IKOVE Organics

Ikove is an indigenous word that means "to grow", "to live". The forest legends tell that each seed or herb was presented by God at critical times and were used for multiple applications vital to the existence of indigenous tribes. Florestas (which, by the way, means "Forests" in Portuguese) couldn't ignore such deep connection to nature and its power to heal and rejuvenate. After a long research and understanding of the powers that Amazonian herbs and fruits hold, we created this new line of natural and organic hair and skin care. Our products are created to benefit both body and senses. The IKOVE line uses oil seeds such as andiroba and Brazil nuts, both rich in fat acids, vital ingredients to maintain skin integrity. The lipids from the oils also hydrate and moisturize, keeping the emolliency and integrity of the cutaneous barrier. Brazilian fruits used in IKOVE products - açaí, cupuaçu, buriti and acerola - (see description below) have high concentration of vitamins and minerals and act as powerful anti-oxidants

We don't use any kind of synthetic fragrances or colours and products are designed to maintain a normal pH balance to minimize the potential for any skin irritation and maximize the beauty and healthy effects in your body and soul. All Florestas' products are handcrafted in the company's Brazilian manufacturing plant and are never tested on animals. These are the main reasons why its new line IKOVE has received the respectable international Organic Certification from ECOCERT.

What is a truly organic product?

If you stop by the aisles in a cosmetic shop and look carefully at the labels, many products will be "natural", but some of them will contain just 5% of natural ingredients. This is why ECOCERT have worked to develop the first Organic and Ecological Cosmetics specifications, which were registered with the French Ministry of Industry in 2002. It is an international inspection and certification body, accredited to verify the conformity of organic products according to organic regulations of Europe, Japan and the USA to ensure that what is claimed to be natural is really natural. All certified products, like IKOVE, must contain only allowed ingredients such as plant oils, fats and waxes, herbal extracts and essential oils from certified organic plants.

The following ingredients are absolutely forbidden by ECOCERT:

•Synthetic fragrances and dyes •Silicones and glycol •Petro-chemical and mineral oil •Parabens •Animal ingredients or animal testing

Even if the product has all natural ingredients in its composition, certain processes used to manufacture cosmetics can transform raw material in a chemically aggressive one. For example, some herbs have to be irradiated to eliminate impurities and during this process they are modified and may become as harmful to your skin. Therefore, to be certified we have to comply with manufacturing specifications as well to ensure our cosmetics keep their true organic properties. Without internationally recognized third party certification, the organic claim that appears in many products means nothing. To know more about our certification process, visit the ECOCERT website at www.ecocert.com.

Preserving the environment and the indigenous people is part of our truly organic philosophy. The marvellous herbal secrets kept in the Amazon are in danger if we don't give the forest population the right and ability to provide for themselves with sustained development, using the resources and preserving them for the future. Many residents from the Amazon island of Marajó had to cut down trees to survive during the rainy months of "big waters" when it's impossible to fish. Recently, however, the gathering of fruits and nuts for food and personal care industries has opened the door for a new income during that critical season. As a direct result, trees as andiroba, murumuru and ucuúba have been saved from continuous destruction. Our company also works with suppliers who are committed to environmental preservation and fair trade criteria. Simply put, buying IKOVE products also helps to support Amazonian families and to preserve the rain forest.