Natural cosmetics without …

Your skincare should be free of harmful and questionable ingredients. So we show you which ingredients you should rather avoid in your skincare and why the Clean Beauty Trend is not always completely clean.

Cosmetics without plastic, without animal testing, without alcohol, without fragrances, without preservatives … The Clean Beauty Trend has arisen from the desire for “pure cosmetics”. That is, to keep cosmetics as free as possible from all harmful and undesirable ingredients, such as mineral oil or parabens. There is more and more importance placed on what is NOT in the skincare. Even though the addition “without” says little about what actually ends up in the cosmetics, there are some additives that you should pay attention to when buying your natural cosmetics.

Natural cosmetics without alcohol

Alcohol is used in cosmetics for various purposes: due to its astringent and antibacterial effect, alcohol is used especially for impure skin. Furthermore, alcohol is used as a preservative, as a solvent and to reduce the viscosity of products.

Good and bad alcohol

There is good alcohol and bad alcohol. Denatured alcohol is used in conventional cosmetics. This “bad” alcohol is made undrinkable with bitter substances that can penetrate the skin and are suspected of having hormonal effects. “Good” alcohol, on the other hand, is pure ethanol. This alcohol is also used for spirits. In natural cosmetics, organic alcohol is often used.

Why do many natural cosmetic brands use alcohol?

In natural cosmetics, pure ethanol is used especially for its antibacterial effect, as natural cosmetics do not use synthetic and chemical preservatives. Good preservation is particularly important for products with high water content, such as serums, creams and lotions.

In addition, alcohol is used in natural cosmetics because it is able to dissolve functional ingredients from plants that are not soluble in water. In this way, these plant-based functional ingredients can be incorporated into natural cosmetic products.

Does alcohol dehydrate the skin?

Particularly products for impure skin often contain a high proportion of alcohol, as the antibacterial effect literally “disinfects” the skin. However, this not only cleanses the skin, but also removes part of the skin’s own protective lipid content with each application. The more you try to dry out the skin, the more intense its counter-reaction will be – the irritated skin produces even more oil and gets inflamed more easily.

Nowadays, however, the alcohol content in natural cosmetics is so low that the dehydrating effect can be compensated with high-quality plant oils and moisturizing ingredients. To use functional ingredients from plants, we partially extract them with the help of solvents such as alcohol. Apart from alcoholic extracts of various functional ingredients, we do not use alcohol in our products.

Natural cosmetics without microplastics

While we actually want to do something beneficial for our body, many of the products we use to care for it contain microplastics. Especially conventional detergents, peelings, toothpaste, shower gels, shampoos and creams rely on the small plastic particles, as they enhance the cleansing effect and more effectively remove small skin particles. In cosmetic products, however, these polyethylenes are used as binders and consistency agents.

How do I recognize natural cosmetics without microplastics?

Unfortunately, for consumers, it isn’t easy to recognize which cosmetic products are plastic-free. A reliable label for this is “certified natural cosmetics”. In certified natural cosmetics, the use of microplastics and petroleum derivatives (silicones, parabens, paraffin) is prohibited. At TEAM DR JOSEPH, we rely on plant-based ingredients produced in an environmentally friendly and resource-saving way. And so we do not use plastic for our mechanical peeling, but fine microparticles made of jojoba seeds, which gently remove the skin flakes.

Is microplastic harmful to the environment?

Microplastics are not only harmful to our body but also have a devastating effect on our environment. The tiny particles enter our sewage treatment facilities through wastewater, which, unfortunately, are unable to filter out the tiny plastic particles. So they end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Once there, they are ingested by animals and end up back on our plates.

Natural cosmetics without fragrances

The quest for cosmetics without fragrances is becoming increasingly popular. That’s because, among other things, more and more people tend to have sensitive skin. Responsible for this are our increasingly poor air values, which permanently damage our skin barrier and make the skin more and more sensitive. Avoiding fragrances can prevent unnecessary skin irritation. For this, however, we have to take a step back.

