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Pangea Organics at a Glance

Pangea Organics is truly a company with integrity. Founded by Joshua Onysko in 2001, Pangea is reinventing the way that we, as a society, nuture our bodies and take care of our world at the same time. During his world travels prior to starting Pangea, Joshua dreamed of starting an institute to aid existing corporations in learning to be more socially responsible and environmentally sound. Pangea has begun achieving this goal with its Pangea Institute (see below for more details) and is helping to create a new understanding of health and beauty. Their fantastic product line never uses petrochemicals, parabens, GMOs, or any other synthetic or harmful ingredients, and they are also always organic, handcrafted, fair trade, and cruelty-free. Pangea is so environmentally aware that their boxes are made from recycled egg cartons and contain seeds so they can even be put in your garden to flourish!

Learn More About Pangea Organics

The Ultimate in Recycling

Pangea boxes are all made using a Zero Waste process with 100% post-consumer paper and organic seeds like sweet basil and amaranth. Simply slip off the label, soak the Pangea box in water for a minute, and plant in the earth - brilliant!

How Pangea Organics Came About

The Beginnning:

It was Pangea founder and CEO Joshua Onysko's personal devotion and commitment to inspiring social sustainability that sparked the inception of Pangea Organics five years ago. He devised the selling of the highest quality organic, personal care products as a means to an even greater end. After seven years of traveling to the likes of India, Nepal, and Tibet, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Thailand, Onysko had an epiphany: He realized that corporations were inheriting the earth and that by leading by example there was potential to influence others to reconsider their ways. He shared with his friend Tom that he dreamed of starting an Institute to aid existing corporations in learning to become more socially responsible and environmentally sound and also to act as an incubator for start-ups. Tom looked at him and uttered those life-altering words: "You should start a soap factory to fund the project and you should call it Pangea." (If you remember, "Pangea" refers to the super continent, before Plate Tectonics divided the landmass into the seven continents of the world that exist today.) Two days later Onysko took these words to heart, literally. He up and moved to Boulder, Colorado, landed a job as a baker at Whole Foods, and made soap in his garage at night.

Why Soap?

Onysko, who grew up in rural Rhode Island and dropped out of school at age nine to pursue an acting career, has always followed his heart and his passions. When he realized that he wanted to move to India he stopped at home to visit his parents first. There, he noticed a coffee table book of his mother's-"Making Hand Made Soap." As a bonding project, Onysko made soap with his mother. They distributed a few samples to friends and family and saved a few bars for Onysko and his travels. In Goa, Onysko realized he really liked the soap. He also started getting emails from people he had given the soap to, saying how much they liked it too, how it was clearing up their eczema, and doing great things for their complexions.

The Result

Pangea Organics is currently the largest cold-processed organic soap manufacturer in the US. In addition to bar soap, the line also includes liquid hand soap, hand and body lotion, shower gel, facial cleanser, facial toner, and facial cream. Throughout Pangea's growth, from its inception in 2001, Onysko, 29, has retained private ownership of his company, never straying from its vision: Ecocentric bodycare; always beneficial, never artificial. Onysko remains committed to creating products that are always organic, nurturing, handcrafted, fair-trade (whenever possible) and cruelty-free. To that end, Pangea Organics' products are never made using petrochemicals, parabens, GMOs or other synthetic or harmful ingredients. Not only do Pangea's ingredients begin to break down within 48 hours of use, but a generous portion of Pangea's profits are helping to build the Pangea Institute, an emerging non-profit organization dedicated to researching and teaching all aspects of sustainable living and business practices. These efforts were recognized at Natural Products Expo East '05, where Pangea was awarded "Best New Green/Environmentally Friendly Product of 2006." Pangea's products are crafted with deep knowledge, craftsmanship, and compassion and, as a result, are standouts in the natural products industry, providing excellence in content and quality at an affordable price point. Pangea's number one goal is to create a new understanding of health and beauty. With this, Pangea hopes to reinvent the way we, as a society, nurture our bodies and raise the bar for other companies. What we consume today, directly impacts how we - and future generations - will live tomorrow.

