(Un)safety of ingredients in skincare

The question of which ingredients can be used without concern is a constant concern for skincare users, and rightly so. Allergies and intolerances are on the rise. Then there's the wide range of ingredients suspected of causing unpleasant side effects or being otherwise harmful. Many of these substances are a convenient solution for manufacturers because, for example, they improve the texture without incurring high costs, and a product that's pleasant to apply sells better. As a customer, you can therefore never be 100% certain that everything on the ingredient list is actually good for your skin. Unless, of course, you do your own thorough research and critically examine the ingredients of a product. To help with this, many consumers turn to websites that classify the substances contained in skincare products as either harmful or harmless. The intention behind this is certainly good, but unfortunately, it's often overlooked that many ingredients only have harmful effects in high doses, while being completely harmless in low concentrations. Often, adverse effects are also attributed to studies that come from entirely different contexts. Given all this, it's hardly surprising that virtually every skincare product now contains at least one questionable ingredient. While understandable, this doesn't make the choice any easier for customers; in fact, it only increases confusion. With a nagging feeling, people prefer not to take any risks, and as a skincare brand, we understand this perfectly. And since the question of safety is on our customers' minds, it's naturally a matter close to our hearts. So it's high time we clarified what's myth and what's fact. Of course, we can only comment on our own products, formulations, and EU concentration limits. The opinions and practices of other brands or trading regions are, therefore, their own business.

 

Harmless

There are ingredients whose names suggest they might be potentially irritating. However, they only sound similar to substances that one associates with being "bad".

Silica dimethyl silylate is an example of such an ingredient. It sounds like it might be a silicone, but it's actually silica. A helpful mnemonic here: Just like the word "silicone" itself, all silicones end with the suffix "-one." The name silica dimethyl silylate simply comes from the fact that the base material from which it's derived is called silica. In skincare, it can act as an emollient or thickening agent to stabilize the product's texture.

Fatty alcohols are an entire category of substances that unjustly suffer from a bad reputation. Examples of such alcohols are cetearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol. The reason for the aversion to alcohols is that they are initially associated with ethanol, which has a drying and potentially irritating effect on the skin. However, there are many different forms of alcohols. Fatty alcohols are quite different in both structure and function and do not dry out the skin. On the contrary, they leave it feeling soft and velvety.

 

Safe in certain doses

Another group of ingredients can be potentially irritating, but only if they come into contact with the skin in high doses. In low doses, they are safe. Since there are usually EU-wide limits for such substances, it is extremely unlikely that you will find an irritating dose of them in your skincare products. People with particularly sensitive skin can test the product's compatibility with a patch test, as their skin is naturally more prone to irritation.

Butylene glycol:

It is safe in the doses typically used in skincare. Only those with a specific allergy to it should avoid the substance. It is used as a humectant and regulates the viscosity of the product; that is, how thin or thick the texture is.

Hexanediol:

The same applies here. In fact, hexanediol even has a moisturizing, antibacterial and skin-soothing effect in skincare products.

Sodium hydroxide:

It is only used in diluted form and is therefore safe. It is added to skincare products to adjust the product's pH level.

Dipropylene Glycol:

This substance is also safe in small doses. It can be used as a solvent or preservative in skincare products.

 

Only a concern during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are generally advised against using the active ingredients salicylic acid (BHA) and retinol (vitamin A). Both substances are suspected of being harmful to unborn children and infants. While this assumption is based on studies of oral ingestion of these substances, we always recommend caution with such a sensitive issue. Therefore, for safety reasons, preparations containing these active ingredients should be avoided. There are many equally good and effective alternatives available. Our customer support team is happy to assist you in selecting suitable products.

Hormonal effects are often mentioned in connection with BHA. However, the relevant study explicitly addresses the oral intake of BHA. Applying the substance topically to the skin is completely safe. For the human body and its metabolism, these are two entirely different processes.

UV filters and nanoparticles

Another special category, because it only concerns sunscreen products, comprises UV filters and nanoparticles. We already discussed in detail this summer which ingredients in sunscreens are considered problematic. Here's a summary: Various oxides, as well as the substance octocrylene, are suspected of being harmful. This hasn't been confirmed, so they remain permitted in sunscreens. Whether or not you trust these substances and use them accordingly is a personal decision. Without universally valid and reliable research findings, it's difficult to give an absolute recommendation. Furthermore, there are some substances classified as chemical filters that are harmless to humans but can be dangerous to marine life. To be fair, however, this only applies to some chemical filters. There are also plenty of environmentally friendly chemical UV filters. Finally, there's the discussion surrounding nanoparticles. These are suspected to be small enough to penetrate the skin barrier. However, the data situation is still unclear here as well. With our Daily SPF 50+ Moisturizer and our Ultra Light SPF 50+, we placed great emphasis on using only ingredients that have been proven to be harmless to humans and the environment.

 

Controversial due to sustainability concerns

In skincare, one cannot avoid the issue of sustainability with regard to the ingredients squalane and palm oil.

