Do Your Skincare Homework: Test Your Ingredient IQ

When it comes to skincare and beauty products, you can’t just blindly trust cute packaging or buzzwords that promise perfect skin. The most important part of product packaging is actually the ingredient list!

But becoming an ingredient scholar is easier said than done. If you’ve ever turned a cleanser or moisturizer over, you know that reading the ingredient list can feel like reading a foreign language.

We’re here to help you understand ingredient lists by explaining which ingredients you should avoid, what it means to be EWG Verified^TM, and product tests you should be on the lookout for.

We hear the phrase “clean ingredients” a lot now a days, but what does it really mean?

At C’est Moi, using clean ingredients means we work with ingredients that are consciously harvested and produced to create products that are formulated without toxic and allergenic ingredients. Our decisions are based on science, data and the expertise of our partners at the Environmental Working Group.

Also, just because it comes from a plant doesn’t mean it’s clean or a safer choice for your skin. Some plants, whether or not they are natural or organically grown, can be toxic or cause allergic reactions within the skin on their own or once they are mixed together. It’s all about chemistry.

For starters, here is a list of the ingredients we will NOT work with because they can be harmful to the body and skin. Watch out for these ingredients when buying your skincare and beauty products:

• Parabens
• Phthalates
• SLS/SLES
• DEA/TEA/MEA
• Tetrasodium EDTA
• Formaldehyde 
• Benzophenone
• Mineral Oil
• BHT and BHA
• Coal Tar Dyes
• Chemical Sunscreens (Such as oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Octisalate,Octocrylene, Homosalate and Octinoxate)
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG Compounds)
• Paraffin
• 1,4-Dioxane
• PVP/VA Copolymer
• Talc
• Parfum or Synthetic Fragrance
  
  

Do you know what it means to be EWG rated?

It’s important to remember that an ingredient’s source does not always determine its safety. So, while using clean ingredients is a good starting point, the best place to ensure its safety is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database. 

The EWG (Environmental Working Group) upholds the strictest standards for your health by tracking the chemical safety of products and calling out the harmful ingredients. So, when something is marked with the EWG verification stamp, that’s an easy way to tell that a product doesn’t include any harmful ingredients.

 All of C’est Moi’s products are EWG verified, which means we say “no way” to toxic ingredients.  We keep healthy ingredients in our formulas while eliminating thousands of commonly used ingredients which may be linked to cancer, hormone disruption, sensitization of the skin and common allergic reaction.

C’est Moi also adheres to European cosmetic regulations as our baseline (which are WAY more strict than those in the U.S.), and then take our ingredient exclusions a step further.  For more details about the EWG Verified program, please visit the EWG Verified site.

What is ‘product testing’ and why is it important?

We’re not done yet! Product testing is also an important indicator of whether the product you’re using is harmful. The FDA says, “Product testing is just one of the things a manufacturer might do to ensure the safety of a cosmetic product.”

C’est Moi third-party tests all of our formulas to ensure that we are delivering upon our mission and purpose. The below are just a handful of the major tests we perform to ensure the safety and efficacy of our products.

HRIPT (Human Repeat Patch Testing) SAFETY TESTING
Determines the product’s potential for irritation, sensitization and allergic contact.

PRESERVATIVE EFFECTIVENESS TEST (PET)
Preservatives are what keep us healthy and safe from unwanted bacteria that can grow inside consumer products. We only use preservative systems that are proven safe at necessary and effective levels.

SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF)
This helps assure consumers that a product will protect them and their families from damaging sunrays like UVA and UVB rays in the way the label promises.

HEAVY METALS
We heavy metal test all of our products to verify that they meet or fall below established avoidable limits (TALs) and to ensure ongoing purity levels are met and that there are NO detectable levels of harmful heavy metals in our products such as lead, mercury, cadmium, antimony, arsenic, and polonium.

Do you support ‘Cruelty Free’ products?

Finally, it’s important to support products that are not only harmless to you and your skin, but also to animals. Animal testing is harsh and unnecessary, so check to make sure a product is Cruelty Free before you buy it, because being kind to animals is beautiful!

Congratulations ingredient scholar, you’ve made it to the end of our test! Next time you’re in the beauty and skincare aisle, read a product’s packaging with confidence using these helpful tips. Remember, your skin is precious so be gentle to it!