mineral oil

30 May 2012

Are Yves Rocher telling the truth? Are we being Greenwashed?

Updated 31.07.12 - Yves Rocher have been stripped of the leaping bunny logo

You're probably familiar with the brand Yves Rocher as it is successful in Europe and USA. A while ago I was approached by someone representing them with a friendly but bold statement - "I thought you might be just the person to work with as I can see that you are interested in natural and free from products - Yves Rocher have a wide range of organic and natural products and pride themselves on their botanical ethos". 

Personally, I won't accept products without giving consideration to formulations and sadly Yves Rocher do not make that easy since they do not list full ingredients on their website. My response to this situation is to ask the representative for clarification on the following -

Do you have Vegetarian or Vegan approval? What is your policy on Animal Testing? Can you tell me more about your ingredients policy is? For example, do your products contain any of the ingredients listed below: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), Parabens, Mineral oil and petroleum derived ingredients, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), Artificial Fragrance or Parfum, DEA or TEA (di- or tri-ethanolamine), Phthalates (DBP/DMP/DEP) and Lanolin

I have been waiting for a reply and completely forgot about it until this week when an email finally arrived. The following has been copied straight from the email so if the grammar looks out of place the writer has translated French to English.

"According to the European directive, "products launched on the cosmetic market cannot damage the human health when they are applied in normal or predictable conditions of use". We study all the raw materials entering into our products composition and we realise series of tests on our finished products before their launch on the market. These tests are realised on cell cultures then on human volunteers to confirm that these products are tolerated well. Moreover, our products are no more tested on animals since 1989. 

All our products are conceived from plants directly: we select among more than 1,100 ingredients from plants origins that are studied by our laboratories, each best adapted to the specific cosmetic profits of every product, while defining their just concentration. Also, we always give priority to components from natural origins in our formulas, as long as the efficiency and specifically the safety - of these natural materials are guaranteed. In case they were not entirely guaranteed, we prefer using synthesis ingredients. Finally, we do not use neither aldehyde, triclosan nor lanolin in the formulation of our products. Only two of our products still contain Diethylphtalate used for alcohol distorting: those products are Eau de toilette Plaisirs Nature flavour "raspberry" and the Perfumed Deodorant of the So Elixir Purple perfume (launch 09/2012)" 

It's an honest response but I have to weigh up the contents. I'm not completely against synthetic ingredients as they can serve a purpose e.g preservation but I would still like to know specific ingredients. I decided to do a little digging on the internet and came up with a couple of resources that lead me to believe Yves Rocher formulation can contain parabens, mineral oils and perfume. These are ingredients I am avoiding for a variety of reasons.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how some brands really don't wish to give away much about formulations. When you can't physically get hold of a product then you become reliant on the information presented online. What brands fail to recognise is that for customers with allergies and sensitive skin, every ingredient is important. I'd spend my entire time returning products if I could never read a full ingredient list. I prefer to work with smaller indie brands who are open to transparency and willing to share their formulations in detail. I do not doubt that Yves Rocher use botanical plant extracts but there are potential fillers (synthetic ingredients) that may be a concern if you have allergies and/or sensitive skin. I will always ask brands questions because I can not take personal risk with my allergies. I hate wastage so would rather not receive products that I can't test and I'm not keen to pass them along to friends/family if I don't personally approve of the formulations.

I'm not comfortable working with Yves Rocher, as I suspect them of being "Fake Natural Skincare" and I would argue a case for potential greenwashing. Why? because they market on green credentials but use ingredients which other natural brands would avoid. Products that are produced on a mass scale and sold around the world are often formulating on filler synthetic ingredients to keep consumer costs low, quality botanical ingredients are not necessarily going to be budget friendly.

