Tamar Valley Organics

September 1, 2009

Tamar Valley Organics is a UK based company that creates a range of natural products including body care products, pet care and soy wax candles.

History

Tamar Valley Organics is a natural products company based in Cornwall.

Laurinda Taylor had been making soaps in her kitchen for 5 years. After being made redundant from her advertising and marketing job, her husband encouraged her to take her interest in complimentary therapies and go into business for herself.

“I set out with clear goals on how the business should operate. I started to research the benefits of each of the ingredients that should go into my products and how Tamar Valley Organics could be different to that of other companies within the South West of England. Whilst maintaining an ethical and environmental aspect to the business.”

She started making skincare products in 2006 and then went on to form Tamar Valley Organics in December 2008.

Products

Tamar Valley Organics create a range of natural products including body care products, pet care and soy wax candles. Their products are all made from natural, eco friendly and contain organic ingredients.

Products are made in small batches daily and have up to a 12 month shelf life.

What is your favourite Tamar Valley Organics products and why?

“That is a difficult question, it’s like choosing who is your favourite child! But if I were to choose then it would have to be my Cornish Meadows Gardeners Hand Cream and the Garden Of Eden Face Cream”.

Ingredients

Tamar Valley Organics do not use:

• SLS
• SLES
• Parabens
• Artificial Colourings or Fragrances
• Palm oil

They use:

• Organic aloe vera
• Natural plant extracts
• Natural butters
• Natural oils
• Pure essential oils for fragrance

Organic

Tamar Valley Organics use organic ingredients where possible and aim for a 70% organic (if not greater): 30% non-organic ratio in product formulations.

One of the big decisions for Tamar Valley Organics was the balance between quality and price – organic ingredients can be expensive and would therefore increase the cost of the final product,

“I don’t believe that I need to get my products independently certified organic, as this is an extra cost that I would have to pass onto our consumer.”

They made the decision not to have their products certified by a third party because many of the ingredients already been certified at their source (products labels state which ingredients are organic).

Local

Ingredients are locally grown where possible. Their local ingredients include:

• Beeswax and honey from local beekeepers in Cornwall
• They grow their own lavender which is used to make floral infusions and dried petals
• They also grow their own roses that produce rosehips for rosehip oil and floral infusions
• Cornish spring water

Ingredients that can’t be grown in the UK (some essential oils and butters) are improted by a UK supplier who has a cruelty free policy and can be traced back to source.

Ethics, values and principles

Cruelty free

Tamar Valley Organics do not test products on animals and only buy ingredients from suppliers who operate the same policy.

Reduce pollution, emissions and waste

There are several factors which help the company reduce it’s environmental impact:

• The business is run from home and products are handmade in small batches – which means they are not paying to light and heat offices and supply big production lines with electricity
• Energy saving light-bulbs have been installed
• They have sought out a renewable energy tariff – giving then 50% renewable energy in their domestic tariff
• All waste is recycled

Safety

All products have been certified in accordance with the Cosmetic Safety Products (safety) Regulations 2004 (and as amended in 2008). Ingredients compaly with the official list of ingredients that are allowed in leave in or rinse off cosmetics.

They are also registered to manufacture and retail cosmetics with the The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Each product has a batch number and a date of preparation so consumers know when the product was made.

Consumer education

Tamar Valley Organics have created a consumer guide to their ingredients. PDF’s are available on their website for their main ingredients and their essential oils.

Truth in labelling

Tamar Valley Organics have taken the Truth in Labelling Pledge.

Taking the Truth in Labelling pledge means that companies voluntarily pledge to follow the NIRC criteria for labelling natural ingredients and products.

The pledge includes:

• In order to label a product or ingredient as natural, it fits the natural ingredient resource center criteria for natural ingredients
• You must disclose when a product contains synthetic ingredients such as fragrance oils or petrochemcials in a way that is clear to consumers

The Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers

The Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers was formed by a group of dedicated crafters in September 2007.

Some ingredients are banned because they’ve been found by scientific testing to be potentially harmful. Other products are banned or restricted because they are potential allergens. The aim of the legislation is to protect the general public and the craft soap & toiletry maker.

Fair Trade

All of their product ingredients can be traced back to their sources.>

Packaging

Recyclable materials are used for packaging and include:

• PET plastic bottles and lids
• Clear glass jars
• Aluminium lids
• Recyclable paper (brochures)
• Brochures and labels are printed locally
• Laurinda works with her husband to design brochures, labels and the website

Packaging for mail orders is also eco friendly. Mail orders are shipped in reused boxes.

“I try to re-use packaging where possible. When you order via mail order or the internet, you may receive the orders in boxes that have been used before, along with its filling, such as air bags and foam bobbles. I collect these from local shops here in Launceston. By doing this we cut down on the waste and again it can be recycled at the end of its journey”.

Sources

• Image sources – Tamar Valley Organics
• Laurinda and Scott Taylor
• tamarvalleyorganics.co.uk