Ingredient Review: Seascape Island Apothecary

Seascape Island Apothecary - Ingredient Review
This is the blog post where I hover the mouse over the publish button and hesitate for a moment. However, my passion never dies and this is my corner of the web. On occasions I have a gut feeling that a product isn't as good as it initially sounds. I certainly mean no disrespect to these brands but I'm a consumer with allergies and I spend my life reading labels. 

I recently won a giveaway and a parcel of Seascape products landed on my doorstep. I was genuinely excited by this brand. I received five products and it was the hand wash and body wash that sent my head into a spin. The formulations on both washes are almost identical. Seascape was off to a good start with the promise that products are free from paraben, petroleum, silicone, SLS and artificial colours & fragrances. 

Here are the ingredients for the Refresh Hand Wash - Aqua (Water), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Limonene, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Linalool, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Citronellol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Triethylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Potassium Sorbate 

Before I go any further I would like to point out that full ingredients are available on the Seascape website so I am not accusing them of hiding anything. Let me talk you through the ingredients I've highlighted above starting with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. I have been known to use products that contain ALS but I do limit my exposure to it. It is an ingredient similar to SLS/SLES so it has the potential to cause skin irritation. Next up is Cocamide DEA which is a suspected carcinogen. The wash contains water so it needs a preservative system but Benzyl Alcohol is a potential skin irritant. I raise concerns over Propylene Glycol but it can be synthetic or natural. Methylchloroisothiazolinone is a restricted ingredient that has been associated with allergic reactions. Also the same can be said with Methylisothiazolinone, apparently this ingredient is a buzz word in France and is being blamed for a rise in allergic reactions (source)Disodium EDTA can irritate skin, eyes and respiratory tract.

As this is a wash off product you could argue that the ingredient risks are minimal because most of it ends up down the plug hole. I know everyone's allergies are different and viewpoints on ingredients vary. The ingredients in the body butter, hand cream and lip balm do look slightly better. However, I can see the use of Phenoxyethanol which some people like to avoid. 

The reason I decided to write this blog post is because I've seen a number of bloggers mentioning the "natural" ingredients and I felt it was important to review them from a different prospective. The decision to use Seascape rest entirely on your shoulders but just keep in mind that for £16 a bottle I don't see value for money in terms of natural ingredients.

In case you are wondering what I have done with all the products, they have gone to a good home. My friends who have less concerns about allergies were happy to take them off my hands. I wouldn't have been able to use them anyway as they all contain essential oil allergens.

Sarah x

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