Sarah x

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31 October 2011

Why I choose not use Petroleum Jelly and mineral oil
(includes affiliate links)

I'm sure many of you experience chapped and dry skin during the colder winter months and you may turn to petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) to try and alleviate the symptoms. I choose not to use petroleum based skincare and instead opt for natural plant derived alternatives. I'd like to share my thoughts on why I go to these lengths and if you are willing to hear me out then maybe you too would like to become a green beauty consumer.

When looking at labels petroleum can also be identified as mineral oil, liquidum paraffinum, paraffin oil, petrolatum and paraffin wax. Petroleum is a natural ingredient from the earth and when refined, purified and processed we get the mineral oil used within the beauty industry. For many years people have been concerned about contaminants but the refining process removes any risks. Mineral oil is unlikely to cause skin reactions so it commonly found in products for sensitive skin. It is deemed safe to use and there are no restrictions in skincare. Mineral oil may be viewed as a cheap ingredient therefore it is commonly found it products with a lower price point. It is mass produced so an alternative plant derived ingredient can command a higher price.

Mineral oil is common in eczema products because it's an emollient, locking in moisture and forming a barrier on the skin. This isn't an ingredient which should be feared but I prefer active ingredients that are soothing and anti-inflammatory. I have experience of infected eczema and if you are not sterilizing skin before application I am concerned about trapping dirt and germs under the barrier which may result in slowing down the healing process. After I decided to remove paraffin based emollients from skincare routine I saw a difference in the appearance and health of my skin. Active ingredients are definitely my top priority and the type of alternatives I'm looking for include olive, almond, wheat germ, grape seed, sunflower, rosehip, apricot kernel, jojoba, coconut, papaya, cocoa butter or shea butter.

If you experience long term effects of chapped lips but are continually applying lip balms then I'd suggest you check the ingredients for petrolatum. Consider switching to a balm free from mineral oil e.g. Hurraw, Crazy Rumors, Lavera, or Benecos. Balms for body and face are plentiful in the green beauty community and I have a long list of favourites. I would certainly point you in the direction of Odylique, Herbfarmacy, Lyonsleaf, Ere Perez, Silvan Skincare, Botanicals and Bathing Beauty.

I'm always happy to help people find green beauty alternatives so if you would like to ditch mainstream brands please feel free to message me via email or social media and I'll do my best to help you.

Sarah x

28 September 2011

I will always be attracted to products that claim to help people manage skin conditions such as eczema. I received a free sample of La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP and Lipikar Lait. This was something I had signed up for via the UK National Eczema Society. La Roche-Posay's Lipikar range is marketed to dry, itchy skin and "works in partnership with the skin to decrease the re-occurance of flare-ups in eczema-prone skin". Also free from soap and parabens. They also like to push that they have dermatologist approval.

The biggest hurdle that brands and customers face is that when it comes to eczema prone skin we all have different needs. There will always be products that work for me and not for others. As I have Atopic eczema it's connected to allergies so I scrutinise labels and I'm on the hunt for any ingredient that may trigger a reaction. I'm also looking to treat the itch and soothe overall appearance of my skin condition.

I'm personally disappointed in some of the ingredients in the La Roche-Posay Baume AP and Lait. They contain parfum, paraffin, dimethicone and acetylated lanolin alcohol which are not very appealing to my skin and the plant derivatives are few - shea butter, bisabolol, rapeseed. I strongly believe that any product intended for sensitive or eczema prone skin should be free from perfume. Fragrance is a known trigger so much so that there are 26 fragrance allergens which must be labelled if present at a specific percentage in cosmetics.  Mineral oils (paraffin) and dimethicone are intended to coat the skin and to give product a silky 'slip' for ease of application. If you experience eczema with infection then these ingredient may trap germs in place and offer no healing properties. If you haven't tried it before may I suggest you buy a tub of shea butter and see how you get on, it will be fragrance free and without paraffin. 

If La Roche-Posay works for you then fantastic but I simply wish to demonstrate how I go about choosing products and accessing labels. Always patch test your skincare and in the long term if you can't see an improvement then move on to something else.

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