It’s probably obvious that all of the food products we carry are made from recipes. You may not know that there are also basic “recipes” for the personal care products carried on our shelves, although the ingredients may be less familiar. For example, a basic loaf of bread is made of flour, water, salt and leavening agent. A basic shampoo includes surfactants, actives, preservative and fragrance. Thinking of the analogy between cooking foods and making personal care products may help put into perspective all of the long names found on their ingredient lists – and hopefully make them seem less foreign.

The first in a series, this post breaks down the basic anatomy of a shampoo, helping to decipher the key ingredients that comprise the shampoos that you use on a daily basis – and what you may want to think about when choosing your next one.

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Delving further into research on natural fragrances, I had the pleasure recently to connect with Jack Chaitman, an expert on plant distillation who has been extracting premium essential oils for over 25 years. When it comes to natural fragrances, Jack is extraordinary: an inspiration and a true artist who taught me much about essential oil extraction. I am glad to share with you some of his wisdom and passion.

There are differences in how essentials oils are distilled, and when they are extracted artfully with hydrodistillation methods, according to Jack, you are going to get a full spectrum of fragrance components that cannot be achieved with CO2 and steam-extracted essential oils and absolutes. Jack calls these minor fragrance constituents of the plant “soul components” — components that transfer the plant’s intelligence and the intact life force. It is due to these soul components that natural fragrances are so complex, that the scent keeps changing as you smell it. When you breathe it in, it is like being in nature or like smelling the ocean. Through this poetic vision of essential oil extraction, distillation is seen as the art of releasing the plant’s soul into the oils.

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For over two years now, we have been conducting research for our Premium Body Care Standards, carefully determining exactly which ingredients will be allowed and which will be exempted from the new standard. With over 300 body care ingredients currently classified as unacceptable, you can imagine that it has been a long process: at our desks spending countless hours delving into the nuances of personal care ingredients; at meetings with experts, generous in sharing their information and brimming over with passion; and through journeys far and wide to see firsthand how these products and their ingredients are made.

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Continuing with our series on Superfoods, on this episode we have Whole Foods Market Nutritionist and Quality Standards Coordinator Jody Villeco.

Jody talks to us about the specifics of Superfoods, she will tell us about certain Superfoods and their makeup, where you can find them and tips on how to get more into your diet.

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