Why Use Pangea?

The Hot 'Skinny' on Pangea Organics Ecocentric Skincare:

1. Pangea's approach to skincare is holistic: whole body, whole mind, whole person.
2. Pangea's goal is to create and maintain balance in the skin, not create the excessive need for more products. This practice is uncommon among most other manufacturers. But much better for you, much better for your skin, and much better for your wallet!
3. Pangea make products that are as organic as humanly possible. Just read their labels to find out what's organic and what's not.
4. 100% of Pangea's ingredients are plant-based. Did you know that natural ingredients have been proven to be more effective than synthetics? We knew there was a reason we loved Mother Nature. Turns out, she loves us, too!
5. Pangea's products contain absolutely no parabens, or petroleum-based preservatives; Pangea uses naturally preserving properties, such as Organic Lavender Alcohol, Rosemary Extract and Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E).
6. Pangea uses only whole essential oils and herbal extracts that are produced without the use or addition of any harmful chemicals or solvents.
7. Fifty-six out of 61 of Pangea's skincare ingredients (92%) are natural antioxidants and, therefore, are proactive warriors in support of the anti-aging process.
8. Pangea's ingredients have a purpose - That is 100% of their ingredients are both performance (working for the skin) and functional (making up the product). Typically, the majority of products are made up of functional ingredients (i.e. bulking agents or fillers) that don't "do" anything beneficial for the skin. With Pangea, 100% of their ingredients are doing their jobs for your skin.
9. Pangea's products, by design, are highly concentrated, gently effective and affordable. On average, Pangea's full skincare line (cleanser, toner and cream) costs only $0.90/day.
10. The best part of all: if it's in Pangea's products, it's on Pangea's labels. We promise.

The Hot 'Skinny' on Pangea Organics Ecocentric Skincare

The Long Answers

Holistic Approach to Body and Facial Care: The true meaning of holistic means working with the whole as opposed to just one part or a few parts. Pangea Organics takes a holistic approach to its body and skincare. Every product that Pangea Organics makes keeps in mind that skin is a part of the body as a whole and that the body, together with the mind, is what makes a whole person. Body and skincare should address all of these things. Not only are our ingredients good for the skin, they are not harmful to the body, or the planet. Because we absorb much of what goes onto the skin into the body, it is important to use ingredients that will not cause harm internally. Many companies sell personalcare products that may seem benign on the skin but when absorbed into the body cause harm, for example, they may contain ingredients, such as, parabens or petrochemicals. Additionally, Pangea Organics' Body & Skincare is nourishing for the skin (the largest organ of the body) and helps it to become balanced, resilient and radiant. This is good for the body as a whole. Finally, many of Pangea Organics' ingredients are whole plant essences in the form of essential oils and herbal extracts that are aroma-therapeutic, or in other words, have properties that bring the body and the mind into balance.

Maintaining Natural Balance vs. Creating the Need (he-hem Addiction) to Use More Product, More Often: Pangea Organics wants your skin to be balanced and healthy. That is why the ingredients in our Skincare Line are chosen to perform the function of creating and maintaining balance in the skin. For example, there are numerous ingredients that balance sebum production within the skin, thus cutting down the need for over-cleansing and over-moisturizing. Another example is the number of ingredients that are anti-inflammatory for the skin. One of the biggest factors in unhealthy skin is inflammation. Forty-six out of 61 of our facial care ingredients (75%) are anti-inflammatory. Not bad, eh? Other brands convince their customers to buy and use harsh detergents (which are by nature alkaline, while the face is by nature acidic) and an extreme amount of exfoliants on the skin, thereby stripping the skin's natural oils and depleting its acid mantle. Not so good. Consumers are then instructed to buy overly acidic and astringent toners to bring the skin back to its natural pH and constrict the pores. To finish it off, the customer must then use an overly rich moisturizer to bring back the oil that was stripped off the skin by the first product used. That's harsh. Pangea's entire Skincare Line cleanses, tones and moisturizes the skin in a gentle but effective way that is meant to balance, nourish and encourage the skin's own natural processes, not deplete it. AhhhÖmuch better.

