Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:

• avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;
• use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
• keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
• maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
• undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

In some countries, certification is overseen by the government, and commercial use of the term organic is legally restricted. Certified organic producers are also subject to the same agricultural, food safety and other government regulations that apply to non-certified producers.

However, be aware that a product that is certified natural or organic is not necessarily made using only 100% natural ingredients. Certain permitted synthetic (manmade) ingredients are accepted at certain levels in certification, to ensure that products are safe for use, but that is as long as they biodegrade quickly. However, petrochemical ingredients that make up the most of mainstream beauty products are never usually accepted in organic and natural certification as these are not environmentally considerate or beneficial to our skin. The more stringent standards support localisation too, ensuring fair practice within communities and preservation of local skill and expertise.

Certification is intended to protect consumers from misuse of the term, and make buying organics easy. However, the organic labelling made possible by certification itself usually requires explanation.

The following logos are those of popular approved certification boards, which you will see on the majority of brands stocked at appuru. Checking your product carries one of these logos will ensure you are buying a beauty product that is safe to use and which will deliver optimum results without harming the environment.

We feel it is however worth mentioning, that certification although very desirable, is a very expensive process. Many smaller manufacturers simply cannot afford this kind of investment in their early days, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are hiding anything or that their products are inferior in any way. At appuru we do stock some products that may fall into this category, but you can rest assured that we would not knowingly stock any product that contains controversial ingredients such as parabens*, pthalates, toluene or formaldehyde.

The Soil Association is one of the most stringent organic certification boards in the world. UK based, their standards not only meet the UK government's minimum requirements but exceed them - especially in areas concerning the environment and animal welfare.

Biodynamic / Demeter is an organic standard association based on biodynamic agriculture systems founded by Rudolph Steiner. It focuses on natural rather than synthetic fertilisers, and farmers must have an active interest in the laws of nature and demonstrate the will to work with them creatively.

Ecocert was founded in France in 1991. It is based in Europe but conducts inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest organic certification organizations in the world.

USDA Organic is American based and one of few actual government standards from the United States Department of Agriculture. It covers organic certification within cosmetics ingredients.

BDIH is the Association of German Industries and Trading Firms for pharmaceuticals, health care products, food supplements and personal hygiene products. In 1996, working together with leading natural cosmetics producers, the BDIH developed comprehensive guidelines for certified natural cosmetics, keeping in mind the expectations of consumers.

ACO stands for the Australian Certified Organic and is recognised by the Bud logo Australian Certified Organic (ACO) currently certifies about 55% of the Australian organic industry and the bud logo appears on about 70% of all certified organic product in Australia.

Cosmebio Created in 2002 in France, by the collaboration of about ten cosmetic laboratories working on job specifications for ethical cosmetics, COSMEBIO is today an association with more than 200 members and more than 4000 products containing natural and organic ingredients.

IFOAM is the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. It is the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement, uniting more than 750 member organizations in 108 countries. It declares its mission to be "leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity."

OFC is Australian based, the Organic Food Chain Pty Ltd (OFC), represents the co-operative vision of five substantial, commercially orientated organic farmers.

The BUAV is a UK based pro-animal rights organisation and the bunny logo is an international independent symbol for cruelty free products. For over 100 years the BUAV has been campaigning peacefully to create a world where nobody wants or believes we need to experiment on animals. Their leaping bunny logo is your guarantee that the product, and its ingredients, has not been tested on animals.

The Vegan Society is an educational charity formed in 1944, which promotes and supports the vegan lifestyle. Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose. The Vegan logo is a registered trademark and is a symbol of their Vegan 'Animal-free' Standards.

The Vegetarian Society is another educational charity promoting understanding and respect for vegetarian lifestyles. It allows vegetarian approved products to carry its logo, including on beauty products. The Vegetarian Society is the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world.