Announcing: We are MADE SAFE™ Certified! (And What That Means)

Since our company was started, we’ve promised to make products that are completely clean, with every ingredient listed on the label.

It’s always been our top priority to source the finest herbs and extracts grown on farms by people who care. We take it seriously — we examine our ingredients one by one each year to make sure that we are getting them from the single best source. We’ll often swap out ingredients when we find something better, and it’s for this reason that you can always be sure you’re getting the absolute best from us.

Another thing that’s been true since we started Annmarie Skin Care — we are not USDA organic certified. There are several reasons for that, which you can read about in this blog post.

Because we chose not to go through the FDA's organic certification process, we've been looking for a way to emblemize the safety and integrity of our products. We want people who chose our products to know that we put a lot of love into them and are committed to using only ingredients from the earth.

So we were totally thrilled when we connected with MADE SAFE, a company that's working to get unsafe ingredients out of skin care and other products. A while back we posted letting you know that we were going through the process of getting MADE SAFE™ certified, so we’re pretty excited now to announce that we have completed this process. We are certified!

What Does MADE SAFE™ Certified Mean?

MADE SAFE™ literally means a product has been made with ingredients not known to cause human health harm. As the first human health certification to cross consumer product categories, the MADE SAFE™ seal empowers shoppers to find and purchase items that have been screened for known toxic chemicals. That way shoppers know at the point of purchase if a product is made with safe ingredients for use on their bodies, for their babies, and in their homes.

The problem right now in the skin care industry is that most products would not pass a MADE SAFE™ test. Over 80,000 chemicals are currently in use in the US, and the majority are untested. Some ingredients you’ll see commonly on skin care labels are suspected of interfering with proper hormone function or being carcinogenic (cancer-causing). But without enough evidence so ascertain, they remain in use.

Increasing studies are linking chemicals in everyday products to a wide range of serious health problems — from cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption, to learning disabilities, developmental problems, and infertility.

With scant legislation, little to no regulation around chemicals in commerce, and undisclosed ingredients, it’s nearly impossible for consumers to ascertain whether or not a product may cause harm to their families.

This is something we take really seriously.

We advocate for looking up a product on EWG’s Skin Deep database, which will give you information on the ingredients side and their toxicity level. But this requires doing a lot of research beforehand, which takes time. We know that for a lot of busy families, this isn't realistic every time you shop.

So with the MADE SAFE™ certification, which will soon be seen on all of our product labels, you can buy with peace of mind, knowing that everything inside is safe for you and your family.

Our hope is that as other companies partner with MADE SAFE™, their label will be one people come to look for when they shop.

Why We Chose MADE SAFE™

The MADE SAFE™ seal is an independent third-party verification that screens products for toxic chemicals that are known to harm human health. Products with this seal are made without ingredients considered known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxins, neurotoxins, behavioral toxins, flame retardants, heavy metals, pesticides, insecticides, toxic solvents, VOCs, or GMOs, according to scientifically authoritative lists from around the world. Ingredients have also been further examined by a chemist for bioaccumulation, persistence, and general and aquatic toxicity.

MADE SAFE™, America’s first human health-focused certification to cross consumer product categories, is a nonprofit with the goal of making it possible for consumers to easily find products that are made without known harmful chemicals or ingredients while also offering brands and retailers a road map to making and selling safer products.

Founded by Amy Ziff with a mission to change the way products are made in America and around the world, the certification scrutinizes ingredients to avoid using materials linked to known human health harm. It is imperative that consumers always follow the manufacturer guidelines for use when using certified products.

We are so grateful to the team at MADE SAFE™ for creating this company and for working with us to test our products.

We hope that this is a step towards much needed ingredient transparency in the skin care industry and beyond. Thank you for continuing to support our mission!

To learn more about MADE SAFE™, check out their website.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. We love hearing from you!