Close to the Source
Badger believes that finding the very best ingredients for our products requires getting close to the source. We’ve traveled the world to meet the people who grow, harvest, and process the amazing organic ingredients we use in our products.
"We tend to be organic fanatics. That's because we believe that sustainable organic agriculture is our hope for the future. Imagine food, clothing, and shelter produced in harmony with nature, without the use of toxic chemicals polluting earth, air and water today. It's easy for me to imagine, because it makes sense.” - Badger Bill Whyte, Founder
Growing Standards
Every ingredient we use is grown and processed with the highest degree of respect for protecting the environment, the workers and the natural properties of the plants.
The Fair Trade certification is a social and environmental standard which ensures that workers are given fair compensation for their labor, and that environmental and health concerns are met. There are only a few ingredients used in skin care products that are certified by Fair Trade USA (our current US Fair Trade certifying organization). We are constantly exploring ways to certify our products Fair Trade, by utilizing as many Fair Trade ingredients as possible.
The organic certification is an agricultural standard which ensures that ingredients are not genetically modified, and are grown and processed without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or chemical processing agents. We prioritize using USDA certified organic ingredients, which we believe to be the gold standard for personal care ingredients.
Regenerative agriculture sequesters carbon at the farm level and we believe it should be part of the mainstream climate change conversation. We are exploring how best to quantify the regenerative organic practices of our key suppliers and potentially work with a select number of those suppliers to vet their practices using questionnaires outlining our goals.
Demeter is a Biodynamic standard for a holistic, chemical free farming system that is very much in line with the organic standard. We use biodynamically grown ingredients whenever possible.
Growing Standards
Every ingredient we use is grown and processed with the highest degree of respect for protecting the environment, the workers and the natural properties of the plants.
The Fair Trade certification is a social and environmental standard which ensures that workers are given fair compensation for their labor, and that environmental and health concerns are met. There are only a few ingredients used in skin care products that are certified by Fair Trade USA (our current US Fair Trade certifying organization). We are constantly exploring ways to certify our products Fair Trade, by utilizing as many Fair Trade ingredients as possible.
The organic certification is an agricultural standard which ensures that ingredients are not genetically modified, and are grown and processed without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or chemical processing agents. We prioritize using USDA certified organic ingredients, which we believe to be the gold standard for personal care ingredients.
Regenerative agriculture sequesters carbon at the farm level and we believe it should be part of the mainstream climate change conversation. We are exploring how best to quantify the regenerative organic practices of our key suppliers and potentially work with a select number of those suppliers to vet their practices using questionnaires outlining our goals.
Demeter is a Biodynamic standard for a holistic, chemical free farming system that is very much in line with the organic standard. We use biodynamically grown ingredients whenever possible.
Processing Standards
Essential Oils
& Extracts
Plant Oils
& Butters
Beeswax
& Carnuba Wax
Minerals
& Oxides
Complex
Naturals
Steam Distillation: Essential oils are collected using steam as the extraction solvent. Plant material is permeated with steam, then, when the plant tissues begin to break down, the volatile oils and water vapors are released and can be collected and separated after they cool.
CO2 Extraction: Extracts are collected using supercritical fluid Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as the extraction solvent. CO2 exists as a gas at warm temperatures and as a solid (dry ice) below -78.5°C. Increasing the temperature and pressure of solid CO2 causes it to reach a ‘critical point’ at which it has characteristics mid-way between a gas and a liquid. Plant material is broken down in this fluid, and when the pressure is released the extract can be collected. Supercritical CO2 extraction is non-toxic, low temperature and yields a superior product.
Expression/Expeller Pressed: Essential oils are processed using mechanical extraction methods. The plant material is simply pressed, and then centrifugal force is used to separate out the essential oils from the plant matter.
Cold Pressed: Essential oils are extracted as above, but processing temperatures are controlled to ensure that they do not exceed 50°C (122°F) from seed to bottle. The product is also completely protected from light and air during processing.
Expression/Expeller Pressed: Oils and butters are processed using mechanical extraction methods. The plant material is pressed, and then centrifugal force is used to separate out the essential oils from the plant matter.
Cold Pressed: Oils and butters are extracted as above, but processing temperatures are controlled to ensure that they do not exceed 50°C (122°F) from seed to bottle. The product is also protected from light and air during processing.
Naturally Purified:
Beeswax is a product of the female worker honeybee. The wax is secreted from the female’s wax glands in small flakes. The golden color and pleasant aroma that we associate with pure beeswax is actually the combination of the wax, pollen, gum resins and propolis (composed of plant resins). Our beeswax is melted, heated to kill biological contaminants, and then strained through fine mesh to reduce impurities.
Crude carnauba wax is obtained from carnauba palm leaves that have been harvested, sun-dried and mechanically processed to separate the wax from the leaves. This crude wax is then refined to remove impurities using processes in line with organic standards
Zinc Oxide: Zinc oxide is the metal zinc that has been oxidized. Zinc oxide does occur in nature as the mineral zincite, but it is quite rare and commercially unavailable. Badger's zinc oxide is manufactured using mined zinc which is then purified into pharmaceutical grade zinc oxide. Learn more about Badger’s zinc oxide.
Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Silica: Minerals are mined and then undergo a series of complex processes to ensure that there is no threat of heavy metal contamination. Chemicals are used in these processes; however, the end product is pure, nature identical and free of chemicals, and harmful levels of heavy metals.
Mica: Mica is mined and mechanically processed. Our mica is then coated with iron oxide or titanium dioxide to add color.
Certain functional ingredients (e.g. preservatives, emulsifiers, surfactants) in Badger’s water-based products require more complex processing in order to properly carry out their function. While these processes may not be included under the USDA NOP, Badger still sets very high standards for these complex naturals. At a minimum, all ingredients used in our water-based products must meet the strict sourcing and processing guidelines set forth by the NSF/ANSI 305 “Contains Organic Ingredients”, and NSF Non-GMO standards.
A Few of Our Growers Around the World
Come visit the farms that grow some of our key ingredients.
A Few of Our Growers Around the World
Come visit the farms that grow some of our key ingredients.
Ingredients and Product Certifications
Badger is committed to transparency and we believe that third party certifications help take the guesswork out of the claims we make. We adhere to the strict standards of the agencies certifying our products, so you don’t have to wonder if our claims are true.
