Immediately, I want to recognise that we all have our preferences and cultural practices when it comes to these things. But, I thought I’d shed some light on an age-old online debate and show you why cosmetic formulators are not actually trying to kill us, plus some bonus info on why we can’t always equate natural products with pure.

There’s a common misconception over the functionality of cosmetic formulators and what people think us trichologists are allowed to get away with putting out there. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some not so great formulations on the market and some products that work better than others, however, I can assure you there’s a reason for each and every ingredient. Even a fragrance, while it may not be to your liking, could be perfect for someone somewhere. 

Additionally, there’s a whole bunch of legislation (at least in the UK) stopping us from putting anything seriously harmful into your products and these systems and protocols that have been put in place aim to keep products, and ultimately consumers, safe. A fair tip would be to always follow the instructions and patch test new products if you have concerns.

I also wanted to touch on why using “raw” or so-called “pure” ingredients may not serve as the healthy alternative most of us assume they are. Despite their complex mixture of fatty acids and esters with varying chain lengths (which eliminate them from falling under the category of “pure” materials by the way), these food stuffs (nb: I called them food for a reason) don’t come with an INCI list. INCI lists allow you to identify what you might have had a reaction to within cosmetic formulations in a way that makes them a lot more controlled in their approach to consumer safety. Putting food on your skin and hair is a very quick way to sensitise yourself to products - particularly if you’re using something like raw lemon which doesn’t come with an ingredient breakdown but packs a serious punch on things like our hair and skin.

The INCI list reflects the refined and performance driven composition of the product which works just as well and, more often than not, better than natural materials that can have just as many synthetic materials without the purposeful composition.

Till next time,

P3ACHx

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¹INCI - ingredients list