In a market that is constantly being bombarded by manufacturers making dubious natural, organic and sustainability claims, the company says that securing a valid and recognized certification is the only way to navigate the ‘green’ minefield.
But certification has not been an easy path for the company, which became the first cosmetics company in North America to secure Certech Registration back in January 2008.
Securing Ecocert Greenlife label
At the end of last year, that certification was added to with Ecocert Greenlife, which goes by the claim of being one of Europe’s leading organic certification authorities.
“Each certifying body has their own strict set of criteria that you have to follow,” Shahin Kalantari, President of eaurganic by d’Avicenna.
“Everything from the sourcing of raw materials to the solvents used to clean your equipment has to be approved by the certifying body. It takes a lot of time and effort to meet all the requirements. You don’t just pay a nominal fee to receive certification – you have to earn it.”
Kalantri also points to the fact that each certifying body has different boundaries and prerequisites, which makes navigating the certification process an even more demanding and complex process.
“It wasn’t easy to invest so much time and money on organic certification back in 2004-07. This was before the natural trend really hit its stride,” she added.
Thinking of what's best for the customer
“People were still pretty skeptical about natural and organic claims back then because there wasn’t as much evidence of harmful ingredients in cosmetics as there is now. But we went for organic certification regardless because we wanted the very best for our customers.”
But ultimately the company says that securing the certification process has definitely paid off, mainly because it has extended its reach into leading global markets on the back of the recognition and kudos that the certification labels bring to the brand.
Going beyond the domestic Canadian market, the company’s range of high-end skin care products the company has extended its footprint into Asia, the UK, and the Middle East and is currently eyeing further expansion into the Americas and other European markets.
“We attribute our success to organic certification because it lets the consumer know that our products are good for them,” says Kalantari. “The average consumer has no knowledge of chemistry. They can’t tell the good stuff from the bad when they read the list of ingredients, nor can they tell whether the product is genuinely organic. But when they see that Certified Organic logo on the side of the bottle, they can trust that what’s inside is safe.”