IS 'CLEAN' SKINCARE REALLY CLEAN?
MOST 'CLEAN' SKIN PRODUCTS AREN'T CLEAN.
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY HARMING YOUR SKIN..
A lot of skincare brands claim that their products are 'clean', or 'natural'. But with so many factors that go towards making a truly clean product, it's rare to find a collection that ticks all the boxes. Here's what 'clean' means to Standard Self Care, and why each factor is so important if you want to finally find a routine that works for your skin:
1/ NON-GMO
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are organisms whose genes have been artificially altered to modify their characteristics. In skincare, this is usually GMO plants that ingredients are then derived from. Using GMO-derived cosmetics has consistently been shown to be harmful to the human body, especially with the additional pesticides needed to grow the GMO plants, so it's definitely a factor to keep in mind when choosing skincare products. Despite this, most brands don't actually test for GMOs in their ingredients because of the high testing costs. But this is a factor we take seriously- all of our ingredients are Non-GMO.
2/ NO SILICONES
Silicones are a semi-liquid substance, derived from something called Silica. There are numerous forms of silicones used in skincare products, most commonly cyclopentasiloxane (pronunciation not required!). Silicones repel water, meaning they don't rinse away easily and contribute to blocked pores and therefore acne. They also contribute to breakouts in another way: they're occlusive, meaning they act as a barrier. This can be good for keeping environmental aggressors out, but not so great as they can trap oil and dirt in. If those two weren't enough, silicones are also bioaccumulative- taking hundreds of years to break down once flushed down your sink. That's the main reason we decided to opt-out of them when formulating our collection. Silicones are definitely something to be mindful of!
3/ NO ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCES
An artificial fragrance is one composed of materials which are man made, with some having up to 200 ingredients. Artificial fragrance is a leading cause of both contact dermatitis (like rashes), and allergic reactions caused by cosmetics. However, the FDA considers fragrance a "trade secret", so brands that artificially scent their products can simply add 'fragrance', or 'perfume' to the end of an ingredient label instead of listing the raw ingredients, creating a dangerous Trojan horse. We believe in transparency in this area, and because of that opted for no artificial fragrances in our products.
4/ NO SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS
Although not all synthetic cosmetic ingredients are the same (some are not as harmful as others), there are many that have been found to be toxic, accumulate in the body over time and have been linked to many different skin irritations, and even cancers- a big reason for us going with no synthetic chemicals in our formulations. Another thing to consider is that many of these types of ingredients are subject to limitations in their testing, especially when it comes to testing how they'll interact with other ingredients in your skincare routine from different products.
5/ PARABEN FREE
Parabens are a type of chemical preservative that have been used in beauty products since the 1920s. Their only purpose is to increase the shelf life of products (to reduce costs for the company), at the expense of many long-term negative health effects, like: interfering with hormones and acting as an endocrine disruptor; contribution to breast cancer and skin irritation. Things that you definitely don't want from your skincare routine.
6/ 3RD PARTY ISO ACCREDITED TESTED
ISO Accredited testing tests the ingredients in a skincare product for things such as heavy metals, Phthalates and molds. Heavy metals accumulate in the body and can cause not just skin irritation, but also neurotoxicity problems for the brain. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors, meaning that they can interfere with your hormone production and regulation. Serious issues- which is why we have our ingredients tested to check for these before using them in our products.
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For a full guide on what clean means to us, click here.
