What you see is not what you get!

By intothepot, 11/22/2013

Let’s see what is behind some of the most expensive face lotions in the world. 

As you can easily understand the red colour identifies a substance which is not harmful while the red one identifies something noxious which is better  to avoid and the yellow one is for substances which we have to be careful of.

The ingredients must be written on the product box  in descending order of quantity (ingredients present at a concentration of 1% or less may be listed in random order after the ingredients that are present at a concentration of more than 1%). The matter is: the green ingredients are at the bottom of the list therefore the quantity is insignificant; the presence of red substances  counters and nullifies the presence of the green ones.

There are much better beauty products on the market, as I always say to you, dear readers, it is just a matter of getting information, it is a matter of keeping ourselves informed.

Don’t you think it is more intelligent to buy products with green ingredients at a lower price than buying more expensive products with toxic ingredients? Usually  the worst products are advertised a lot but it is a matter of fact: they are just a mockery! The advertisements tell you lies;  the green substances, whose concentration is usually low, are praised much but nobody tells you about the red toxic ones, which we should know about! We have to be careful of what we hear! Don’t let them fool you!

And the last but not least: they have a hand at animal testing which I find to be inhumane. They just don’t give a damn about animals suffering for their selfish purposes (please check out my previous writings for more info about this subject).

Here are the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) of some of the most expensive beauty lotions on market.

 Let’s start with Précision Chanel-Sublimage Fluide Régénérant Fondamental Anti-age Global whose cost is about  Euro 275.00 per 50 ml. You can check the price on the following web page:

http://www.cosmesi-italia.it/chanel-precision-sublimage-fluido-globale-antieta.html

AQUA (solvent)
CYCLOHEXASILOXANE (volatile cyclic silicone)
ALCOHOL DENAT. (solvent)
LAUROYL LYSINE (thickening substance)
GLYCERIN (denaturant/moistening substance/solvent)
CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE (moistening substance/solvent)
PROPYLENE GLYCOL (moistening substance/solvent)
AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER (rheological additive)
PEG-60 GLYCERYL ISOSTEARATE (surfactant)
UREA (antistatic/moistening substance)
BUTYLENE GLYCOL (moistening/solvent)
GLUCOSAMINE HCl (antistatic)
PARFUM
PHENOXYETHANOL (preservative)
SODIUM ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER (film-forming agent)
CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT (vegetable extract)
BENZOPHENONE-3 (UV Filter)
VANILLA PLANIFOLIA FRUIT OIL (moistening substance/skin conditioning agent)
FAEX (YEAST EXTRACT) (biological additive)
ALGAE EXTRACT (vegetable extract)
TETRASODIUM EDTA (sequestering agent)
PEG-8 (moistening substance/solvent)
TOCOPHEROL (antioxidant)
METHYLPARABEN (preservative)
GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT (vegetable extract)
ASCORBYL PALMITATE (antioxidant/covering agent)
CITRIC ACID (agent tampon/sequestering agent)
ASCORBIC ACID (antioxidant/agent tampon)
CI 14700 (cosmetic color)
CI 15985 (cosmetic color)
CI 19140 (cosmetic color)

And now let’s carry on with Dior Prestige Revitalizing Essence which costs about $180.00 per 30 ml (about Euro 233.00 per 30 ml). The web page which will confirm you the price is: http://www.getprice.com.au/Christian-Dior-Prestige-White-Collection-Whitening-Revitalizing-Essence-30-Ml-Gpnc_291–50643763.htm

WATER (solvent)

CYCLOPENTASILOXANE  (volatile cyclic silicone)

VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER (rheological additive)

GLYCERIN (denaturant/moistening substance/solvent)

BUTYLENE GLYCOL (moistening/solvent)

CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC/SUCCINIC TRIGLYCERIDE (emollient/skin conditioning agent)

RED HOT POKER PLANT NECTAR (vegetable extract)

PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL (emulsifier/surfactant)

GLUCOSE  (moistening substance)

METHYLPARABEN (preservative)

ACRYLATE (antistatic)

C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER (film-forming agent)

 

DECYCLOXAZOLIDINONE  (emollient, skin conditioning, surfactant, plasticiser)

