USDA Organic Certification was created for food production (not the personal care industry) and as a result is based on organic farming and agriculture standards.
The list of allowable non-agricultural ingredients (like clay, salts, mud, etc) is based on raw materials used in farming. Agricultural ingredients have a biological origin and are made up of carbon. Non-agricultural ingredients have a non-biological origin.
For example, ingredients that come from plants and animals are agricultural, whereas salts, clays, baking soda, pumice, and water are non-agricultural.
Since clays like kaolin and bentonite have farming/agricultural uses, they appear on the list. Unfortunately, ingredients like Pumice, Dead Sea Mud, and Bamboo Charcoal are not used in farming or food production and thus do not appear on the list. Sometimes an ingredient, such as Magnesium Hydroxide, appears on the list but can only be under certain circumstances. Magesium hydroxide can only be used as a nutrient supplement for animals.
Products that contain these ingredients like our Sensitive Skin Deodorants, Clay Facial Masks, and Bamboo Charcoal, Loofah Pumice Foot, and Dead Sea Mud soaps, as well as our Mud & Clay and Rosemary Mint Charcoal Shampoo Bars cannot display any organic symbol or even state that they are organic.
Since we are a certified organic company, we must follow the rules of the USDA. Even though these products are made with certified organic ingredients that meet the same rigorous standards as those required for our "Organic" products, we cannot call them "organic." Sadly if you are not a USDA Certified Organic company, you can do whatever you want :-(
For more detailed information, please read our blog, "What Do All of the Organic Labels Mean?"
