What ingredients are safe in skin care?

One thing that is taking us so long to launch our products at Botany is the fact that we care about safety and making products that are an improvement to the existing products in the market, made by other brands.

In the skin care industry there is a trend towards natural products. I think another consideration is towards the safety of the ingredients. Let’s be honest, there are plants in nature that you don’t want in your skin care, like poison Ivy! But, there are very harmful chemicals, for example, chemicals in some very popular sunscreens that are killing coral reefs, which are being banned in certain areas, and people have literally had their sunscreen confiscated. We need to do what we can to take care of the planet. 

If you really want to have in-depth knowledge about the ingredients you would look at a thing called a material data safety report, which is found on the wholesale websites for each ingredient. For example, if I looked up lavender essential oil it would say the appropriate concentration of this ingredient for each type of product based on itability to cause skin irritation. For some chemicals, you’d be surprised to find out that some crazy sounding chemical name just comes from coconuts, for example, and actually reduces inflammation. 

One thing I found that was very shocking is that many brands that claim to be natural are actually using harmful chemicals in their fragrances. Most people know about the harmful effects of certain preservatives, like parabens, which are endocrine disrupters. The other thing people commonly know are to avoid sulfates, which are cheap surfactants (soaps) and strip your skin and hair, which almost defeats the purpose of buying the product. I guess you’d have to buy more products, since your hair and skin got dried out.

The really sneaky thing companies are doing is adding fake fragrance and a lot of people don’t know to watch out. People often buy a product because of a fragrance and get addicted to the fragrance and keep buying the product. The absolute best ingredients to naturally make the fragrance are more expensive, but the fake chemicals can mimic the smell. 

Another thing to consider are that there are some ingredients that are derived from something natural, but they take a smaller particle, that can penetrate the skin easier. For example, there is a derivative of hyaluronic acid, that is actually going to be able to perform better. 

Based on all this research, it makes sense to evaluate the ingredients and the benefits. When customers look at the ingredients we want to reinforce that they are making a smart choice and we will communicate insights into what ingredients are the best and what the benefits are. This is why we can’t just slap a label on something and we have to formulate every product and test out every ingredient from every wholesaler.

We have very high standards and strict guidelines. We also have been searching for certified organic or wild grown non-GMO ingredients, at the most economical prices, from the most reputable and consistent wholesalers. Botany is about delivering the benefits and fixing the problems with other products, so you get the best performance and results.

We also want to combine some skin care steps, because if you ask a Dermatologist they may say you need 7 steps to your skin care routine and let’s be honest, that’s a lot of layers of product to put on your skin. It may benefit the skin care companies, who have reps who educate the doctors, more than it actually benefits everyone else. Although some people have more sensitive skin than others. That’s why there are so many products in this industry, but also why when people find their “holy grail” product they stick to it and tell their friends and followers about it. 

Written by Brook Taylor