FRAGRANCE

DISODIUM EDTA  (sequestering agent/thickening substance)

HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE  (film-forming agent/thickening substance)

TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (antioxidant)

STYRENE/ACRYLATES COPOLYMER (antistatic, film-forming agent)

SOAPBERRY (vegetable extract)

Let’s check now the most celebrated face cream in Hollywood: La Mer- La Creme de La Mer is one of the most used beauty product overseas. The cost is $ 275.00 per 60 ml. Here is the web page where you can check the price: http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5778&PRODUCT_ID=PROD2459

Do you think it is worth your money? Would you spend all that money for buying a lotion which has got paraffinum liquidum in the 2nd place? Would you spend money for buying petrolatum to put on your face?

SEAWEED (ALGAE) EXTRACT (vegetable extract)
MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM) (antistatic/emollient/solvent)
PETROLATUM (antistatic/emollient)
GLYCERIN (denaturant / moistening substance/ solvent)
ISOHEXADECANE (emollient/solvent/skin conditioning agent)
CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA (LIME) EXTRACT (vegetable extract)
MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX (CERA MICROCRISTALLINA) (thickening substance)
LANOLIN ALCOHOL (antistatic/emollient)
SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL (emollient/ hair and skin conditioning)
EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS LEAF OIL (vegetable extract)
MAGNESIUM SULFATE (thickering substance)
SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEEDS (abrasive)
MEDICAGO SATIVA (ALFALFA) SEEDS (vegetable extract)
HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEEDS (skin conditioning)
PRUNUS DULCIS (POWDERED ALMONDS) (vegetable extract/emollient)
SODIUM GLUCONATE (sequestering agent)
POTASSIUM GLUCONATE (chelate)
COPPER GLUCONATE (skin conditioning)
CALCIUM GLUCONATE (additive)
MAGNESIUM GLUCONATE (additive)
ZINC GLUCONATE (antistatic)
PARAFFIN (emollient/ thickering substance)
VITAMIN E SUCCINATE (antioxidant)
NIACIN (antistatic)
BETA-CAROTENE (additiv)
DECYL OLEATE (emollient)
ALUMINUM DISTEARATE (thickering substance)
OCTYLDODECANOL (emollient/solvent)
CITRIC ACID (agent tampon/ sequestering agent)
CYANOCOBALAMIN (skin conditioning substance)
MAGNESIUM STEARATE (cosmetic color)
PANTHENOL (antistatic)
LIMONENE (fragrance allergen)

GERANIOL (fragrance allergen)
LINALOOL (fragrance allergen)
HYDROXYCITRONELLAL (fragrance allergen)
CITRONELLOL (additive)
BENZYL SALICYLATE (fragrance allergen)
CITRAL (fragrance allergen)
METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE (preservative)
METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE (preservative)
ALCOHOL DENAT. (solvent)
FRAGRANCE (parfum)

Now let’s take a look at the ingredients of a lotion which is not all that expensive (about Euro 12.00 per 50 ml) but it has been promoted a lot by one of the biggest multinational, it has been described as the cellular youth creator: L’Oreal Dermo Expertise-  Derma Genesis… what a lie!

Here is the web page to check the cost:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Loreal-SKINCARE-Dermo-Expertise-genesis/dp/B004M9KY9W

AQUA (solvent)
CYCLOHEXASILOXANE (emollient/skin conditioning/solvent)
CYCLOPENTASILOXANE (volatile silicone)
GLYCERIN (denaturant/ moistening substance /solvent)
ALCOHOL DENAT. (solvent)
PETROLATUM (antistatic/ emollient)
CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE (emollient/skin conditioning substance / solvent)
SILICA (abrasive/thickering substance)
MICA (mattifying substance)
HYDROXYETHYLPIPERAZINE ETHANE SULFONIC ACID (agent tampon)
POLYGLYCERYL-4 ISOSTEARATE (emulsifier)
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE (UV Filter)
HYDROXYPROPYL TETRAHYDROPYRANTRIOL (skin conditioning)
TOCOPHEROL (antiossidante)
SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE (emollient/thickering substance)
ALGAE / ALGAE EXTRACT (emollient/ moistening agent/skin conditioning)
CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE (cosmetic color/ mattifying)
DROMETRIZOLE TRISILOXANE (UV Filter)
MAGNESIUM SULFATE (thickering substance)
PTFE (chemical binder)
TRISTEARIN (emollient/ solvent / thickering substance)
ACRYLATES COPOLYMER (antistatic/ film-forming agent)
DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE (rheological additive)
ACETYLATED GLYCOL STEARATE (emollient/skin conditioning)
DISODIUM EDTA (sequestering agent / thickering substance)
CAPRYL GLYCOL/CAPRYLYL GLYCOL (emollient/moistening)
PARFUM / FRAGRANCE
PHENOXYETHANOL (preservative)

