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Biological and Natural Cosmetics

As research in the dermatological field and in safety in cosmetics advances, the trend of using Biological products and avoiding potentially dangerous preparations is clearly becoming a success.
Biological, natural and skin-friendly beauty, based on herbal products and phytotherapy, is a growing trend, being functional, effective and safe.
Modern beauty's guidelines are to avoid "dermatological bombs" which can damage the bacterial flora of the skin and that are ever more based on the idea of balancing the microbiome.
Skin's microbiotic flora, if well cared for, institutes a positive relationship with the organism, contrasting the proliferation of pathogenic bacterial both with the production of antimicrobial substances and with the lowering of the skin PH through sebum degradation.
For this reason, the brands we use in our salon and those that we sell, mainly belong to the Organic Pharmacy brand, a Soil Association certified factory, whose organic and natural declared component is of 95-99%.

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The active substances employed are mainly:
Damask Rose (with an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant action).

Rosehip (with a repairing and calming effect)

Calendula (balsamic, mildly antibacterial and calming) 
St John's wort (antidepressant, anti-inflammatory)
Aloe (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial , protective, balancing)
Propolis (strong anti-inflammatory action, mildly anaesthetic, antibacterial)

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WHAT'S IN THE BODY LOTIONS ON THE MARKET: discovering INCI 
The best way to understand what we are using on our skin is to read the list of ingredients: (INCI).
The ingredients must be reported in decreasing weight order, so the first components will always be those that appear in a higher percentage in the product. 
Some components, which are frequently used in the preparation of body lotions (being extremely cheap and easy to find) have proved themselves potentially dangerous.

Here is a short list:

  • Petrolatums (paraffinum liquidum), (mineral oil).

  • Silicones (Cyclomethicone, dimethicone, etc).

  • Polyethylene glycol (PEG).

  • Formaldehyde -Diazolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea, DMDMHydantoin, Bronopol, etc.

  • Amines (DEA, MEA, TEA, MIPA) .

  • Nonoxynol, poloxamer and nonylphenol.

  • Triclosan - (Antibacterial).

  • Parabens (Preservatives).

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To give you some examples:

- Some oils contained in commonly used creams present waste derivatives of petrol (Petrolatums), like paraffin (“paraffinum liquidum”).
After one usage they will give a wonderful aspect to your skin (like the polishing effect of wax on floors), although what they are actually doing is lay a petrolatums coat which prevents the natural transpiration of skin.
After a first positive effect, these products will dry your skin, driving you to use inevitably the same cream to seek for relief, thus beginning a negative cause-effect relationship. Almost like an addiction.

- Besides, it is believed that petrolatums can be dangerous also on a systemic level: the CEE n.67/548/CEE rule used to divide petrol derivatives into carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic.
Vaseline (Soft White paraffine), which was classified as a cathegory 2 carcinogen, could be used in lotions, but under determinate conditions.
However, a new CEE legislation has recently applied even more strict rules on cathegory 2 ingredients, which shows that the autorities are tightening up their position towards these products. 

-Silicones like cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane and cyclomethicone have a softening and silky effect, but with prolonged use they tend to dry skin and aren't totally inert (some volatile silicones are in this moment being watched by the health authorities).

-Nonoxynol is suspected to be an endocrine-disrupting substance, causing hormonal alterations, while Triclosan has proved to be toxic if present in significant amounts.

-Parabens, on the other hand, which are preservative of natural origins (not everything "natural" is risk-free) have been associated by some study to the possibility of increasing the chances of breast cancer. However, health authorities have not clarified this case yet.
While we wait for more information on the matter, Parabens must be employed with caution.

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