Are fragrances bad per se?

The “fear” of fragrances is partly fuelled by the harmful potential of synthetic fragrances. These are suspected of damaging our organism. They can only be partially degraded and accumulate in our body over decades. That is why their use is banned in certified natural cosmetics. But even in nature, there are highly potent substances that can trigger allergies. The symptoms of fragrance allergies of all kinds range from contact eczema and headaches to nausea and exhaustion.

Fragrances that must be declared

In total, 26 declarable allergenic fragrances must be listed separately with their INCI name on the product packaging due to their high allergy potential. Eighteen of these are natural components of essential oils, which can also be produced synthetically. These include, for example, farnesol, geraniol, evernia, bezyl and cinnamal.

Natural fragrances

In certified natural cosmetics, synthetic fragrances are prohibited. Only natural fragrances are used here, which are based on essential oils, resins and extracts and obtained from flowers, leaves, seeds, woods or fruits. Natural fragrances have numerous advantages, as they are not carcinogenic, do not affect our hormonal system and ensure the purity of the products. Natural cosmetics use both pure essential oils and natural perfumes. But these fragrances also evaporate more quickly and the scent of the product can therefore change over time.

Essential oils

In addition to their fragrance, essential oils have a multiple effect on our skin: they reduce inflammation, have an antibacterial effect and are suitable as a natural preservative system. Especially in natural cosmetics, they enjoy great popularity. They smell good and contain highly concentrated functional ingredients that we can use for our skincare. Here, the allergy potential depends strongly on the dose and quality of the essential oils. Potentially irritating oils are used only in minimal doses. An absolute no-go in cosmetics are so-called cinnamaldehydes. Also citrus fragrances are used only in minimal doses, as they can increase the photosensitivity of the skin.

Fragrances in TEAM DR JOSEPH

We intentionally avoid irritating and non-natural ingredients. Only natural fragrances are used in our products. The combination of these fragrances with the inherent scent of our raw materials results in a subtle overall bouquet that supports the effect and function of the products. We emphasize the quality of our fragrances and use them only in very small doses. Our products for sensitive skin in particular have a low amount of fragrance and are rich in functional ingredients that soothe the skin, increase its resistance and strengthen its natural protective function in the long term.

Natural cosmetics without preservatives

The search for an optimal preservative system is sometimes one of the greatest challenges facing the cosmetics industry. While there is a long list of approved preservatives for conventional cosmetics, which are not always without undesirable side effects, natural cosmetics completely avoid synthetic preservatives. Instead, pure organic alcohol and essential oils are often used for the preservation of natural cosmetics.

Preservation without preservatives

Every cosmetic has to be preserved in some way to control the many bacteria, yeasts and microorganisms and to guarantee the shelf life of the products. There are various methods, ranging from synthetic preservatives to osmotically purified water and proper storage. While alcohol is a classic preservative, essential oils do not fall under this term. So there are natural cosmetics without preservatives – which does not mean that the products do not need to be preserved.

Correct storage

External factors such as careful handling also play an essential role in the shelf life of products. The correct storage, proper use and quick consumption are an important part of any preservation.

Caution with parabens

Since the 1930s, parabens have been used as classic preservatives in cosmetics. However, their harmlessness is increasingly questioned and they are suspected of influencing the hormone system.

Our preservation system

We from TEAM DR JOSEPH have developed a unique preservation system that works without alcohol. We use a combination of different natural oil fractions, which prevents oxidation of the products and at the same time protects the skin barrier. In other words, our products’ preservation system provides excellent protection not only for the cosmetic but also for the skin.

Osmotically purified water

Furthermore, we use osmotically purified water for our products. To purify our water, we use the principle of reverse osmosis. This physical process, which reverses the natural osmosis process by equalizing pressure, makes it possible to obtain very clean and pure water. This allows us to minimize the use of preservatives in the formulation process. After all, the cleaner the water (and the raw materials), the less preservation is necessary.