Clean Beauty

The rise of the kale eating, green juice drinking, natural beauty wearing phase doesn’t seem to going anywhere, anytime soon. With an abundance of information out there on clean eating habits, consumers are now making the transition from being clean on the inside, to being clean on the outside.

Conventional skincare lines are all too familiar with the growing trend of everything ‘green’, ‘natural’ and ‘organic’, but whilst clean and lean foods can be certified by associations, there are no such regulations when it comes to skincare products. For the average skincare user, we apply over 126 ingredients to our skin on a daily basis, meaning some of us need to be more vigilant about the harmful effects these ingredients can have on our skin.

Cosmetic marketers are jumping on the eco-conscious bandwagon, slapping labels such as “100% natural and organic” and “botanical” on just about any label, without any regulations. Harmful ingredients such as parabens and preservatives can still remain within many products despite the ethical branding.

So, what are the skincare nasties?

Parabens are a widely used cosmetic ingredient, are the most common preservative used in beauty and skincare products. Essentially, they stop the bacteria, fungus and other microbes from growing in your products. But that’s a good thing I hear you say? No, this is not necessary. You should be replacing your skincare products every few months depending on the season, or your skincare concerns at that time.  Of greater concern, parabens have been linked with breast cancer. Phillippa Darbre, a senior lecturer at the University of Reading found 18 out of 20 samples of tissues contained parabens from breast tumour biopsies.

For the average skincare user, we slather on 126 ingredients onto our skin on a daily basis. Therefore, it should be of great concern that among other harmful ingredients we are placing on our skin, the long-term exposure to parabens can mimic oestrogen, which is intrinsically linked with breast cancer.

All products within the 111Skin line are paraben-free.