Beautiful Lies

Do you like the idea of rubbing petroleum, silicone and plastic into your skin?

We didn’t think so. But take a look at the products in your bathroom – specifically the ingredients – we think you’ll be shocked!

I know you’re probably thinking, “this is impossible”, or “not my brand”, but examine the ingredients in your facial cleanser or hand soap. Now take a look at The Black List™. See what we mean? Your next question is probably, “how do they get away with this?”

The sad truth is that the lack of concern over ingredient safety is not only widespread throughout the beauty industry; it’s actually the norm. So we’ve set out to expose five of the many falsities that keep the public in the dark about the safety of their beauty products.

You can trust big brand names.

Most beauty products are not manufactured by the brand name they carry, but by a contract laboratory on their behalf. So actually, in most cases, the products are made by chemists working for a laboratory and not for the brand itself. As a result, what often happens is that the executives or founders of the brand do not fully understand what their product really contains, where the ingredients come from or how they are produced.

Vitamin infused herbal goodness.

Many brands market their products based on the vitamins or herbal extracts they contain. This is because most of the active (or therapeutically beneficial) ingredients in skin care products are plant oils and extracts. However, when it comes to mainstream products, these ingredients are often on the bottom of the list (meaning they are in the smallest quantity) and are usually surrounded by a host of synthetics and petrochemicals.

Greenwashing.

Products that are not certified organic by a third-party organic body care certification are typically formulated with ingredients that are not acceptable by international organic standards. Despite the fact that these products aren’t really natural or organic, many brands still market their products as such. This practice is known as Greenwashing.

Regulations will protect you.

Cosmetics are among the least regulated products in North America. According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 89% of all cosmetic ingredients have not been evaluated for safety by any institution accountable to the public.

Here is a quote from the FDA’s website: “FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency, such as drugs, biologics, and medical devices. Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives.”

Common sense applies.

In 2007, a report was released explaining how out of 33 randomly purchased lipsticks, 20 tested positive for lead. Among the lipsticks that tested positive, higher levels of lead were found in products from L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior.

Lead is a known neurotoxin proven to cause learning disabilities and has even been linked to miscarriage and infertility. Many experts warn pregnant women to be extra careful when selecting cosmetics because of the risks associated with lead. Doesn’t that sound like good advice for all of us?

How you can make a difference.

Now that you understand a little more about the dangerous climate that exists throughout beauty industry, we hope you see why Saffron Rouge puts so much effort into evaluating all the ingredients in the products we sell. When we say “We evaluate every ingredient so you don’t have to!” we actually mean that. Our end goal is a world where people can shop for beauty products without worrying about if they’re synthetic or safe.

With your help, we hope to clean up the beauty industry, one bathroom at a time. Please help us by forwarding this article to a friend.

As a thank you for your help, we’d like to reward you with a Saffron Rouge gift code that you can use to save $10-$20 on your next order.

Saffron Rouge is a leading organic beauty and skin care retailer dedicated to educating consumers about organic beauty standards.