What to understand about our natural products
What to know about our natural products
We at Super Natural Goods commit to clarity; clearly listing our ingredients on the packaging. In alignment with our original mission to "remove harsh chemicals from everyday products", our focus remains turning to nature in order to source the most natural ingredients possible.
Unfortunately, in today's world we often run into misleading phrases. For example if you read "natural flavors" on something you grab from the grocery store shelf, and you believe its aromas are not man-made at all, we can argue that your conclusion seems pretty logical. Yet if you look up the regulations and definitions around the subject you might find that dozens of other ingredients such as preservatives and solvents could have gone into that same product, that are not necessarily regulated. Hence despite the "natural flavor" phrase the product might be far from being, so to speak, as clean as you would expect it to be.
We want to avoid any "bad stuff" and turn to nature wherever possible, using naturally derived ingredients, thriving to be plant based and biodegradable, while taking any harsh chemicals out of our product formulas that you might find used by other brands. Where mandated one cannot avoid adding the minimum amount of chemicals, these can oftentimes be reduced to trace amounts (considered insignificant or negligible such as 0.5% etc.) which is what we always aim to do. In other cases, where mandates allow, we will find alternatives available in nature, extracts from shrubs or herbs, etc. and replace chemicals with these natural options, as long as they do not compromise the formula's stability or effectiveness.
We believe that plant or animal sources are simply better for any supplements, skin products, vitamins, even cleaning products and anything the human body comes in contact with. Furthermore we believe that committing to our exacting standards and never compromising them can contribute to our customers living a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life!
At the same time we also understand that just because something can be found in nature, that does not mean it is not harmful for the human body when consumed or even used topically. Mercury is a naturally occurring element and crude oil is produced by nature; it does not mean however that these won't be toxic to humans. Iron is another example; a naturally occurring mineral that studies have shown the human body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. Your body also needs iron to make some hormones. Yet it is toxic to human life in too high dosages.
The intended use is also important. For example we use Arnica Montana flowers oil in some of our products. Since these flowers (also known as Mountain arnica, wolf's bane, leopard's bane, etc.) could raise concerns in terms of toxicity when consumed, we avoid their use in supplements taken internally. When used topically (externally) however, they have been noted for their effectiveness in relieving pain. Since our research has found the oil to be safe for that specific use only, we only apply it in formulas intended accordingly.
Another example is Polysorbate 60 that is in fact a synthetic ingredient and won't fall into our understanding of natural. While this chemical can be found in many food products such as ice cream, frozen custard, ice milk, fruit sherbet, frozen desserts, etc. and while at the time of this writing it has been designated by the FDA as safe for foods under specific guidelines (see https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.838 stating), we nevertheless believe that leaving it out of our products intended for internal use is the best for our consumers. We have not yet found a natural alternative to this synthetic ingredient however that can produce the same stability formulating topical creams or skincare and cosmetics type of products. That is why we do not only list Emulsifying Wax (additive to help keep oils from separating out and creams from breaking down) as an ingredient where applicable but also list out what the wax is made of to show that Polysorbate 60 although in very small amount, is included.
We can continue on and on but it should be clear to any reader why we concluded that there is no other way to truly enable anyone to make a well informed decision in regards to what supplements, deodorant and other products they use other than clearly listing the ingredients that make up our items. Only then can one clearly see what is or is not in the product of their choice. When you read our lists you will see what we mean by removing harsh chemicals from everyday products or what plant based and naturally derived ingredients means in our case, or why we strive to make new formulas that avoid any of the bad stuff.
When we make aluminum free deodorants that is not just a marketing message but a conscious decision based on our research having shown that aluminum in this type of application can have short and long term repercussions to one's health.
When we replace petroleum derived or petroleum based ingredients in a product with glycerine (a natural compound derived from vegetable oils or animal fats) we do so because during our research we have found that removing the harsh chemical this way has not adversely affected the stability nor the effectiveness of the formula while endless studies have shown the potential harmful effects of petroleum derived ingredients in cosmetics and other products.
While in search of existing standards we found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not test or approve dietary supplements before they're marketed. Hence we continued our search and found that the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention attempts to bridge the gap between lack of government scrutiny of dietary supplements and the consumer's need for safe vitamins. We refer to those standards when you see USP OR u.s.p. mentioned alongside our vitamins and other ingredients.
We never test on animals nor humans, however we use our own products to ensure we can 100% stand behind them and their workability!
You can always review the list of ingredients for any specific item you wish to purchase from us