Ever since oil was used to produce cheap emulsifiers, solvents and moisturizers in the 30s, cosmetics have become a common part of every woman’s life. British scientists have calculated that each of us daily encounters 515 chemicals that make up our personal care products – there can be 11 of them in hand cream, 29 in mascara, 33 in lipstick … It’s no wonder that such a vigorous cocktail often does not benefit the appearance – it causes dry skin, clogs pores, provokes allergic reactions. Trying to solve these problems, many are switching to biocosmetics, consisting mainly of natural ingredients. After all, if biokefir is more useful than usual, is such a comparison also valid for cosmetics?
The current biocosmetics are produced according to strict rules, all products undergo a series of rigorous safety tests, the manufacturer must grow raw materials for their products in ecologically clean areas or purchase under a contract on eco-farms, do not violate ethical rules in production, do not conduct tests on animals, do not use artificial dyes, flavors, preservatives … Bioproducers even blacklists synthetic ingredients. They contain parabens (preservatives), TEA and DEA (emulsifiers), sodium lauryl (foaming agent), petroleum jelly, dyes, fragrances.
The quality of the organic product is guaranteed Certificates… Russia does not have its own certification system, so we focus on those that are recognized in the world. Typical examples:
BIO standarddeveloped by the French certification committee Ecocert and the independent manufacturer Cosmebio. Prohibits the use of ingredients of animal origin (except those that are not harmful to animals, such as beeswax). At least 95% of all ingredients must be of natural origin and be obtained from crops grown in ecologically clean areas.
BDIH standarddeveloped in Germany. Excludes the use of GMOs, chemical processing of the original ingredients should be minimal, wild plants are preferable to specially grown ones, tests on animals and animal ingredients obtained from vertebrates (whale spermaceti, mink oil, etc.) are prohibited.
NaTrue standard, developed by the largest manufacturers in Europe in conjunction with the bodies of the European Commission and the Council of Europe. Assesses the quality of natural cosmetics according to its own “stars” system. Three “stars” receive completely organic products. Petrochemicals such as mineral oil are prohibited.
Disadvantages of biocosmetics
But even all of these rigors do not make biocosmetics definitely better than synthetic ones.
1.
Synthetic cosmetics, or rather, some of its ingredients – fragrances, preservatives and dyes – often cause allergies. In biocosmetics, they are not, and if there is, then at a minimum. But there are some difficulties here. Many natural substances that make up bio-products are powerful allergens. Severe allergic reactions can provoke arnica, rosemary, calendula, currant, wormwood, honey, propolis… Therefore, before buying another product, do a skin test and check if there will be a reaction.
2.
Usually 2 to 12 months. There are products that need to be stored only in the refrigerator. On the one hand, this is great – it means that the evil preservative did not get inside the jar. On the other hand, there is a very high probability of “poisoning”. If you did not notice that your yogurt cream is expired, or the store did not follow the storage rules, pathogens, for example, staphylococcus, could start in it. After you smear the cream on your nose, microbes through microcracks, which are always on the skin, will penetrate into the body and begin their subversive activity there.
3.
Raw materials for biocosmetics really contain fewer harmful impurities. But not always. A typical example is “wool wax”, which is obtained by washing sheep wool. In its natural form, it contains a huge amount of chemicals, which are then “etched” with solvents.
Letters and numbers on the packaging
Just using the “bio” prefix does not make cosmetics better. Much, if not all, depends on the manufacturer. It should be a serious company with a research base, funding for testing and clinical trials. Read carefully what is written on the package. All ingredients are listed in descending order. If a product is declared as a storehouse of chamomile or, say, calendula, and they are in the last places in the list of ingredients, then the cat actually cried in the tube of this substance. Another important indicator is that high-quality natural cosmetics are sold in natural packaging – it can be glass, ceramics or biodegradable plastic.