Organic vs. Non-Organic: 'nuff said.

Natural vs. Synthetic: Synthetic ingredients don't pack quite the punch their natural counterparts do. Not only can synthetics be outright harmful to the body, but they also have been proven to be less effective. A molecule constructed in a lab, and equal in every way to a natural molecule, will be LESS EFFECTIVE on or in the human body. No one knows exactly why. Maybe it's some hidden data in the molecules that scientists cannot decipher yet, or perhaps our bodies KNOW the fake stuff from the real thing, but it's true - natural ingredients are more effective than their synthetic counterparts. Not to mention much better for the planet, too.

Natural Preservatives vs. Parabens: Pangea only uses natural preservatives. The most mentionable are: Organic Lavender Alcohol, Rosemary Extract and Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). Other companies use parabens (petroleum-based preservatives), which are harmful to the health in many ways, most notably as breast cancer causing agents. Parabens are stored in fat cells, replicate in DNA and can also cause birth defects.

Whole vs. Part: First, you can site the argument above, just substitute "constituent" for "synthetic" and "whole" for "natural"; they're just simply not the same. Whole essences are recognized by the body better than their constituents, or parts. Second, the whole essence is going to be two to three times more potent than its part. Third, the derivation processes used to extract parts of an essence generally involve harsh solvents and nasty chemicals. Yuck.

Natural vs. Solvent Extractions: Pangea Organics' herbal extracts are made by physical, not chemical, extraction methods. Plant leaves are soaked for one month and then pressed, or a vacuum is used in the form of 'critical' extraction to ensure that most, if not all, medicinal properties are extracted from the plant without chemicals. Pangea Organics' herbal extracts weigh in at 0.5 - 1.5% of a product, in contrast to the minimal 0.001% required to "window dress" a label.

Pangea Organics' essential oils are made by steam distillation and non-solvent extraction. Our essential oils are 100% organic, which means that they are 100% the essential oil and nothing else. Other label descriptions such as, "natural" or "pure" allow for 'cutting' of the essential oil, meaning anything else may be added, or the essential oil may have been made by solvent extraction.

When companies employ extraction methods other than those used by Pangea Organics, the resulting extracts are simply not as pure. In the case of solvent extraction (chemical extraction used for some herbal extracts, essential oils, tocopherol and others), traces of the solvent (i.e. the chemical), such as hexane, remain in the extract and eventually make it into the body. This, in our humble opinion, is bad for your health, not to mention bad for our delicate planet. In the case of aqueous extracts (made like steeping tea), very few medicinal properties make their way from the plant into the product, let alone into the skin. Pangea's methods ensure that the herbal extracts and essential oils we use are both pure (no funny stuff) and potent (plenty of good stuff).

Antioxidants: Fifty-six out of 61 of our skincare ingredients (92%) are antioxidants. Not only are they good for the skin in general, but they are also the most effective known type of ANTI-AGING ingredient. Turn back the clock, baby (or at least slow it down).

Anti-Aging: Other brands have lines specifically targeted to mature, or aging skin. Pangea Organics has no need for this. Every skincare product we offer has a multitude of antioxidants contained within it, which are the primary anti-aging ingredients (see Antioxidants above). Additionally, as the cell turnover rate slows down to 45 days or more in a mature adult, in contrast to the 28-day turnover of a teen, mature skin requires products that will stimulate and encourage this process. Our skincare contains 21 out of 61 ingredients (34%) that possess cell-regenerating properties. Not bad.

