THE CLEAN LIST

Our CLEAN Beauty concept is defined by the ingredients you won't find in the CLEAN products. This list is the basis for our CLEAN GUIDE:

 

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole): A preservative suspected of causing cancer, skin irritation and hormonal imbalances.

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene): A toluene-based preservative suspected of causing skin irritation.

Chemical sunscreens: In our CLEAN category you will not find any chemical sunscreens SPF´s. Why? Some are suspected of triggering a hormonal disorder.

Chemical sunscreens belong to this category: Benzophenone, diphenylmethanone, diphenylketone, 119-61-9, benzoylbenzene, phenylketone, oxybenzone, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, 131-57-7, benzophenone-3, (2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) and octinoxate.

EDTA: Calcium disodium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, trisodium EDTA, etc. are chelating agents, i.e. they bind to metal ions. These ingredients have no connection with causing health damage, but they can be a problem for our waters, as they do not disintegrate and thus can get back into our bodies.

Ethanolamines: These ingredients (including DEA/TEA/MEA/ETA) may be contaminated with chemicals such as nitrosamines. These, in turn, are suspected of causing cancer.

Ethoxylated Ingredients: These ingredients are synthetically manufactured from ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen. 1,4-Dioxane, another carcinogen, often contaminates ethoxylated ingredients, but 1,4-Dioxane itself often does not appear on product labels. To avoid ethoxylated compounds, look for the following ingredients:

- Ceteareth-20: This is the polyethylene glycol ether of cetylstearyl alcohol and can be potentially toxic. Contain impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.

- Emulsifying wax: This is usually a mixture of cetearyl alcohol and polysorbate 60 or ceteareth-20.

- PEGS, including PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds, such as PEG-100 stearate, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, PEG-40 and other related chemicals.

- Polysorbate-20, Polysorbate-40

- Steareth-20

- Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ammonium laureth sulfate and many other ingredients that end with "-eth".

Formaldehyde: Although not normally listed individually as an ingredient, formaldehyde "releasers" or "dispensers" are often found on ingredient labels. In our CLEAN category you will not find any of the following ingredients:

- DMDM Hydantoin

- Diazolidinyl urea

- Imidazolidinyl urea

- Tosylamide/formaldehyde resin

- Quaternium-15

- Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate

- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol

- Polyoxymethylene urea

- 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1,3 Dioxane

- Glyoxal

- Methenamine

- Benzylhemiformal

Methychloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone: These preservatives are banned in the EU for use in leave-on cosmetics and limited to very small quantities in rinse-off products. They are suspected of causing skin allergies and irritations and may be toxic to the nervous system.

Methylcellulose or 2-methoxyethanol: This is a solvent suspected of causing skin irritation and affecting the central nervous system, blood, bone marrow, kidneys and liver.

Nitro and Polycyclic Musk: There are several types of synthetic musk. Two species, nitro and polycyclic musk, are suspected of causing health and environmental problems.

Parabens: Certain parabens are suspected of causing hormonal disorders. Our CLEAN seal prohibits all parabens, including ethyl parabens, butyl parabens, methyl parabens and propyl parabens.

Petrolatum and paraffin: Petrolatum is a semi-solid mixture obtained from processed petroleum. Mineral oil, paraffin wax, liquid paraffin and many other ingredients are also by-products of petroleum distillation. These substances are suspected of causing cancer. Furthermore, their extraction is harmful to the environment.

Phthalates: Certain phthalates appear on the list of ingredients, but often hide under the synonym "fragrance". Some phthalates are suspected of causing hormonal disorders. 

Resorcinol: This ingredient is often used in hair dye products, and is associated with a variety of problems, including allergies, irritation, and other problems.

Silicones: Silicones are synthetic materials consisting of silicon and oxygen. They are most commonly found in hair and face care products. Silicones could not yet be said to have a harmful effect on health, but silicones are suspected of depositing layer by layer on hair and can overprotect the facial skin, especially if ingredients ending in "-icone" or "-iloxane" are high on the list of ingredients.

Animal by-products: Animal oils (with the exception of lanolin), animal musk and animal fats (with the exception of beeswax) are not listed under our CLEAN seal.

Toluene: A solvent that is suspected of being toxic to the immune system and is normally found in nail polishes and hair dyes.

Triclosan and Triclocarban: These are both preservatives used in body care and cleansing products. These can only be degraded slowly or not at all by the environment and are suspected of causing hormonal disorders and cancer.