I stumbled upon Earth Mama Angel Baby as I was researching baby personal care products for Squeaky Clean Tot. What struck me is that all of their products are rated zero on the Cosmetics Database. I found this to be an amazing feat. As I became familiar with the company, I found out that their number one priority is my daughter and yours too. Melinda Olsen, Founder and CEO, takes these ratings very seriously and she and her employees have worked very hard at creating a very concious company amongst the big giants who are most concerned about their bottom line.
Mama Melinda was gracious enough to answer a few questions for our blog. I continue to be amazed at the work they do, not only for our little tots, but also for mothers who have had miscarriages. She also runs a website called Baby Loss Comfort, where women can go to find some solace during a very difficult time.
If you have used any of their baby care products and wish to leave a review, you can find a full list at Squeaky Clean Tot.
SCT: What inspired you to create EMAB? Melinda Olson, founder and CEO of Earth Mama Angel Baby: So many things! I am a nurse, and have always been fascinated by the healing chemistry in plants. After having my own children and studying plant medicine, I became more and more interested in studying the way nature provides support for many of our very common discomforts. Of course, women have been using plant medicine for a very long time, safely comforting everything from heartburn to hemorrhoids, and stretch marks to sore nipples. With the wisdom of time and experience, they have taught us the safest and effective ways to nurture ourselves and our children. I studied with many herbalists to learn about herbs and how to use them to make salves, soap and herbal blends for products like teas and poultices. It was the perfect blend of nurturing women and providing the care that I loved as a nurse. It felt like I was using the best of both worlds, and the end products didn’t contain potentially harmful irritants, allergens and even carcinogens. Literally, there was just no downside. SCT: All of your products have a zero rating on Cosmetics Database. I have not come across another company that has those bragging rights. How important was it to you to get all zeros and will your future products strive for that rating as well? Mama Melinda: Well thank you for noticing! We don’t know of another product line that is rated all zeros either. How important is it? Manufacturing products that are safe is the MOST important thing! As I mentioned, I’m a nurse. And the concept of “first do no harm” is not just a marketing ploy. It’s everything. What we have always said is the most important thing is that our products are safe. The second most important thing is that they work! As a mother and grandmother I can’t imagine justifying ingredients that are threatening to people’s health just because they are cheaper or easier to use. It’s just not right. SCT: I understand that obtaining a certified USDA organic rating is a rigorous process. Can you explain some of that process so our readers understand how important the designation is? Mama Melinda: Wow. Thank you again for noticing. We have been very passionate about insisting on truth in labeling for many reasons. It is true that having our facility USDA certified organic (and certified Kosher as well) assures our customers that these products are what we claim them to be. You’d be surprised how easy it is for some companies to throw around the “O” word and put pretty nature pictures on a label but have literally nothing organic in the entire product. That’s why we work so diligently to educate parents about what to look for in a really honest organic product. Earth Mama Angel Baby is certified in two ways. We are certified as processers and as distributors. This means that we are required to prove each year, during our annual inspection, that we can assure the integrity and non-contamination of the herbs and other raw materials. We are required to track lot numbers and certificates of analysis from the field, through their processing, into our building, during storage, through manufacturing and labeling until they are shipped out the door in the form of a finished product. The way the herbs are stored, the pest control we use, the way we clean our facility and manufacturing equipment are all carefully scrutinized and monitored. And did I mention the mountain of paperwork? It’s a drill. But one we feel is worth it. Another very important distinction is that our products are certified to the highest standard, the NOP. (National Organic Program). This means that products with 70% organic content and above are “made with organic”, products that have 95% and above can claim “organic” and of course products that are 100% organic can claim “100% organic”. There are other “organic” standards that unfortunately allow products with as little as 10-30% organic content to claim organic, when in truth, 70-90% of the product can be non-organic. This is why the most important thing any consumer can do when looking for an organic product is to look for the certifier. If the product claims “organic” in any way, and it’s a real organic product, it will have a certifier listed on the label. If you do some research on certifiers you can decide on the ones you are comfortable with, and in two seconds or less decide if the product is something you are willing to look at further. Earth Mama Angel Baby is certified organic by QAI. SCT: You also run a website called Baby Loss Comfort. Can you explain your mission behind it? Mama Melinda: We manufacture products that nurture women from very early pregnancy through labor, postpartum recovery and beyond. Our goal is to help comfort their morning sickness, heartburn, stretch marks, hemorrhoids and more. Almost from the very first day we started selling products we found a need for baby loss products. Women who have lost a baby are still postpartum. They, too often suffer from a swollen uterus and in many cases hemorrhoids, c-section wounds and even breast milk in addition to having a broken heart. So, we combined the same effective, natural support for postpartum healing from our regular line and added special support for broken hearts. That support is still a work in progress and we hope to add more functionality to the site as it continues to grow. Allowing parents who have lost a child to connect with experts and other parents is one of our missions. Another is to help their families who are struggling with what to say and how to show support and love. And, we also want to provide meaningful ways to memorialize the life that was lost. SCT: I am a huge fan of EMAB and always look forward to testing and reviewing your products on Squeaky Clean Tot. Can you give me any teasers for new products in the pipelines? Mama Melinda: We’d LOVE to! While every product we manufacture comforts some physical discomfort for women and their babies, we are increasingly concerned about the skincare ingredients pregnant women are putting on themselves and their babies. We think these ingredients should be as safe as the tea they drink. That’s all I can say now, but you’ll be the first on the list for the press releases!
Earth Mama Angel has products that cover all your mama and baby needs: pregnancy and baby loss teas, Body Butter, massage oils, after birth sprays and my very favorite, baby shampoo and wash. (I even us it on my own face and my skin has never felt softer). This is just a small sampling of the many products they have to offer. Their website also has many resources, including a blog and Reading Room. And if you sign up for their email newsletter, they are always sending out special promotions and sales.
