There are so many terms being bandied around in the beauty market; natural, paraben-free, hypoallergenic, naturally derived, the list goes on… But what does it all mean?
It’s difficult to know where to begin when shopping for beauty products. There are so many different terms, declarations and adverts, and it can be confusing to know what you are actually getting once you finally decide to make a purchase.
In search of some answers, TOAD spoke to some of the UAE’s beauty product professionals – founder of the UAE’s own cruelty-free (PETA’s official no animal-testing stamp of approval) organic line Herbline Essentials, Aly Rahimtoola, and founders of the UAE’s newest beauty line, Human+Kind, Jeroen Proos and Rene Van Willigen, on what beauty terminology means and what to look out for.
Aly says it is important to be aware of what you are putting onto your skin for many reasons, ‘The skin is the single largest organ in our body. It lives and breathes. So we need to be mindful of all the products we apply. For many years major cosmetic companies used (and some still use) artificial preservatives such as parabens to preserve the shelf life of their products. Many synthetic preservatives release small amounts of formaldehyde, which is an irritant as well as a carcinogenic and neurotoxin. Recent medical research at John Hopkins University has shown a strong link between the use of parabens and some forms of cancer and endocrine disorders.’
Know the difference between ‘natural’ and ‘naturally derived’
Jeroen says ‘A natural ingredient is grown, harvested, and processed in an ecological manner, not produced synthetically, is free of chemicals and not extracted using chemicals, not exposed to irradiation and not genetically engineered. They are not extracted or processed using anything other than natural ingredients as solvents. A naturally derived ingredient is an ingredient that has been developed with minimal processing from its original state.’
Rene says natural is always better, ‘People should look for products containing natural ingredients and avoid chemical and petro-chemical based products. They should also avoid products containing harmful preservatives.’
Aly says, ‘This is certainly an issue that has come up a lot in the last few years, and it emphasises the importance of the type of ingredients used in skincare products, their origin and source. As a consumer, if the ingredients that make up a product are entirely from natural and naturally-derived ingredients, you can be assured that the end result is 100 percent natural product. In a 100 percent natural or naturally derived product, some groups of ingredients, for example moisturisers, can be used in a natural form and may be good enough to even eat.‘
Additives to avoid
Aly explains, ‘As a general rule – avoid the bens – any ingredient that contains an ingredient ending with a suffix ben means that it probably contains a paraben. As previously explained it is safer to use paraben-free products.
‘It is always better to ask the pharmacist for advice depending on your specific skin condition. Everyone is different and where some people might be sensitive to fragranced products, other people might need fragrance-free products. If in doubt read the ingredients carefully and take time to research. ‘
Products available at Boots, www.herbline-essentials.com, www.humanandkind.com.
Cruelty Free
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has a certification for companies that don’t participate in animal testing. Look for this stamp on products if you want to ensure they don’t use any animals in their product-testing or animal based ingredients. All companies that apply for this certification are investigated and approved by PETA. There’s a list available on PETA’s website of approved products. Herbline Essentials is certified as such.
www.peta.org
Packaging in the UAE
Laws are in place in the UAE (as with most countries) that do enforce what companies print on their packaging so you can be sure that all the information you are reading is regulated and reinforced. Aly explains, ‘There are laws and regulations enforced by bodies such as the Ministry of Health and the Chamber of Commerce that stipulate clearly the disclosure of contents and provide provisions in regards to packaging claims, in order to inform correctly and protect consumers.
‘When it comes to skincare, consumers need to read carefully the ingredients and make informed decisions when purchasing.’
