Straight from the lab

HOW NATURAL ARE “NATURAL” COSMETICS ? Dear readers,  For the second blog “straight from the lab” I would like to talk about  natural and organic (bio) cosmetics . It is of course nice to think that you can buy “totally natural products”, without “harmful chemicals” and free-from all the “nasties”.  But how can you tell which products on the market are really natural?  For a long time there has been much confusion over what can and cannot be called a ‘natural product’.  It should be said that although there is still no official universal definition we are getting closer to defining what a “natural” or “organic” cosmetic should and should not contain.   Read on… Look for the label … In order to maintain trust and honesty towards consumers, any claims such as “natural” and “organic” must be justified by the manufacturer of the cosmetic product.  So, we would advise you to look for an official LABEL that has been certified by an external third party and guarantees that the p

What are Parabens?  Parabens are a class of substances widely used as preservatives in cosmetics, foods, pharmaceuticals and other household products. They keep products free from bacteria, moulds and fungi that would otherwise spoil the product and could cause real harm to the user. Parabens are derived from para-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) that occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, cherries, carrots, blueberries and onions. PHBA also is naturally formed in the human body by the breakdown of some amino acids. Parabens used in cosmetics are synthetically produced, but are identical to those found in nature and the human body quickly changes them into natural PHBA and eliminates them.  Parabens in cosmetics Sadly there is a lot of misinformation about parabens, including allegations that they are linked to cancer. In fact, they are not a cause of cancer of any kind. Parabens are non-toxic to human cells. This is because our own skin cells rapid