Neftis Laboratorios commits to toxic-free cosmetics

At Neftis Laboratorios, we value the development of cosmetics which include both synthetic and natural components, as chemistry is in our bodies and is essential to life. Chemical is not worse than “natural”; the important thing is that we know what components we use, how we use them and in whom we use them. The challenge now is to develop transparent, sustainable and equally safe cosmetics.

Natural and safe are not the same thing. It might sound surprising, but not all natural ingredients are safe and not all synthetic ingredients are unsafe. Some studies suggest that some synthetic ingredients may be more suitable due to containing fewer contaminants than natural extracts. In this case, the synthetic components would be less allergenic and would be indicated particularly for consumers with sensitivities. Other reasons for using synthetic ingredients include ethical and sustainability factors.

Natural ingredients are perfect when they are well formulated, which can also be the case for synthetic ingredients. The fact that an ingredient is natural does not necessarily mean that it is better, more ethical or higher quality. Natural products can be ideal when they are formulated by cosmetics specialists who, to develop a specific formula, have used verified active ingredients for which the origin and quality are known.

Consumers are increasingly more discerning and better informed about the cosmetic products they apply to their skin on a daily basis. Ingredients that were widely used in the past are now considered harmful to personal well-being. The cosmetics industry has adapted to new consumer trends which are much more respectful and sustainable in terms of human health, involving its R&D teams in the formulation of cosmetics which are free from SLS, SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates and hydroquinone.

The clean beauty trend

“Clean” is associated with healthy. As such, a clean beauty product should take into account a few key issues:

Verified natural ingredients: One of the key characteristics of clean beauty is that it does not include toxic ingredients and that, as far as possible, it replaces these with natural active ingredients.

Safe for the skin: Clean beauty products do not contain harmful chemicals, such as silicones, parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and even some fragrances.

Transparent: The clean beauty trend also calls for brands to be transparent and to state the exact percentage of each ingredient on the cosmetic product’s label, however small the quantity used.

Cruelty-free: Clean beauty products are completely vegan, meaning that they do not contain any animal ingredients and are not tested on animals.

Environmentally friendly: As well as respecting the animal world, clean beauty also does the same for the planet in general. Its bottles and packaging are made of recycled or recyclable materials and its manufacturing and distribution processes are designed to minimise the environmental impact, save energy and reduce its carbon footprint.

With all of this in mind, we could add that clean beauty has burst into society to support toxic-free cosmetics for clean and healthy skin.

Natural does not always mean better

We should stress that the clean beauty trend does not aim to eliminate every single chemical ingredient on the market, but rather only those which are harmful to humans, because even water and oxygen could be toxic at the wrong doses. On the other hand, a widely tested chemical substance can have a much less adverse effect than a natural ingredient that has not been tested for the intended use. For example, essential oils are extremely potent plant compounds, which are often used as pharmaceutical-grade natural remedies. Considering that one drop of undiluted peppermint essential oil is the equivalent of approximately 28 cups of peppermint tea, this could be extremely problematic in terms of skincare.

Some synthetic ingredients may be safer and more effective than some natural ingredients.

There are some cases in which a synthetic ingredient has not only been shown to be “cleaner”, but also provides more effective results than a natural component that is not 100% pure. The most important aspect, however, is that any synthetic ingredient be formulated by quality-control experts, who guarantee that everything included in a specific cosmetic product is healthy. Another key aspect is that the use of synthetic ingredients in the formulation of cosmetics should be aimed at improving the skin, and not simply used as stabilisers or preservatives.

Ultimately, the idea is not to completely eliminate all chemical additives from the cosmetics industry, but rather eliminate those that are actually harmful to human health.

The Neftis Laboratorios commitment

The challenge is to develop cosmetics that are equally effective as the ones we already had on the shelves, but with innovative ingredients that are free from substances that are harmful to humans. As such, at Neftis Laboratorios we are committed to clean beauty, but without being tempted to eliminate all chemical components from our products; only those that have proven to be harmful to the human body.