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Why Natural

NASTY THINGS WE AVOID:

One of the most difficult things about choosing natural and organic skincare is reading the labels on everything you buy to see if there are any hidden nasties – and you’d be surprised where they pop up! We’ve taken the hard work out of this for you, because we don’t stock anything containing man-made chemicals or toxins, so you are assured that whatever you buy here is 100% natural.

Alongside every product we stock you will see a complete list of ingredients so you can be confident before you buy that there is nothing in there that you wouldn’t want to put on your skin. And we will only sell things that we’d be happy to use on ourselves (and in many cases already do!) You will also see that many ingredients are certified organic or Fair Trade – these things are important to us.

Below is just a short list of some of the most common chemicals you will find in cosmetics, and some reasons why we will never sell anything containing them, or any other man-made chemicals, to you.

Sodium Lauryl / Laureth Sulphate (SLS, SLES):

This is what makes things foam – shampoos, bubble baths, toothpastes, soaps…. It is a harsh detergent. It causes skin, eye and mucus membrane irritation, can cause eczema, dry skin and mouth ulcers, and is toxic to the liver and gastrointestinal system. In addition, sodium laureth sulphate may contain the carcinogens 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, and can cause the formation of nitrosamines.

Parabens:

Used as a preservative. You may find butyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, methyl- parabens in any skincare, cosmetic or even food product. These have caused concern recently as they have been implicated in increased risk of breast cancer – they mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, and exposure to external oestrogens has been shown to increase the risk of developing breast cancer. They are endocrine disruptors, meaning that they have an adverse effect on the hormonal systems of the body. They can also cause allergies and dermatitis.

Phthalates (DBP, DEP, DEHP):

These are chemical compounds used in making PVC plastics, cosmetics, pesticides etc, and are commonly found in nail varnish, hairspray, soap and shampoo. They are used as a solvent and film-forming agent, make nail varnishes non-chip and may also be hidden ingredients in ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’. They are carcinogenic, toxic to the kidneys, liver, reproductive, endocrine and nervous systems, can cause damage to cell DNA, and are capable of causing damage to the development of an unborn foetus, as well as being hormone mimickers. They are also known to accumulate in the environment.

Propylene Glycol (PEG):

Used as a humectant (holds and retains moisture) and solvent. Found in very many cosmetics – creams, lotions, lipsticks, foundation, mascara. It can cause dermatitis, skin rashes, dry skin, and is toxic to the respiratory, immune and nervous systems. It also increases the absorption of other substances, so not very nice in conjunction with all those parabens, phthalates, DEAs, TEAs….

DEA, MEA, TEA:

Diethanolamine, monoethanolamine and triethanolamine. Used as buffers to regulate the pH balance of products, and as solvents and humectants, and found across a wide range of cosmetics. They cause skin and eye irritation and contact dermatitis. Of particular concern is the fact that they can combine with nitrites to form carcinogenic nitrosamines. These chemicals have been linked to liver and kidney cancers.

Formaldehyde:

Formaldehyde, formalin, Quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1,3-diol, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea are all formaldehyde containing preservatives. Well known for causing respiratory irritation, it is a carcinogen and causes skin and eye irritation. It can also combine with other chemicals to form nitrosamines.

Paraffin:

Liquidum Paraffinum, petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffin oil, paraffin wax – used because it is ridiculously cheap. A petroleum by-product used as a moisturiser, actually has the opposite effect in the long-term, causing premature skin aging. It coats the skin, initially giving a moisturising effect – but it clogs the pores, traps in toxins and promotes acne. Any mineral oil product may also be contaminated with cancer causing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Parfum / Artificial Fragrance:

When you see the word ‘parfum’ as an ingredient, this can actually be a cover for a cocktail of hundreds of separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic eg phthalates will often not be listed as an ingredient, but are often contained in parfum.