Our Ingredients Policy

Essentially Natural was founded on the basis of stocking only natural and non-toxic, non-harmful products and we have not compromised our mission since. That's why we have one of the strictest ingredients policies out there: before we list any item our product specialists scrutinize every ingredient. Only products where all ingredients are of a natural and non-toxic origin pass through. If 99% of the ingredients are fine but one isn't, then that product does not get listed.

• All of our essential oils, carrier oils and aromatherapy products are 100% pure.
• Our dried botanicals are just that, pure plant material, no fillers.
• Ready-to-use items are all checked for any nasties.

Our DIY ingredients are all of natural origin and safe.

We strive to list only safe, biodegradable and of-natural-origin surfactants, preservatives, emulsifiers and all other ranges of DIY ingredients. Despite high demand we have decided not to list a number of popular ingredients because they simply do not measure up to our strict standards. We do not compromise when it comes to health and the environment.

Ingredients You Won't Find At Essentially Natural

Essentially Natural was built on the foundation of an ultra strict ingredients policy. It is our number one consideration before stocking any product: we scrutinise each and every ingredient on the label. We are against the following ingredients and you won’t find them on our shop:

• BHA & BHT
• Cyclic silicones
• Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA) and other ethalomines
• Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea
• EDTA
• Formaldehydes 
• Lead and other heavy metals in any toxic amounts
• Mineral oils, paraffin and petrolatum
• Oxybenzene and other chemicals sunscreens
• Parabens
• Phthalates 
• Propylene glycol & butylene glycol
• SLS and SLES
• Sulfates 
• Synthetic harmful colourants 
• Synthetic fragrances
• Talc
• Toluene
• Triclosan 

This list is continuously evolving based on scientific data and evidence based studies.

Misunderstood Products

Certain products have a bad rep but are not in themselves harmful. We choose to base our product listing on scientific findings rather than myth.

Palm oil and palm oil derived ingredients: We don’t sell palm oil but sometimes a product may contain a palm oil derivative. We endeavour to source sustainably grown palm oil products wherever possible.

Certain silicone classes: Silicones come in different classes and while certain groups such as the cyclic silicones are a no-go, others such as dimethicone have been proven to be safe and even beneficial for skin.

Certain synthetic preservatives eg. phenoxyethanol. Preservatives are a necessary part of any product containing water, to prevent the growth of bacteria, microbes, yeast, fungi and other undesirable and potentially harmful species. We do allow certain preservatives that are suitable for natural formulation such as those certified by ECOCERT, COSMOS and other scientific and consumer safety bodies.

Mica powder: we have sourced high quality lab-produced mica powders. Synthetic micas are made from heavy-metal free mica and coloured with oxide pigments. Synthetic micas are nature identical to the mica found in the ground, except that by being produced in a laboratory they are eco-friendly, safe, and of course not mined - so unethical labour practices are not a concern. 

Sourcing Policy

We are passionate about supporting local and we source all our products from South African based companies. Wherever possible we source from sustainably grown crops which support local jobs and do not harm the environment.

GMO Products

We will list wherever a product is certified GMO free.

Organic Products

We will list wherever a product is certified, or unverified organic.

Organic certification is an extremely costly exercise which many companies simply cannot afford to do even though their products would otherwise qualify. Many farmers from whence our essential oils, carrier oils, botanicals and other products come from use organic fertiliser and non-harmful pesticides; but they have not yet verified their product with a certification body.

Vegan Products

The vast majority of our products are derived from plant sources and are vegan friendly. The  Essentially Natural brand range of products is proudly vegan and certified cruelty free.

Cruelty Free

We are categorically against animal cruelty and we try our very best to source products that have not been tested on animals. The  Essentially Natural brand range of products is proudly certified cruelty free.

We however acknowledge that we live in a modern society where many of the advanced products we use daily are in existence thanks to animal testing to make sure they are safe for use. Please contact us if you wish to confirm the animal testing status of a particular product.