INGREDIENTS
origin and purpose
THE OILS
We use natural organic rosehip oil from Bulgaria and Bulgarian oils such as apricot kernel, almond and grapeseed. Exotic oils are of course of organic origin such as coconut, shea and jojoba.
In skin care, oils create a thin protective barrier that hydrates by preventing water loss through the skin and locking in hydration. In the summer, light and "dry" oils that absorb quickly are suitable, such as rosehip, grapeseed and cold-pressed sunflower oil. And during the dry and cold months, thicker oils such as almond, coconut, cocoa and shea are suitable.
Other ingredients in cosmetics can also moisturise, create such an occlusive or semi-occlusive barrier and lock in hydration.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a favorite powerful and effective antioxidant. Botanical extracts are often rich in antioxidants as well.
In skin care, antioxidants have many beneficial properties. Shortly, they protect against oxidation processes and free radicals. Thus, they can soothe irritations, slow down aging and often have a positive stimulating effect by helping healing and the production of ceramides, collagen and elastin. And they additionally strengthen the action of preservatives.
HUMECTANTS AND HYDARTATION
We use vegetable glycerin. If you've been wondering what exactly it is and why it's at the top of almost every product, now you'll find out.
In skin care, humectants have proven effectiveness for skin hydration. They attract water to themselves and help it absorb into the skin. They are often water-soluble and are found in water-based products such as creams and lotions.
Glycerin is an underrated ingredient, but there are some good reasons for it to be in the product. It is a multifunctional ingredient approved by all organic certifications and with excellent tolerance and safety.
It has a small molecule, passes through the skin barrier and deeply hydrates. Additionally, it has an effect that not every humectant has. It nourishes the skin's microbiome, the skin's natural bacteria feed on it, and reinforces the skin barrier.
Other common humectants are hyaluronic acid and panthenol (Provitamin B5). Although most humectants are completely harmless even in the highest concentrations, with all of them must be taken with concentration, because they can have the opposite effect in dry climates. They can be drying by attracting moisture to themselves and pulling it out from the deeper layers of the skin to the surface to evaporate. That is why it is important to have moisurising ingredients that create and occclusive or semi-occlusive layer and protect the skin barrier. The balance of ingredients in products is quite important. The moisturizing cream has an optimal amount of humectant and moisturisers.
NATURAL PRESERVATIVE
We use Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate .
It sounds scary, but it is one of the natural preservatives approved in organic products. They are even used in the food industry. In total, they are less than 1% of the product.
Preservatives in products protect against spoilage and development of bacteria, fungi, yeasts and molds. They are important in products with water. Microbes love water. Although purified water is used in cosmetics, it is not enough and preservatives are extremely important for the product safety.
BOTANICAL EXTRACTS
They are known for their beneficial properties and most often have antioxidant, antibacterial, toning and firming effects. This is due to different components such as phenols, esters and natural acids. In order to preserve their valuable properties, they are put into our products at low temperature below 40°C.
There are different types of extracts - glycerites, alcohol, oil mecerates, CO2 extracts, and essential oils and their true hydrosols are also a type of extract.
In skin care, they have different effects depending on the plants and herbs from which they are made and the extracted components. Calendula is popular for its soothing effect and is suitable for sensitive skin and redness. Rosehip is known for keeping skin young and supple and green tea is rich in antioxidants. In high concentration, however, they can irritate the skin and should not be overused. Whatever extract your products contain, they are always a great choice.
EMULSIFIER
We use Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate. This multifunctional natural ingredient is obtained from olive oil through cold processes and is also allowed for organic certificates. It mixes the water and oils together and makes a cream with body and a beautiful, smooth texture.
It also has an emollient function that creates liquid crystal structures similar to those found naturally in the skin. This thin protective barrier moisturises, locks in hydration and in this way can have a soothing effect. Also, this emulsifier does not disturb the natural microbiome and can help deliver some active ingredients to the skin too.
We also use fatty acids such as Cetearyl Alcohol. Contrary to intuition, cetearyl alcohol is not drying but quite the opposite! It is actually wax-like fatty acids and has an occlusive effect, helping to retain water in skin. As for the product, it helps the stability of the cream, makes it spread smoothly, without a greasy feeling and wash off easier.
BONUS: NIACINAMIDE
We chose not to have niacinamide in our moisturising cream. That doesn't make niacinamide a bad ingredient. And for the most curious of you, we've got some bonus information about this popular ingredient.
Also called vitamin B3, it has recently been very popular and it finds a place in more and more products. It is easy to put into cosmetics and has a variety of great properties for the skin known and studied for quite some time. Here are some researches:
Placebo studies ( International Journal of Cosmetic Science , 2004; Dermatol Res Pract , 2011) show that 4% and 5% niacinamide daily evens the complexion, significantly improves pigmentation, melasma and fine lines, and reduces inflammatory cells. Especially in combination with sunscreen!
An in vivo study ( Br J Dermatol , 2000) indicates that it increases the synthesis of ceramides and free fatty acids and thus hydrates and strengthens the skin barrier. Another placebo study ( Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy , 2006) showed that 2% niacinamide regulated sebum. And in the Journal of Dermatology (2013), they found that 4% niacinamide twice daily significantly improved mild to moderately severe acne.
Naturally, it takes a lot of time and persistence, 4-8 weeks for the skin to regenerate and for any results to be seen. Because of this, many of these studies have been conducted over an extended period of time between 4 and 12 weeks.
Niacinamide is already part of many products and its increased use leads some people to discover their intolerance despite its very good safety and tolerability profile. This is not meant to dissuade you from using it. It is a great ingredient and is our choice not in our product to stand out from the crowd. The amounts put into the products are unlikely to cause irritation and you can always easily add it into your routine.
The presence of any ingredients in a product does not guarantee their action and effectiveness until additional research and tests have been done on the product itself. Always check your own tolerance by doing a patch test on the inside of your arm 24 hours before you switch to regular product use.
The information on the site is for informational purposes only. For diagnosis or treatment, consult a medical specialist.
