Go Natural With Orgo Cosmetics
By Francesca Bartolomey 
October 8, 2010 
15 Comments
With a name like Amber Rose, it isn’t surprising that she’s made a career for herself utilizing the fruits of nature. I discovered Orgo Cosmetics when I was at a wedding earlier this summer. I was sharing a hotel room with a bunch of girlfriends from college and I always pack pretty light when I know I can rely on compulsive over-packers (that’s you, Lisa) to supply anything I might possibly need. So I went rooting around in a friend’s bag looking for a moisturizer and came across a tub of all-natural blueberry-scented skin cream. And then I was hooked.
Having recently boarded the natural beauty products bandwagon (see my prior piece on Heaven & Earth), I was excited to learn that Orgo Cosmetics are handmade and use less than 1% chemicals (some chemicals, I learned, act as necessary preservatives to keep the fruit-based products from going bad too soon). I hunted down Orgo Cosmetics owner Amber Rose, who operates from her home in Portland, Maine, for an interview with Appetite for Good.
What is your story?
“I think I can generally categorize myself as a small town girl with big dreams. I come from a family of artists and entrepreneurs, so my many talents were always encouraged and exercised from a young age. As a child I would always make things and sell them with my sister on the sidewalks in town, or in front of our local co-op. We would make magnets, Christmas ornaments, bracelets, and do hair wraps for people. Sometimes we would pick flowers and sell them door-to-door!â€
How did you get into the cosmetics business?
“I got my first job when I was 14 busing tables at my grandmother’s restaurant. It was then that I realized I wanted to work for myself because the idea of working for someone else was just NOT for me. When I was 18 I made a series of edible sugar scrubs for my friends for the holidays and they all loved them and asked me to make more. That’s when I got really into it. At 19, I started what was called The Royal Coquette, a small line of lotions. I then expanded, changing the name to Sweet Body which was a line of soaps. It has thus evolved into Orgo Cosmetics, since January. I was working a small part-time job that I, of course, hated when I launched Orgo. I quit in April, partly because I was 7 months pregnant, but also partly to pursue Orgo full time. Now I am a stay at home mom and I run Orgo full time.â€
How did you come up with the idea for an all-natural health and beauty company?
“I am very (probably overly) health conscious, not just in cosmetics but everything—it’s just how I was raised. Honestly, chemicals freak me out; I may even go as far as being phobic. When I started researching ingredients and recipes I learned a lot about what certain ingredients do and I remember being somewhat appalled and thinking, ‘Ugh! I’d never put that in my product!’ When I first started, I wasn’t trying to send a message or take a stand, I was just being me. As a personal and business preference, my choice is organic. If I wouldn’t put it on my own body, I’m certainly not going to sell it.â€
What is the philosophy behind Orgo Cosmetics?
“Orgo is actually a really unique brand. Orgo really has great products and they are all made with quality ingredients. I do a lot of research about everything before I even consider making something new. Orgo uses organic ingredients. No animal testing. Almost all of our products are vegan (the only ones that aren’t are the lip balms, which contain beeswax). There have never, nor will there ever be any parabens used in the products. And our products are fun! They look good, they smell great, and using them just makes you feel good overall because they are healthy. Orgo is giving people fun, effective, scrumptious products and still maintaining the healthy aspect of being a cosmetic brand.â€
What is on the horizon for Orgo Cosmetics?
“My line of bath bombs is going to get much bigger in the next couple months. I’m also going to be adding bubble bars (solid bubble bath). In the next year I’d like to get back into cold process soap, as well as adding deodorant and solid shampoo/conditioners. My 7-year goal is to open my own store, but hopefully it’ll be sooner. Also, when Anita Roddick started The Body Shop in the early 70’s she got to travel around the world for ingredients, establishing fair trade arrangements. That’s what I want to do.â€
With products like pumpkin cream soap, oatmeal cookie shower cream, polenta sugar bomb scrub, pineapple bath bomb, strawberry milk shower cream, and raspberry lip butter, it’s a wonder I haven’t ingested any of these products – but it sure is tempting!
Follow Orgo Cosmetics on their blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
Disclaimer: Appetite for Good does not endorse eating non-food products. 
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I love hearing the story behind Orgo, and I am always excited to learn about products that are not full of things I can’t pronounce.
And the products are pretty awesome too!
What a great company…and the products do look good enough to eat! Theresa
They smell even better!
Wow, those products do look beautiful and good enough to eat! I’ll have to check out Orgo. I’m definitely intrigued. I just did a post on spices for beautiful skin. Beauty products you CAN eat…or rather, probably already are.
Thanks for the wonderful interview and sharing this delightful company.
My pleasure — thanks for reading!
This sounds awesome, I am off to check out their website right now!
I especially like the moisturizers.
Super Congrats on making it to Foodbuzz Top 9!! Your post is awesome!!!
Thanks so much!
I rarely buy products like these, but I love that now I have a resource to go to for when I do. Great post!
Thanks so much for reading!
Luscious — looks like dessert!
Smells like it too!
They look great. I’d be down if there was a line geared towards men who like to smell like… deliciousness.