Sourcing & Quality
Sourced on purpose. Checked every lot.
Small-batch soap is only as good as what goes into it. We buy our oils and butters from a supplier that's independently certified, read the lab report for every lot before it touches a batch, and keep a record of which lots went into which batch. Here's the paperwork, so you don't have to take our word for it.
How we check every ingredient
Five steps between a grower's harvest and the bar in your shower.
- 1
Certified suppliers
Our base oils and butters come from an importer audited by independent certifiers: USDA Organic, Fair Trade USA, Fair for Life, RSPO and COSMOS.
- 2
Lab-tested at the source
Every lot arrives with a Certificate of Analysis: freshness (peroxide value, free fatty acids), fatty-acid profile and, for some oils, microbial counts.
- 3
We check every lot
Before a new lot goes into a batch, we read its Certificate of Analysis against the specification. If it's out of spec, it doesn't go in.
- 4
We check what we make
Test batches for new formulas, a pH and zap check on finished soap, and a look, scent and texture check on every batch.
- 5
Every batch is traceable
We record which ingredient lots go into each batch, so any bar can be traced back to the lab results for what's in it.
Our supplier's certifications
Our main oils and butters come from Jedwards International (Braintree, Massachusetts). A specialty importer of plant oils and butters. They import, test and certify ingredients from growers around the world, and every shipment to us arrives with a lab Certificate of Analysis for its lot.
USDA Organic (certified handler)
Issued by Quality Assurance International (QAI)
Certified under the USDA organic regulations (7 CFR Part 205) to handle organic ingredients, with an audited list of certified organic products.
What it means for your soap: The grades we buy from them (extra virgin coconut oil, white refined shea butter, golden jojoba oil, cold-pressed castor oil and natural cocoa butter) are on its certified organic product list.
- Reference
- NOP Operation ID 5520149413
- Valid through
- Continuous (issued Jan 27, 2026)
Fair Trade USA
Issued by Fair Trade USA
Certified trader, first buyer and premium payer under the Fair Trade USA Trade Standard.
What it means for your soap: Scope includes cocoa, shea butter, coconut oils and honey. Our cocoa butter is the Fair Trade organic grade.
- Reference
- Fair Trade ID 1061378
- Valid through
- Dec 14, 2027
Fair for Life
Issued by Ecocert Environnement
Audited for fair trade and responsible supply chains, with a 92.3% performance score at the latest audit (May 2026).
What it means for your soap: Intermediate trader certification for the supplier.
- Reference
- Certificate FFL_151565_2024_3
- Valid through
- Apr 30, 2028
RSPO Supply Chain
Issued by SCS Global Services
Certified to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil supply chain standard (Mass Balance, Segregated and Identity Preserved).
What it means for your soap: Our cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol and emulsifying wax (used in lotions and creams) are the RSPO Mass Balance grades.
- Reference
- Certificate SCS-RSPOSCC-000105
- Valid through
- Nov 19, 2029
COSMOS approved raw materials
Issued by Ecocert Greenlife
Raw materials approved under the COSMOS natural and organic cosmetics standard.
What it means for your soap: Includes the golden jojoba oil and cetyl-stearyl (cetearyl) alcohol we use.
- Reference
- Attestation 308528-20260518_1658
- Valid through
- Dec 31, 2026
Lab results for our current lots
A Certificate of Analysis is the lab report for one specific lot. The numbers we care most about are peroxide value and free fatty acids: low numbers mean a fresh oil that won't go rancid in your soap.
Coconut Oil
Extra virgin · Lot 26025-O
- Peroxide value < 0.5 meq/kg (fresh, not oxidized)
- Free fatty acids 0.09%
- Mold and total plate count < 10 CFU/g
Produced Jan 2026 · best by Jan 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)Shea Butter
White refined · Lot 58329
- Peroxide value 0 meq/kg
- Free fatty acids 0.07% (spec max 1.5%)
- Fatty acid profile within spec (stearic 42.5%, oleic 46.1%)
Produced Jan 2026 · best by Jan 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)Jojoba Oil
Golden · Lot 030626
- Peroxide value 0.65 meq/kg (spec max 10)
- Acid value 0.21 mg KOH/g (spec max 2)
- Iodine and saponification values within spec
Produced Jun 2026 · best by Jun 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)Olive Oil
Pure · Lot 2002110327
- Acidity 0.3% (spec max 0.8%)
- Peroxide value 4.5 meq/kg (spec max 20)
- Oleic acid 73.7%
Produced Mar 2026 · best by Mar 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)Mango Butter
Standard grade · Lot 0000001469
- Free fatty acids 0.07% (spec max 1.5%)
- Peroxide value 0.10 (spec max 5)
- Stearic 41.3%, oleic 44.4%
Produced Aug 2026 · best by Aug 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)Kokum Butter
Standard grade · Lot 36079/120540
- Free fatty acids 0.17% (spec max 1.5%)
- Peroxide value 0.5 meq/kg (spec max 10)
- Iodine value 40.6 (spec 34–45)
Produced Mar 2026 · best by Mar 2029
Certificate of Analysis (PDF)How we use these words
Certifications belong to the ingredient and the company that earned them. Ridge & Root is a small family workshop, not a certified organic manufacturer, so we don't call our soap "organic." We name the certified ingredient instead: "made with certified organic shea butter," not "organic soap."
Some of our bars are scented with fragrance oils chosen to be skin-safe, and every true soap is made with lye, which is fully used up in curing. We'll always tell you what's in a product. Ask us about any ingredient and we'll send you its lab report.