Sustainable Skincare
As our products contain high levels of natural and naturally-derived ingredients, they are highly biodegradable and have minimum environmental impact.
We use a variety of recyclable plastic, glass and cardboard materials for our packaging. We are aware of the growing concern of plastic on the environment and we are looking into alternative packaging options going forward. See our environmental statement.
Currently, we do not offer refill options for your empty containers.
As part of our sustainability message we are reviewing our current packaging with regards to recyclability and recycled material. We are also looking at the refillable options for certain products within our ranges and this is being done in conjunction with our current supply chain and distributors.
Please be assured we are committed to reducing our reliance on plastic and we are investigating all viable options for our products, whilst ensuring we are not compromising on product integrity and consumer safety.
Are your products biodegradable and safe for use in the rainforest and reef?
As our products contain naturally-derived ingredients, instead of synthetic chemicals, our products are highly biodegradable and have minimum environmental impact.
All Dr. Organic products are considered safe for use in the rainforest and reef.
As our products contain naturally-derived ingredients, instead of synthetic chemicals, our products are highly biodegradable and have minimum environmental impact.
All Dr. Organic products are considered safe for use in the rainforest and reef.
Good to know
Our parent company Nature's Bounty, Dr. Organic and our sister company Optima do not test any of our products or raw materials on animals, and do not ask any third parties to test on our behalf. In the EU it is illegal to test on animals for the purposes of the cosmetic industry but as a global Brand we are committed to being cruelty free and will never test on animals.
We export to many countries globally. However, we do not currently export our products directly to mainland China, to enter into the Chinese market, steps must be taken to ensure compliance with China cosmetics regulations. These include undergoing National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval and we would need to subject our products to be tested on animals. This goes against our company ethos.
As a general guide, there is a small symbol displayed on the back of each product pack that provides a guideline of how long each product is recommended to be used for, once opened. This symbol looks like a jar with an open lid, with the number of months the product is recommended to be used for, printed on the jar. For example, 6m, 12m etc. (See below).
In line with EU Cosmetics regulations, all products do not have to carry a manufacture or expiry date as they have a minimum unopened shelf life of 30 months. We test the majority of our products to 36 months to ensure there are no signs of degradation. As each of our distributors are provided with expiry dates and relevant information, you should not purchase a product which has gone past its recommended shelf life.
All Dr Organic products are manufactured within the UK or Italy.
Animal Friendly Ethos
All Dr. Organic products are, at minimum, suitable for vegetarians. However, we also have a wide variety of vegan options. You can find more information about our vegan products on our home page. All products will be listed as suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Ethically Sourced
Dr Organic Ltd distribute a wide variety of high quality organic and naturally-based products. Our current skincare policy strives to ensure that our products contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients, but we have many products which are much higher than this - as much as 100%. In addition we replace as much of the water in our cosmetic products as we can with organic Aloe vera juice.
Unlike organic food products, cosmetics are currently not required by legislation to be certified as organic. Today, there are multiple organic certification agencies working in individual countries each with their own criteria for the classification of organic cosmetics and the percentage of required organic ingredients. In order for a product to be classed as organic by some certifiers, the product can be as little as 10% organic, as long as 90% of the product is natural. Although we respect the support and services that organic certification bodies are providing to the cosmetic industry, as a global brand selling in over 50 countries worldwide, local cosmetic product certification is currently not a viable option to meet our needs for all markets.
Dr. Organic is therefore committed to creating unique, naturally inspired products which are truly functional by design, and capture and celebrate the active properties of the natural and organic ingredients included in each product.
Dr. Organic always strive to utilise the best that nature has to offer and include in every cosmetic product accredited and certified organic ingredients from around the world, including:
Organic Aloe vera; this replaces the majority of water in products that are not oil based.Organic essential oils.Organic and natural Vegetable Fats and Oils.Naturally-derived emulsifiers, surfactants, emollients and preservatives, approved by organic certification schemes.
Dr. Organic is constantly working to improve and increase the use of organic and natural ingredients in our product ranges without sacrificing functionality and wherever possible a minimum of 70% organically certified ingredients are used*. This information is currently included on the packaging to ensure consumers can make an informed buying choice. If a sustainable organic source is not deemed suitable or available, a natural or naturally-derived source may be utilised instead.
*excluding water and salt or other natural minerals that are not certifiable as organic.
Our products do not contain palm oil but may contain palm oil derivatives as an alternative to synthetic ingredients.
We use suppliers who are certified under the RSPO sustainable Palm Oil system and geographically, there are a variety of countries under this system.
To ensure the credibility of palm oil sustainability claims, all RSPO members that take legal ownership and produce, or handle RSPO-certified sustainable oil palm products, need to be RSPO certified.
Dr Organic does not use synthetic ingredients wherever possible, instead we use naturally-derived materials from a variety of vegetable sources. These include but are not limited to:
PalmCoconutSunflowerRapeseedSeaweedSoy
Dr. Organic source materials from companies who actively support or engage in organic, Fair Trade and sustainability programs wherever possible.
