are typically derived from organic farming but have not been certified by a third-party. Some smaller farms can’t afford what can be high fees to have a third-party certify their farming practices. We like supporting these providers so they can grow their businesses.
What about the word “or”?
Because we work with precious agricultural products that change with the seasons, an organic ingredient may occasionally not be available, and we must substitute a wildcrafted or pesticide-free alternative. Or we may base our formula on a wonderful pesticide-free oil from a small supplier (like a lovely lavender from India) and need to substitute with an organic. In any case, we adhere to a “no synthetic pesticide” policy. If neither an organic, nor wildcrafted, nor pesticide-free ingredient is available, we will mark the product as “out of stock” until an ingredient becomes available.
