Rachel Murray from Kind Eye recently interviewed Erbaviva’s founder Robin Brown in the blog post: A Kind Brand: Meet Erbaviva. Rachel and Robin discuss benefits of certified organic products, Erbaviva’s ethos as an ethical cosmetic brand, tips for health and well-being and more! Kind Eye is an online tool that helps readers find safe, healthy products. They support brands that focus on sustainability, social change and clean, pure ingredients.
What is your company’s philosophy?
Erbaviva is dedicated to creating the healthiest, safest, purest organic skincare products available that benefit the human body and the planet. Since the company’s inception in 1996 we have been uncompromising in use of organic ingredients. This was during a time when there were no organic personal care products on the market. As the company developed, the choice to become USDA Organic and Demeter Biodynamic came out of our genuine respect for environmental balance. We are also a Certified B Corporation, practicing sustainable business and social and environmental responsibility.
What charities do you support (if any)?
Erbaviva is an ongoing supporter of the BlinkNow Foundation in Nepal. Eight years ago BlinkNow was founded by Maggie Doyne, a 19 year old girl, who developed a personal bond to
Nepal when visiting the region just after High School. Maggie was so deeply moved by this experience that she used her personal savings to build the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School. Today it houses hundreds of otherwise homeless children and has extended to a school of 350 students. We met Maggie several years ago and witnessed her remarkable commitment, her tireless passion, and the gratefulness she feels for every donation. Every dollar goes straight to being used in a beneficial way. It is BlinkNow’s mission to provide an education and a loving, caring home for these children. They also provide community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and encourage sustainability and social justice. We are honored to be part of Maggie’s mission and to be a small part of the global change that BlinkNow creates.
How do you determine which ingredients go into your products? How do you conduct your research?
Our products are crafted using only the highest quality, sustainable emollients, emulsifiers, nutrient-rich base oils, herbal extracts and therapeutic-grade essential oils. These botanicals exist naturally in our ecosystem so the manufacturing and use of these products has a low impact the environment. When researching our agricultural ingredients we do not look for the lowest cost ingredient, but rather for the highest level of therapeutic properties possible, that will nurture the skin, regardless of the cost. We also have long, trusted relationships with small organic farms, producers and distillers that provide these exceptional ingredients.
We use Demeter Biodynamic ingredients, which takes Organic a step further. Biodynamic farming is a form of organic agriculture that honors the ecosystem of the farm and the interactions of the elements such as soil, vegetation, animals and insects. This method observes the natural cycles of planting, harvesting, preparing, and composting, a process that nourishes the soil and increases biological activity in the plant life.