As our products contain very high levels of naturally derived ingredient and our products are highly biodegradable and have minimum environmental impact.
Free From
We currently use denatured alcohol at low levels in a small number of products to improve functionality, this will be called Alcohol denat on Dr. Organic products’ ingredients lists.
Cetearyl alcohol is not derived from ethanol, so is not 'alcohol' but a plant-based fatty alcohol. This item is suitable for those who avoid alcohol (ethanol) e.g. for religious purposes.
Benzyl alcohol is a naturally derived constituent within the natural perfumes we use in our products as alternatives to synthetic fragrance.
Dr. Organic uses alcohol that is naturally derived from grains.
Dr. Organic products contain no alcohol from grapes or dates. This, however may change, in the future.
Some Dr. Organic products may contain gluten containing ingredients
These would always be indicated in our ingredient lists as follows:
Triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oilHydrolysed Wheat protein
However, we cannot confirm that our products would be free from any gluten traces, as they are made in an environment that may handle ingredients containing gluten.
Please note: we do always recommend that you perform a skin patch test 24 hours prior to using any new cosmetic product, especially if you have a known allergy.
Currently our face creams do not include SPF protection. However, we are currently looking at how we can include natural SPFs into our face creams in the Future.
Natural SPF's are not as effective as synthetic ingredients in sun protection and work by physically blocking out the UVA and UVB rays, this usually means that a white residue can be left on the skin which is not acceptable. Using standard SPF ingredients, which are synthetic, are no doubt the most cost-effective solution, but we do not wish to compromise our natural philosophy. Naturally derived ingredients are constantly being developed and we hope that we can utilise some of these soon.
The only Dr Organic products that currently contain an SPF factor rating are our range of lip balms.
Some of Dr Organic’s ranges contain different varieties of nuts, all ingredients are clearly labelled under our ingredients list. Customers should check ingredient listings and seek advice from a trained medical professional if they are unsure.
Our environmentally-friendly formulations are vegetarian or vegan and the ingredients we use are sourced organically wherever possible. As a global brand, we will never test on animals and our products will always be cruelty-free.
Our Ingredients and You
There is no evidence to state that Dr. Organic products are not safe to use when trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and whilst breastfeeding. However, we always advise that you seek medical advice, if you have concerns. We do test our products on volunteers, but these trials are limited to adults but do not include pregnant participants.
There is mixed information about the use of essential oils whilst pregnant and, again, it is best to discuss this with someone who has an awareness of your medical history so they can advise accordingly. Depending on the stage of your pregnancy you can find that you have become sensitive to things that you didn’t have an issue with before. Therefore, we always recommend that you perform a skin patch test 24 hours prior to using any new cosmetic product, even after consultation with a GP or similar.
We do not recommend that Dr. Organic product are used on children under 5 years of age. We have not tested products specifically on babies or children and always advise that you seek medical advice if unsure. We always recommend that you perform a skin patch test 24 hours beforehand on the arm or behind one ear to ensure there’s no sensitivity.
The Dr. Organic Calendula, Virgin Coconut Oil range, Manuka Honey range and Aloe Vera range are most suited for those with sensitive skin, due to their milder formulations. We always recommend that you perform a skin patch test 24 hours beforehand on the arm or behind one ear to ensure there’s no sensitivity.
Unfortunately, we don’t disclose exact ingredient percentages as this information is classed as proprietary information. This information is made available to regulatory authorities should this be necessary for any purpose.
Rest assured we have included all ingredients at levels that maximises the efficacy of each of our products.
The Organic Hemp Oil used in our cosmetics and skincare products does NOT contain the psychoactive THC ingredient found within cannabis.
Hemp-based cosmetics that are commercially produced are not legally permitted to contain the cannabinoid known as THC and we use only parts of the Hemp plant that are THC free.
You will not test positive in any normal work-related drug test or a urinalysis after using our Hemp Oil range
Dr. Organic products are always free from synthetic perfume. Our fragrances are the result of combining different natural essential oils with naturally-derived extracts and compounds wherever possible to create our unique signature blends.
Soaps are produced through a process called saponification, due to the saponification process, which requires an alkaline substance to convert the oils to soap, the final pH tends to be in the alkaline range of 9-11; as skin is slightly acidic this is the reason why soaps can make excellent cleansers. We always therefore recommend that soaps are used in conjunction with moisturising products to ensure that the skin can be replenished with moisture after cleansing.
All Dr. Organic Shampoos have a pH level range of 5-6 and all Dr. Organic Conditioners have a pH level range of 3-4.
Conditioners have a lower pH level to help provide a smoothing effect and reduce static on the hair.
Usually, all our leave-on skincare products (creams and lotions) are formulated to have a pH range of between 5 and 6 to help make them as natural and gentle to the skin as possible.
Typically, our rinse off products (body washes, face washes, etc) have a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5, as they are designed to help effectively cleanse with the addition of water without stripping the skin of its natural pH level.