Educational Info

Are All Synthetic Ingredients Harmful?

Learn Harmful Ingredients to avoid.

Why Are pH Balanced Skin Care Products so Important?

Are All Synthetic Ingredients Harmful?

While many synthetic ingredients used in commercial skin and body products are toxic or potentially toxic, there are some synthetic ingredients that are safe and non-toxic. As natural products are becoming increasingly popular due to consumer awareness, it seems that the word "synthetic" has developed a negative stigma, regardless of whether it is safe or not. In fact, more and more natural skincare companies are using synthetic ingredients, which are considered non-toxic (e.g. matrixyl).

Conversely, there are all natural ingredients, which can be toxic, and you wouldn’t want to use. Also, some natural substances such as bergamot oil and lavender essential oil can both increase sensitivity to sunlight. While essential oils do have benefits, they can be irritating for some sensitive skin types. In some people, coconut oil (a very popular natural ingredient) can clog pores.

While we strive to use the finest natural ingredients whenever possible, sometimes it’s necessary to use a non-toxic synthetic ingredient when no equivalent form can be found in nature. For example, the R-Lipoic Acid, which we use in our face and eye creams, is synthesized in a lab because there simply isn’t enough of it in nature (e.g. plants) to use in skincare products or for internal supplements. It’s considered the "natural" form of Lipoic Acid because it mirrors what our bodies naturally produce. According to the scientific research, Alpha Lipoic Acid does not. The R-Lipoic Acid, which we use, is completely safe and non-toxic. In fact, it’s so pure, you could ingest it if it were used by itself (we do not suggest you ingest our creams).

Often, it is necessary to use some type of synthetic non-toxic preservative to ensure the products you use are safe. In our opinion, there are really no safe and effective, all-natural preservative(s). Some companies use a combination of essential oils, but research indicates that in order for essential oils to be effective as a standalone preservative, they would have to be used at unsafe levels.

Many natural skincare companies find it challenging to come up with safe and non-toxic preservatives for their natural products. In an ideal world, we’d be able to pluck the leaves or seeds from a plant or tree, crush it up and mix into our products and come up with a safe and effective preservative. However, in reality, this rarely happens.

Some "natural" preservatives are originally plant derived, but they must undergo a chemical process to convert them into a viable and effective compound strong enough to prevent and combat bacteria and fungus. A balance must be struck between effectiveness and gentleness — in other words, a preservative, which is not only non-toxic, but one that won’t cause (in the majority of people) skin irritations, allergic reactions, etc. One of the preservatives that we use is Cosmocil CQ. It is extremely gentle and has an excellent safety record. It’s been used in baby wipes and contact lens solution for the better part of 20 years. Cosmocil CQ is considered to be a very safe and non-toxic synthetic preservative. More and more natural companies are using Cosmocil CQ as a safer alternative to parabens and preservatives that release formaldehyde such as imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM Hydatoin.

From our perspective, it is more important for a product to be safe and non-toxic, rather than 100% all natural. Please be assured that we can ethically and responsibly state that the Lumiere Celeste range does meet the standards for products that are "all natural." According to the Natural Ingredient Resource Center (NIRC), a product can be labeled as "all natural" if at least 95% of the ingredients fits their criteria for natural ingredients. The other 5% may come from ingredients that do not meet the NIRC criteria for natural, but do not include synthetic fragrances, artificial colors or ingredients from petrochemicals. The toxicity of each ingredient must also be minimal.

Harmful Ingredients to Avoid:

1,4-Dioxane

Many of us have chosen to use safer cosmetics and skin and body care products. Often, that involves much research and careful analysis of exactly what goes into the products we buy. Our decisions are largely dependent on the research that’s available to us.

In March 2008, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), conducted a study analyzing leading brand name "natural" and "organic" skincare products. The results were startling — several of these companies were producing products that were contaminated with an undisclosed carcinogenic contaminant 1,4-Dioxane. However, none of these products were certified by the USDA National Organic program.

In order to make harsh ingredients (such as detergent cleansers) more mild, some companies add the petrochemical, Ethylene Oxide, which generates 1,4-Dioxane as a byproduct. According to the state of California (under Proposition 65), 1,4-Dioxane is a chemical known to cause cancer. It is also suspected of being a kidney toxicant, respiratory toxicant, among others.

Unfortunately, you will not see 1,4-Dioxane listed on any ingredient label. But there are other ingredients on the product label that may indicate the product is contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane.

The following ingredients may be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane: Avoid anything containing: "myreth," "oleth," "laureth," "ceteareth," or any other "eth," "PEG compounds," "polyethylene," "Polyethylene glycol," polyoxyethylene," or "oxynol."

It may be daunting to remember all of these names. Write them down on a piece of paper that you keep in your purse or wallet and pull it out when you go the store. Always scrutinize the ingredient labels.

Why Are pH Balanced Skin Care Products so Important?

The term pH (power of hydrogen) refers to how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 1-14. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral (water is neutral) and anything over a pH of 7.0 is alkaline.

Healthy skin has a slightly acidic pH in the range of 4.5-6.0. This is referred to as the acid mantle. The acid mantle is a film on the surface of the skin consisting of sweat, sebum, and amino acids. The acid mantle has a critical purpose; natural acidity protects against bacteria, fungus, and pollutants.

The acid mantle can also be negatively affected by stress and hormonal changes, causing it to break down and making the skin's pH more alkaline.

When the skin becomes too alkaline, it not only becomes dry and irritated, but also also loses its ability to fight off bacteria which can lead to blemishes and breakouts (pH imbalance may be a major contributing factor in acne).

Try to avoid products that are too alkaline. Most commercial cleansers are very alkaline, with a pH of 8.0 or more (particularly foaming cleansers). Most soaps have a pH of 9.0 - 11.

Conversely, using products that are overly acidic (such as strong glycolic peels) may also damage the pH of the skin, causing excessive redness, dryness, irritation and vulnerability to the sun. Using gentle exfoliating products such as our exfoliating gel mask will effectively help to slough off dead skin cells without damaging your skin.

Always choose skin care products that have a pH close to that of your own skin (AHA products must have a lower pH in order to exfoliate). This will help ensure that the products you are using do not disrupt the skin's protective acid mantle.

Avoid potentially toxic ingredients which are used as pH adjusters. Triethanolamine (TEA) is commonly used in many commercial products for this purpose. It may be contaminated with nitrosamines which have been associated with cancer.

All products in the Lumiere Celeste skin care collection are pH balanced to ensure the optimum health of your skin.