Squalane was formerly extracted from sharks, which is where its name still derives. Today, vegan squalane is produced from olives or sugar cane, making it sustainable. Furthermore, squalane is extremely beneficial for the skin. It is similar to our skin's own squalene and is therefore particularly well absorbed.

There are almost too many reasons why palm oil is environmentally damaging to list them all. To name just a few: rainforests are cleared for its cultivation, animal species are displaced from the cleared areas, and the loss of rainforest exacerbates climate change—not to mention how detrimental monocultures are to biodiversity. Of course, none of this is new and has already been recognized as a problem. Therefore, initiatives have been established to promote sustainable cultivation. Currently, the best and most well-known indicator of a sustainable palm oil source is the RSPO certificate. As a sustainable brand, we naturally ensure that our palm oil is certified accordingly. It is important to us not only to promote sustainability but also to live it.

Rightly discredited

Finally, we come to the ingredients that we as a brand distance ourselves from because they are questionable and completely unnecessary for skincare products.

Parabens – or parahydroxybenzoic acid – are often used as preservatives. There are concerns that this substance may have a hormonal effect simply by being applied to the skin. Furthermore, there may be links between parabens and various types of cancer, as well as other diseases. While nothing has been definitively proven yet, current research is certainly cause for concern, as we explain in our article on parabens .

Our conclusion: There are numerous harmless preservatives that can be used in skincare formulations, so parabens can safely be avoided.

Hormones are primarily discussed in the context of eyelash serums. These beauty-enhancing serums often contain eyelash-lengthening hormones such as prostaglandin or related substances. These directly interfere with the body's natural hormonal balance. However, these serums have significant drawbacks: Firstly, the effect doesn't last long once the hormone serum is discontinued, and secondly, there are numerous side effects around the eyes, such as burning, watering, and dark circles, to name just a few. For a more detailed overview of the disadvantages of hormones in eyelash serums, we recommend our articles "Why We Should Avoid Hormones in Eyelash Serums" and "Activate Your Eyelashes: Hormone-Free Eyelash Serum" .

Our conclusion: Hormones in eyelash serums are not only highly questionable, but also completely unnecessary, as there are more natural and less invasive alternatives such as caffeine or turmeric. We can thankfully do without hormones in our cosmetics.

PEGs are polyethylene glycols. They are used as emulsifiers, humectants, and solvents. However, they are suspected of being carcinogenic and mutagenic. These are still unconfirmed suspicions, but they should raise concerns. Aside from these suspected cases, PEGs make the skin barrier more permeable, thus promoting irritation and itching. They are particularly problematic for sensitive skin. Furthermore, PEGs are difficult to biodegrade if they enter the water cycle. You can read more about their other environmental impacts in our article "PEGs – Justifiably Controversial?" .

Our conclusion: Outside of skincare products, PEGs sometimes fulfill useful functions and therefore cannot be completely avoided in everyday life. However, they are definitely unnecessary and easily avoidable in our skincare routine.

Microplastics are likely familiar to some from their use in exfoliating scrubs, where they act as tiny granules meant to remove dead skin cells. Another reason for using microplastics is simply to stabilize a product's texture. This makes it more pleasant to apply, improves its appearance, and consequently, boosts sales. However, aside from its appealing look, it offers no real benefit to the consumer. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Even if it doesn't cause immediate harm, microplastics, like PEGs, find their way into the water cycle. This means they end up in marine life and ultimately in the human body – a rather unappealing prospect.

Our conclusion: Anyone who values ​​their own body and the environment can't stand microplastics. Moreover, there are plenty of environmentally friendly alternatives for the applications of microplastics. So it's perfectly possible to do without them.

Excursus: A question of dosage

As mentioned earlier in the text, dosage is often the crucial factor. The same substance can be helpful in small amounts but devastating in large quantities. There are indeed some substances that aren't discussed for their potential risks, but would be equally harmful in high doses. Glycerin is one such example. Its use in almost all cosmetic products, shampoos, etc., is rarely questioned, even though glycerin can have a drying effect. However, this only occurs when used in high concentrations. Because it's used in safe doses in a wide variety of cosmetic products, it can generally be assumed to be safe.

A similar example is niacinamide. It's often associated with the "niacinamide flush," but this would also require a high dose, which we don't use in our products. Similarly, there are substances like vitamin C that lose their effectiveness above a certain concentration threshold. The beneficial effects of vitamin C even diminish above 20 percent, so this is a maximum dose that would be pointless to exceed.

Legally mandated limits, or those dictated by logic, are naturally taken into account in our formulations and are not exceeded. Of course, you can voluntarily dilute the product – at least with most products – for safety or during the initial adjustment period. If such an adjustment period is advisable, we explicitly recommend dilution to our customers. However, we would never design a product that could cause harm, unless you have specific allergies or intolerances. Unfortunately, these are so varied that we cannot offer a guarantee against them – although we would like to.