This information is provided to
convey an understanding about how products are graded.
Each product on our website should contain the
following information in the technical specifications area as
appropriate.
USP (US Pharmacopoeia) The product must be in excess of 99% purity with no binders, fillers, excipients, dyes, or unknown substances. United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) The USP provides assurance to the consumer, as well as those involved in manufacturing and processing, that the quality and purity of the raw materials utilized are of pharmaceutical grade. Consequently, the USP guarantees a certain standard of excellence sold only through physicians and selected pharmacies.
FCC (Food Chemical Codex) Products must meet the international standards for purity and classification established by the FCC.
USP/FCC standards are
for the quality, purity, strength and consistency of those products
that are critical to the public health.
There are basically five different grades of raw materials:
Pharmaceutical
Grade (USP): The FDA requires that pharmaceutical grade products be 99.9% pure ingredients. Products must contain 0.1%, or less, of bacteria. Only 5% of the skin care industry is under the regulation established by the FDA and considered pharmaceutical grade skin care products
Food Grade: (FCC) Regulation and classification given to products that meets FCC requirements for cooking and ingestion by humans..
Cosmetic Grade: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows cosmetic grade products to contain up to 30% bacteria. This means that ingredients may only be 70% pure. About 95% of the skincare industry uses ingredients of cosmetic quality.
Cosmetic oils are often from seeds that are of poor quality and need to be refined to be able to re-market them Often oils are blended and this information is often not declared on the ingredient deck.
Organic cosmetic grade: Does not mean much either because you still are using cosmetic grade ingredients.
Feed Grade: Meets much lower standards set for animal consumption only and other commercial
industries
Technical Grade Does not meet the above criteria and is use in industrial
processing and other fields.
