Ingredients selectionUpdated 7 months ago

In our field, the choice of ingredients has a significant impact. They are central to our products and constitute the main elements we use.

The personal care industry has developed a substantial arsenal of inexpensive "miracle" ingredients, the production of which can raise serious environmental and human health concerns.

To address this, we ensure that we use only naturally sourced ingredients with minimal ecological impact.

Specifically, we avoid ingredients with any of the following characteristics: sourced from non-renewable resources, produced using toxic components, or presenting risks of bioaccumulation or ecotoxicity.

Among the ingredients we exclude from our formulations are:

Petroleum Derivatives: The extraction of petroleum damages ecosystems, and its processing produces highly toxic by-products. In cosmetics, these are listed under names such as petrolatum, mineral oil, paraffinum, etc.

PEG (Polyethylene Glycol): This is a broad category of ingredients that undergo ethoxylation, a process using highly toxic and carcinogenic solvents that often remain as trace residues in the final product. They are identified by the acronym PEG followed by a number.

Parabens: These are common preservatives in personal care products. Links have been established between parabens and endocrine disruption. They are identified by a prefix and the suffix “paraben” (e.g., isobutylparaben, methylparaben).

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate / Sodium Laureth Sulfate: Sodium laureth sulfate is widely used as a detergent and is known to be very irritating. Its production often involves ethoxylation (see “PEG” above). They are also known by the acronyms SLS or SLES.

Silicones: Silicone ingredients (also called polysiloxanes) are criticized for their endocrine-disrupting effects and toxicity. They are recognized for their potential to enter the food chain, particularly in aquatic environments. They are identified by a prefix and the suffix “siloxane,” by names such as D4, D5, or D6, or by words ending in “-thicone.”

For additional details on problematic cosmetic ingredients, the David Suzuki Foundation has put together a list, which can be accessed here. 

All listed ingredients are absent from our formulas.