Moscow Food Co-op Producer Profile

by Carrie A. Corson, from the May 2002 newsletter

EO is a natural body care company whose products we have recently begun carrying at the Co-op. I was first attracted to their products because of the unusual oil blends used to fragrance the products. After learning more about the company, I have become impressed with their high quality ingredient selections, their production practices and the overall quality of their products. Here's a little more information about this small company based in Corte Madera, California.

Susan Griffin-Black and Brad Black founded the company in 1992. Susan and Brad shared a vision of creating a company together in which they could live and work within the same community by making and distributing simple, plant-based, personal products.

Essential oils are the inspiration and foundation of all that this company does. They believe in the simple, aroma-therapeutic purity of these precious oils, so EO does not use synthetic dyes, fragrances or fillers. They use only genuine and authentic essential oils in products designed for their therapeutic effect.

EO lists the following as the top five reasons to buy these products:

1. 1.They make essential oils accessible for everyday use.
• Our sense of smell is the most acute of all senses. EO starts with unique, synergistic essential oil blends designed to enhance each product's performance and fragrant benefits.
• EO believes in the simple, aroma-therapeutic purity of these oils, so they do not use synthetic dyes, fragrances, colors or fillers.
• The goal of the company is to offer an assortment of products for everyday use that are conveniently packaged and offer a good value, given exceptional ingredients.
2. EO makes plant-based products.
   • Their products are made in small batches on their premises. They liken it to the rewards of planning and preparing a home-cooked meal–from selecting the ingredients to developing the products for their own use.
   • The folks at EO use only ingredients that are absolutely essential to the performance of the product. No shortcuts, and nothing extra.
3. Ingredients are from organic, native and/or wild-crafted plants whenever possible.
   • The products' quality and consistency are very important. The folks at EO believe that the purity and authenticity (therefore aroma-therapeutic benefits) derived from wild-crafted growing is optimum.
   • EO uses only genuine (unadulterated) and authentic (same plant species) therapeutic-quality essential oils.
   • EO uses food-grade ingredients such as cold pressed oils, honey and organic brown rice.
4. EO does not use sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfates (SLES).
   • Most manufacturers use one of two foaming agents that are the subject of controversy in personal care. Both SLS and SLES are inexpensive and have cleansing and foaming properties that make them popular staples in many shampoos, cleansers, body washes and even toothpastes.
   • The folks at EO believe that there are enough potential risks surrounding SLS and SLES that they should not be ignored. EO has managed to find gentle yet effective alternatives that create thick, rich foam.
5. 5.EO products are cruelty-free and most are vegan.
   • EO products are not tested on animals and do not contain ingredients that are derived from or tested on animals (the only exceptions are the beeswax in their lip balm and honey in their Body Scrub)

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