Reading an ingredient list can be confusing especially because ingredients can have many roles and in clean beauty a lot of natural ingredients are used. In this article we are breaking down the ingredients we’ve chosen, what their function is and why. Let’s dive in.
What is our guiding thought in picking ingredients?
The first thing we do is determine if the ingredient is beneficial for acne. Most importantly, we need to be sure that it doesn’t:
- does not perpetuate the condition,
- does not clog pores which is often the case with film formers and heavy oils
- does not sensitize
Having established that it doesn’t harm acne-prone skin, we look at what value it adds – bearing in mind that we’re creating long-term skincare which is a marathon not a sprint.
We are defining what ‘clean’ means in skincare for acne-prone skin as this hasn’t been done before. Our non-toxic, safe ingredients have been picked for both their efficacy and their skin friendliness.
It is important to us that our ingredients and products work synergistically, not only being compatible, but bringing out the best in each other. Some of our ingredients are being used for the first time, while other, more traditional ones, are often being used in new and interesting ways.
Why are you using synthetics if you are a clean brand?
Believe it or not, synthetics can be more sustainable than natural ingredients. Created in our labs, our synthetics are vetted for safety and function, and the process of making these ingredients is highly quality controlled for exact results and purity – this produces hypoallergenic, unadulterated ingredients.
The synthetic ingredients we use in our formulas are extremely environmentally friendly. They can be produced at scale and on demand close to where we manufacture our products. This means we don’t waste the energy and resources that we would have done if we produced natural agricultural ingredients. Don’t get us wrong, we love natural ingredients and we use several of them in our formulas for their specific benefits for acne.
Both our synthetic and natural ingredients are assessed for their value in helping you achieve your acne goals. For example, a key ingredient in our foundation is niacinamide, a form of the essential vitamin B-3, is synthetically produced for quality control, for performance and skincare benefit results.
Here are the rest of the ingredients we use besides our heros: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, adaptogens and tetraselmis suecica.
Ingredient & common name: ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE. Benefit: Increases natural barrier of skin protection to environment. Function + Origin: Humectant opacifying skin protecting/ Natural or synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: AQUA (WATER)/ Water /H2o. Benefit Drinking water quality: our water pure and meets Ph. Eur. 04/2018:0008 requirements. Function + Origin: SOLVENT/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: BUTYLENE GLYCOL. Benefit: Skin moisturization. Function + Origin: Humectant skin conditioning solvent/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS FLOWER (SAFFLOWER) EXTRACT/ Safflower. Benefit: A softening, soothing and calming skin conditioner. Function + Origin: Humectant skin conditioning solvent/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE. Benefit: Smoothing – creates a silky smooth texture. Function + Origin: Emulsifyer/ Synthentic.
Ingredient & common name: CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES). Benefit: Pigmentation. Function + Origin: Colorant/ Synthentic
Ingredient & common name: CI 77492 (IRON OXIDES). Benefit: Pigmentation. Function + Origin: Colorant/ Synthentic
Ingredient & common name: CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES). Benefit: Pigmentation. Function + Origin: Colorant/ Synthentic
Ingredient & common name: CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE). Benefit: Skin protection and pigmentation, Binder or Mattifying. Function + Origin: Colorant/ Natural or Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: DIMETHICONE/ Silicone. Benefit: Smoothing – creates a silky smooth texture. Function + Origin: Emollient or Skin Conditioner or Skin Protectant/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: DISODIUM EDTA. Benefit: Keeps formula stable under different external conditions (heat / cold). Function + Origin: Chelating viscosity controlling/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE. Benefit: Improves the formulas stability feel and flow. Function + Origin: Viscosity Controller/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN. Benefit: Soothing, Skin Conditioner. Function + Origin: Preservative/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: GASTRODIA ELATA ROOT EXTRACT / Gastrodia elata is a rootless and leafless achlorophyllous orchid. Benefit: Potent antioxidant. Function + Origin: Skin Conditioner/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: GLYCYRRHIZA URALENSIS (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT/ Licorice. Benefit: Helps treat skin inflammation (Anti-inflammatory. Function + Origin: Skin Protector/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER. Benefit: Anti-caking. Function + Origin: Absorbent/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: LYCIUM CHINENSE FRUIT EXTRACT/ Goji Berry.
Ingredient & common name: LYCIUM CHINENSE FRUIT EXTRACT/ Goji Berry. Benefit: Skin softener and conditioner. Function + Origin: Anti-oxidant/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: NYLON-12/ Plastic. Benefit: Gives formula a silky feel. Function + Origin: Texture agent/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: PAEONIA SUFFRUTICOSA ROOT EXTRACT/ Chinese Peony. Benefit: Reduces the appearance of redness and has a cooling effect. Function + Origin: Skin Conditioner & Protector/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT/ Asian Ginseng. Benefit: Adaptogenic/ Protective (Offsets skin deterioration)/ Helps treat blemishes and skin inflammation. Function + Origin: Skin Conditioner & Protector/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: PANAX NOTOGINSENG ROOT EXTRACT/ Noto Ginseng. Adaptogenic/ Protective (Offsets skin deterioration) / Helps treat blemishes and skin inflammation. Beneficial or Humectant/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: PEG-10 DIMETHICONE/ Polyethylene glycol derivative of dimethicone. Benefit: Specific function to hydrate and soften skin. Function + Origin: Skin Conditioner/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: PHENOXYETHANOL. Benefit: Keeps product safe from secondary contamination. Function + Origin: Preservative/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: POLYPROPYLENE/ polymer, or large molecule, of propylene glycol. Benefit: Improves the formulas stability feel and flow. Function + Origin: Viscosity Controller/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: PORIA COCOS EXTRACT/ Hoelen and Fu ling. Benefit: Soothing, antioxidant rich extract that boosts the skin’s ability to hold water creating a plumping effect. Function + Origin: Beneficial astringent – anti bacterial/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: PROPANEDIOL. Benefit: Glycol that can enhance the absorption of ingredients (such as salicylic acid). has hydrating properties that may leave a smooth, dewy finish. Not likely to cause sensitivity. Function + Origin: Solvent/ Natural or synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: SALVIA MILTIORRHIZA ROOT EXTRACT/ Danshen. Also known as Red Sage. Benefit: Comforting and soothing sensitive skin. Fortifying the skin barrier. Beneficial. Function + Origin: Skin Conditioning/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS ROOT EXTRACT/ Chinese Skullcap. Benefit: Soothing skin conditioner for sensitive types. Beneficial. Function + Origin: Astringent / humectant / Soothing/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: SILICA/ Silicon Dioxide, Sand/Quartz/ Mineral. Benefit: Improves the formulas stability feel and flow. Function + Origin: Thickening agent/ Natural.
Ingredient & common name: SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE. Benefit: Keeps product safe from secondary contaminiation. Function + Origin: Preservative/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: SQUALANE (Derivative of Olives). Benefit:
lightweight, fast absorbing, and highly nourishing oil derived from olives . This is the more skin-friendly version of the emollient squalene, an important component of sebum or the oil that your skin naturally produces. Function + Origin: Preservative/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: TRIETHOXY-CAPRYLYLSILANE. Benefit: Pigment Stablizer – giving the even and amazing coverage. Function + Origin: Pigment stabilizer/ Synthetic.
Ingredient & common name: TRIMETHYL-SILOXYSILICATE/ Siloxane Polymer / Silcone resin. Benefit: Pigment Stablizer – giving the even and amazing coverage. Function + Origin: Emollient, Skin Conditioner/ Synthetic.