Functional and Performance vs. Functional or Performance: Our skincare products have a total of 61 ingredients. In cosmetic chemistry terms, all 61 ingredients are classified as both functional and performance. Functional ingredients are the things that make up a product; they are: texture, form, color and preservatives. Functional ingredients make up the bulk of a product. Most products contain a majority of functional ingredients with very few performance ingredients. Performance ingredients are what change the appearance of your skin; they are the ingredients that do all the work. 100% of our ingredients do both!

A Lot Goes into a Little Bottle: Most facial care lines are made up of functional ingredients that act as fillers, emulsifiers, etc., and don't really do anything special for the skin. The organic, whole ingredients in our products are not only more potent than their partial or "natural" counterparts, every single one of our ingredients acts as a performance ingredient. What this means for you is that all of our ingredients do something for your skin (and we all know that something is better than nothing), they don't just make up the product. In essence, Pangea Organics' products are more concentrated than our competitors' products, and hence, are more cost efficient. Each bottle is estimated to provide six to 10 weeks usage, as compared to the average four to six weeks. Each of our skincare products is meant to be used morning and night. Cleanser is one to two pumps per use; Toner is two to six pumps per use; and Facial Cream is two to three pumps per use. At 60 days use per bottle, the daily breakdown of using our full Skincare Line, on average, is only $0.90 per day (that's less than a cup of tea!)

If It's in our Products, It's on our Labels: You're already beautiful. We're just here to help you take good care of your skin. We believe that taking great care of your skin means understanding what you put on it. Especially since most of what goes on your skin, makes its way into your body. The good, the bad and the ugly. That's why we've created skincare that doesn't just smell nice, it is nice. It's quite simple, really. Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Our body and skincare is as honest as it is organic. Meaning, everything IN our products will always be listed ON them so you know exactly what you're purchasing and putting on yourself.

The Pangea Institute

In the summer of 2005, we took the first step in laying the foundation for the Pangea Institute and hosted The Pangea Institute Architectural Design Contest. The concept behind the contest was to bring together the greater community in an effort to embody the mission of the Institute. We figured the best way to do this was to create a forum for thoughts and ideas surrounding the physical design of the Institute. After all, the Institute itself will serve as a living, breathing model of the fundamental principals taught on the premises. And since design is critical to the Institute's functionality as a successful model of sustainability and sustainable design, we thought we'd start there.

Under the leadership of Civil Engineer Jon Previtali, who generously dedicated his time, talent and passion for sustainable design, we cast our net wide, inviting the national public (architects, designers, visionaries, artists, students and amateurs alike) to design a mixed-use community plan that will house the Pangea Institute, the Pangea Organics manufacturing facility and community housing.

Next we formed a design award jury, inviting members of the local community to volunteer their time and expertise in the field of sustainable architecture and design. Delighted with the concept behind the competition, jurors included: Mark Broyles, Architect/Urban Planner; Julee Herdt, Professor of Architecture, University of Colorado; Jeff Sheppard, Architect; and John Zhai, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado.

The contest attracted participants from all over the country. We received a total of eight qualified submissions from the following seven states: Belmont, CA; Denver, CO; Golden, CO; Houston, TX; Jackson, WY; Muncie, IN; Orlando, FL; and Rochester, MN. Jurors gathered to rate submissions based on the following elements as outlined in the contest proposal: Art; Economics & Ecology; Energy; Nature; Freedom, Privacy & Fairness; Health; Education; Water; Transportation; Style; Construction; Growth; Spaces & Capacity. For a PDF of the official Score Card, click here.

First place was awarded to Mark Gerwing of Alchemy Architecture and his team of architects based in Golden, CO. Second place went to Adam Ferrari from Rochester, MN. Third place was awarded to Fred Andreas from UNiT design studio in Denver, CO. Honorable mentions were awarded to the following contestants: John and Reyna Herrera and Yonny Rios (Houston, TX); Joshua Doolitte (Jackson, WY); and Joseph Yates (Orlando, FL).

The Pangea Institute will one day serve as an education center and small business incubator, where classes and workshops on environmentally and socially responsible living/business practices will be offered.

(Resources: the above information was taken from the www.pangeaorganics.com website)