Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Just checking…. Can an inorganic compound be certified organic?

  • Just checking…. Can an inorganic compound be certified organic?

    Posted by Graillotion on September 13, 2024 at 4:51 am

    One of my sad hobbies is viewing Ultra low grade cosmetics marketed on Facebook…. (it is quite entertaining). The algorithm knows my fetish…and hence feeds them to me non-stop. 😂

    Came across something that was advertising certified organic zinc oxide. That seems wrong on every level…. kinda like why there is no organic water for formulating.

    All quick internet searches lean towards …. not just NO….but ‘Ell No.

    However…I suspect there are some unscrupulous sellers…. selling it that way to the makers without knowledge. Thoughts? Any possible way to have and organic inorganic ingredient? 😉 Hate to point something out….and find there is a loophole.

    Graillotion replied 3 weeks, 5 days ago 4 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies
  • ketchito

    Member
    September 13, 2024 at 7:45 am

    Nothing useful to add here, just the conspiracy theory that “they” are slowly wiping out organic chemistry (all the chemistries or hard sciences to be fair). “Make culture accessible” is the name of that movement…either we’re all dumb or no one is dumb😅

    • Graillotion

      Member
      September 13, 2024 at 3:41 pm

      Umh…..here in the US, that was not a conspiracy theory, but a vaunted agenda…under the name “No child left behind.” Where ALL children were left behind, in the name of the greater good, and goal of ignorance for all.

      The results have clearly manifested throughout society now. The politicians realized that an ignorant constituency was far easier to control, than an intellectual one. You can imagine trying to control a society of intellectuals….it would be like herding cats! 😼

      Aloha

  • Perry44

    Administrator
    September 13, 2024 at 11:01 am

    According to the USDA who would be the “organic” certifier, only things produced via agriculture can be labeled organic. Thus Zinc Oxide is not organic.

    I looked into it a little and while Salt is not organic, if you use certain additives the USDA allows you to label “made with organic ingredients.” https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/7%20Salt%20and%20Preservatives%20FINAL%20RGK%20V2.pdf

    However, I didn’t find anything suggesting you could to the same with Zinc Oxide.

    • Graillotion

      Member
      September 13, 2024 at 3:52 pm

      Thank you for your research.

      It is probably sold to them as…… “The trees that grow our ZnO have not been sprayed with synthetic chemicals or fertilized with toxic fertilizers. They were only grown in the presence of monks humming KumBaya.” 😉

  • ozgirl

    Member
    September 16, 2024 at 5:33 pm

    Zinc oxide is an allowed mineral ingredient in COSMOS Organic and Natural Standard but it cannot be counted towards the organic content (because it is not organic).

    https://media.cosmos-standard.org/filer_public/4f/a0/4fa0fa41-3b64-47b6-a6cc-350ffdc6b54a/cosmos-standard_v4-1.pdf

    https://media.cosmos-standard.org/filer_public/5e/88/5e8814cf-2d4b-4dba-a6ce-16e53195ad57/cosmos-standard_technical_guide_v41.pdf

    • Graillotion

      Member
      September 16, 2024 at 6:10 pm

      @ozgirl without reading all 45 pages…. the coverage of that document…seems to be ‘organic’ and ‘natural’. Natural I completely agree with…. so you would still say…. ” organic zinc oxide” in not an acceptable term? Right?

      • ozgirl

        Member
        September 16, 2024 at 6:34 pm

        That is my understanding. Zinc oxide is not organic. It might be “natural” but not organic.

        On page 15 of the standard it gives the following information.

        6.2.2 Minerals and ingredients of mineral origin
        Minerals and ingredients of mineral origin cannot be calculated as organic.

        Hope this helps. 🙂

        • Perry44

          Administrator
          September 16, 2024 at 6:55 pm

          While COSMOS and other natural standards might allow Zinc Oxide to be called “natural” no one in industry is using “natural” Zinc Oxide. All of it is synthetically produced. The stuff that is mined is broken down then chemically oxidized (French process). Actually using natural zinc oxide would expose people to dangerous levels of heavy metals.

          • Graillotion

            Member
            September 16, 2024 at 10:30 pm

            great extra piece to be aware of!

            Aloha.

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