Why we consciously chose not to pursue organic certification
I completely understand that many of you depend on certain seals of approval, especially in an era that lacks the kind of transparency that used to be taken for granted. In most cases we no longer know the producers personally, so certifications can at least give us a measure of reassurance: they claim to prove that the raw materials come from sustainable sources, that no harmful substances are used, and that the products are therefore good for me, my loved ones, and the environment. For exactly that reason, I also look for such labels in my own everyday life.
Yet the criteria for an organic certification in cosmetics present a fundamental problem for me.
The requirements range from minimum percentages of certified‑organic raw materials to tightly regulated production methods for individual ingredients. To create a product that meets these standards, I would have to follow those rules to the letter and for two reasons, that simply doesn’t make sense for yilvia:
1. It contradicts my “Skin first” principle
First, I would be forbidden to use certain ingredients whose benefits for our skin are scientifically proven and whose effects are unique.
Second, the main component of many skin‑care products is water and that’s a good thing. Our skin needs free water for its own physiological processes and to enable the active substances in a formula to work at all.
To earn an organic seal, however, part of that water would have to be replaced by plant extracts.
On top of the extracts and actives already present, that would simply be too much for the skin. Time and again my long‑term experience shows: less is more. Faced with a flood of highly active plant extracts, each of which can contain hundreds of individual compounds, our skin quickly becomes overwhelmed. That runs counter to what I want my skin care to achieve: targeted, well‑tolerated support of the skin’s own functions.
2. It raises ecological concerns
When you realize that a certain percentage of a formula would have to consist of additional plant extracts merely to obtain a seal, the absurdity becomes clear. Tons of plant material would be cultivated, processed, and transported without providing any real added value for the skin. To me, that contradicts the very idea of sustainability.
The natural‑cosmetics sector is growing rapidly; consumers’ desire for natural products has surged in recent years and continues to rise. It is high time to acknowledge that this ever‑increasing demand also has to be met. And there lies the problem: we simply cannot keep cultivating more and more plants in ever greater quantities the way we have been doing so far.
That is why entrepreneurs who work with natural materials bear a special responsibility: they must develop strategies to meet growing demand sustainably, without letting the environment pay the price.
My approach
This is precisely where one of my strategies begins. I deliberately forego unnecessary plant raw materials and instead use high‑quality, organic oils and extracts along with other effective ingredients. The concentration of each ingredient is always guided by your skin’s physiology. Your skin receives exactly what it needs—no more, no less.
The “certification” I can offer you is the kind of transparency that used to be commonplace. Drop by my shop, take a look into our lab, and see for yourself!