As you can easily see the high prices have got no correlations with high quality. The substances  contained in a very expensive lotion are not all that different from the substances contained in a pot down market, they have got a high price because of the brand they belong to, not because of their quality, not because of the costs the cosmetic companies incur but the brand, only the brand! They spend Euro 20.00 for making a lotion pot which will be sold for Euro 200.00!

Let’s learn to make better choices! Don’t make multinational companies treat you as a monkey. As I told you once, dear readers, let’s learn to respect the environment, the animals and ourselves! 

Arielle T.

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Versione italiana

Perchè non diamo uno sguardo agli INCI dei prodotti di bellezza più costosi? Sopra potrete leggere gli ingredienti delle creme più celebri. Come potrete immaginare il colore verde identifica sostanze non nocive, il colore giallo evidenzia sostanze di cui è meglio stare attenti, mentre il colore rosso è per quelle sostanze che sono da evitare. L’INCI deve essere scritto sulla scatola del prodotto e le sostanze devono essere scritte in ordine decrescente di concentrazione, mentre le sostanze presenti in quantità pari o inferiore all’1% possono essere scritte in ordine sparso. Il problema è che le sostanze verdi sono generalmente in fondo alla lista, ma anche se la presenza di sostanze verdi si concentrasse in cima all’INCI i loro effetti benefici verrebbero annullati dalla presenza di sostanze rosse. Per sintetizzare: sostanza rossa uccide sostanza verde. Le compagnie multinazionali promuovono prodotti di bellezza riempiendoci di bugie, ci promettono effetti strabilianti grazie a sostanze nocive. Perchè il vostro viso risulta liscio e perfetto? Ovvio, sostanze liscianti come i siliconi levigano il vostro volto, ma ne vale la pena? Vale la pena far soffrire la vostra pelle che rimane soffocata sotto strati e strati di sostanze tossiche? I prezzi alti non hanno nulla a che vedere con l’alta qualità. Questi prodotti sono costosi solo a causa del loro brand, non perchè sono qualitativamente migliori, non perchè l’azienda cosmetica sostiene alti costi di produzione, ma semplicemente per il nome che portano! Pagate il nome, non le materie prime! Infatti si può facilmente capire leggendo gli INCI che le sostanze contenute nelle creme super elogiate, pubblicizzate e molto costose non sono poi tanto diverse dalle sostanze contenute in una crema più nazional-popolare come può essere la Derma Genesi della L’Oreal. Sia che siano prodotti di lusso sia che siano prodotti più a basso costo il discorso non cambia, la maggior parte dei prodotti di bellezza (per non parlare dei prodotti per la pulizia della casa) contengono sostanze, che oltre ad essere inquinanti, sono nocive per noi e per la nostra pelle! E quindi… perchè non passare al verde? Non sarebbe molto più intelligente comprare creme meno costose ma con un INCI più buono? Ci sono prodotti economici la cui composizione è ‘’all green’’! Ed oltre ad essere più verdi sono anche più umani, perchè oltre alla cura della nostra pelle pensano anche al rispetto degli animali. Ci sono diverse compagnie che rinnegano i test sugli animali, mentre la maggior parte delle aziende cosmetiche più famose non hanno a cuore nulla al di fuori dei loro interessi economici! Cerchiamo di imparare a rispettare l’ambiente, gli animali e noi stessi… e che ne dite di iniziare con l’usare prodotti verdi con sostanze veramente buone per la nostra pelle, sostanze non inquinanti e che non hanno ucciso innocenti animali?

Arielle T.   (traduzione ed adattamento)