What food-grade body care actually means

Food-grade body care means every ingredient is held to the same purity and sourcing standard used for ingredients in the food supply, not that the product is meant to be eaten. At Saavy Naturals, food-grade is our sourcing philosophy: we choose plant-based ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, aloe, jojoba, kukui, and moringa that meet a high bar for purity, then handcraft them into bath and body care in small California batches. It is a standard for what goes in, not an instruction for how to use it.

A quick, honest definition

Food-grade is an ingredient sourcing and purity standard. It describes the quality tier of the raw materials we select, the same tier used for ingredients across the food industry. Our founders, Hugo and Debra Saavedra, are two trained chefs with more than 20 years in the kitchen, and they built Saavy Naturals around a simple idea: start with clean, plant-based ingredients you can trust, then craft them with the same care a chef brings to real food. That is where the phrase comes from.

Is food-grade an FDA certification?

No. "Food-grade" is not a government certification and it is not regulated as a formal FDA seal for cosmetics. It is an industry term that describes a purity and sourcing standard for ingredients. Cosmetics and the ingredients in them are subject to FDA regulations, but no agency issues a "food-grade cosmetic" certificate. When we say food-grade, we are describing the quality of the ingredients we source, not claiming an official designation.

Should I eat it?

No. Our products are bath and body care, formulated and intended for external use on skin and hair only. Food-grade refers to the purity standard of the ingredients we source, not to consumption. Please do not eat our products, and keep them out of reach of children as you would any personal care item.

Why a chef's standard matters for skincare

When two chefs move into skincare, they bring a kitchen mindset: read every label, know where each ingredient comes from, and leave out anything that does not belong. That is why we exclude parabens, sulfates, silicones, phenoxyethanol, propylene glycol, PEGs, petroleum, artificial colors, artificial fragrance, and phthalates across our catalog. The result is clean, plant-based formulas in scents like Tahitian Vanilla, Tropical Coconut, Bulgarian Rose, Lavender Chamomile, Sweet Orange, and Yuzu & Meyer Lemon.

The short version

Saavy Naturals: food-grade, plant-based body care handcrafted in small California batches by two trained chefs. Leaping Bunny cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO. 2,243 reviews at 4.8 out of 5.