As society and consumers become evermore health conscious and aware of cosmetic industry duplicity, chemists and formulators fight to keep up with the demands for cleaner more natural (in the true sense of the word) body care products. Brands are faced with the decisions to either ignore consumer requests or comply, even if those compliances translate into higher production costs of goods.
A major area of concern regarding cosmetics are the ingredients, namely the emollients, emulsifiers, and preservatives, used in various formulations. The question naturally arises to some whether these substances are necessary for efficacy of the products, to which we say "well, it really depends on that particular product." Not all products need emulsifiers and preservation, and conversely not all emulsifiers and preservatives (per our knowledge and research) are bad.
While anhydrous formulas have no need of emulsifiers or preservatives they can include emollients and their deficiencies directly contribute to their limited function and use. Where anhydrous formulas are found lacking water-and-oil combo formulas shine; and this is also where most times ingredients get tricky. It's really about gaining the understanding of why certain ingredients are used and what those ingredients are.
Water-and-Oil combo formulas are highly susceptible to spoilage without some sort of preservation due to the inclusion of water. Just like food that sits out in the air too long would start to mold and smell sour, cosmetics would also grow molds and yeast and host all sorts of bacterium assuming they have a high percentage of organic compounds and natural ingredients in them. This is bad for the company as rancid products could be reason for a lawsuit, but it's even worse for the consumer as use of rancid products could lead to irritations or even impairment of some sort.
So why is the water even there if it can be such a bad environment? Again, water-and-oil combo formulas do what anhydrous formulas can not. They penetrate deeper into the skin, they actually moisturize whereas anhydrous formulas do not, and they distribute the oils and nutrients of the formula better. And because of the oil content it seals those nutrients and moisture into the skin by providing a lipid barrier. Herein lies the importance of brands being consumer conscious and using safe ingredients because those same ingredients get distributed through the skin right along side the water, nutrients, and oils eventually reaching the bloodstream.
Banathya Botanicals can only speak for itself. Our focus for maintaining the integrity of our products falls on two areas: 1) keeping formulas majority plant based including our emollients, thickeners, and emulsifiers and 2) ensuring no toxins such as Heavy Metals, Formaldehydes, Pthalates, Parabens, Polysorbates, UV Filters, and other additives are present in our products. Attaining to these goals ensures we are able to provide safe products that are as consumer conscious and natural as possible.
***Full disclaimer here: While the majority of Banathya Botanicals products are anhydrous formulas, we do make some water-and-oil combo products, including but not limited to our Creme de la Creme Body Cream and the Mane Tamed Intense Conditioning Hair Masque, therefore by necessity must use a full spectrum style preservative to reduce liability and possibility of spoiled, rancid, and putrid products. What separates our company, however, is our commitment to finding and using the safest versions of these necessary ingredients. (A preservative we currently use is called Plantaserve and you can find out more about it from these sites https://www.schoolofnaturalskincare.com/natural-preservatives-for-cosmetics/ and https://chemistscorner.com/natural-cosmetic-preservative-ingredients-and-strategies/ .)
We understand there are still those who prefer to stay clear of all such additives at all costs and we don't judge any for that. On the contrary, we hope that you take the time to check out the greater portion of our product line-up as most of our products, such as our Buttery Smooth Lip Balm, Solid Lotion Stick, Baby Butt-er, Whipped Body Love, and Mane Tamed Herbal Infused Hair Grease are just a few of our anhydrous formulas that are wonderful for the hair and body. We hope this helps your future shopping endeavors and as always from Banathya to you with care! ; )
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