Organic Certification and the Commitment to Truth

The natural personal care industry in general—and the aromatherapy industry in particular—are full of organic claims. Unlike the organic food industry, however, organic certification in the personal care industry is not mandatory in order to make such claims. Amrita Aromatherapy is among the very few in the industry that have voluntarily undergone organic certification. Therefore, Amrita has been granted the USDA organic seal.

Amrita Is in Full Compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP)

Amrita has a network of certified organic farmers who produce our organic essential oils. Each farm is regularly inspected by its certifier. Amrita’s certifier (Oregon Tilth) oversees our suppliers’ certificates as well as the bona fide status of their certifiers. The certification process also consists of a regular inspection of Amrita’s facilities and record keeping. Thus Amrita is in full compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Amrita's Certified Organic Oils

For many essential oils, Amrita offers certified organic or wild-crafted quality, as well as conventional. And we can obtain a certified organic version of almost every essential oil, even if it is not listed as such on our Web site.

“Let the Buyer Beware” Wherever Organic Claims Are Made

The organic standards set forth by the USDA are considered very stringent, and we believe it is important to follow them on all the products we label organic. Unfortunately, these standards are almost completely non-existent in the personal care industry, and consumers may be misled. As a matter of fact, we have seen so-called “organic” essential oils, obtained from uncertified suppliers, that contained synthetic ingredients!

It is our hope that in the near future the personal care industry will agree on organic standards and implement them as mandatory in order for a company to be allowed to use the word “organic.” But until that time, the consumer must remember the adage “Let the buyer beware.” If it is not certified, it may not be organic.