Why good ingredients are so important
While most of our ingredients are from natural sources, the important thing to us at Element 8 is the efficacy and safety profile of each ingredient. Being natural in itself is not enough to guarantee the ingredient would meet our standards. In fact there are many irritating, harmful and dangerous ‘natural’ ingredients. Think asbestos, cyanide and mercury as examples.
Many of our ingredients are chosen for their synergistic effects. Bisabolol is an example of this. It has been demonstrated in studies to enhance the dermal penetration of other ingredients. In itself it is a naturally occurring active ingredient that accelerates the healing process of skin and protects it from the effects of daily stress.
We chose chemical sunscreens for our Moisturising Cream with SPF 25 for several reasons. One is that Octocrylene and Avobenzone work together really well to provide broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. They are both FDA approved and as they absorb into the skin do not leave a white film behind on the skin. This was important if the product was to also act as a daily moisturiser. We think of our SPF as our morning moisturiser; nourishing and protecting your skin from the moment you get up.
Preservatives are essential in products that contain water (moisturisers, serums and so on). They protect the product from contamination and therefore prevent infection and it is illegal to sell a product that contains water on the market unless it contains a preservative. So if a product you buy claims to be preservative free then I would ask some questions. Chemical free is another one! Everything is a chemical so what is in the product I wonder? Our preservatives are the best on the market and it has taken me a long time and a lot of research to make sure of that.
The quality of our products depends on the raw materials and at Element 8 we use only the finest components and extracts. We are proud to source only ethical, organic, safe ingredients from around the world. These are listed below.
If I had one piece of advice it would be to get to know the ingredients. I know this can be hard but particularly if you have sensitive skin you need to do the research and look at the ingredients in your products. I have seen some awful ingredients in products that claim to be ‘gentle’ or ‘kind’ or even ‘organic’. One that stands out to me was a ‘natural’ skincare brand that had Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) as their preservative. This is an ingredient that is used industrially to preserve paint and is a well recognised cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Even airborne exposure to MIT in paint can cause serious side effects in those that are sensitive to it. Use the internet; research your ingredients. There are some really great skincare brands out there that make a big effort to include excellent ingredients, try to find them.
