What won’t my label tell me about my skincare?
An ingredients list won’t tell you how an ingredient was produced, or even necessarily what its origin is.
A perfect example is a carrier oil – it might be unrefined which means that it hasn’t had any of its “goodies” in the oil stripped out of it, or it might have been refined, deodorized and undergone chemical treatment to make sure it doesn’t have a strong scent or color.
Will my skincare label tell me if the ingredients are of a high quality?
There isn’t a way of knowing whether the ingredients in your beauty product are of high quality and efficacy when reading the label. You won’t be able to tell from the INCI list whether your formulation contains top quality ingredients.
Speaking as someone who has bought many different cosmetic ingredients from many different suppliers, there is a huge range in quality out there. It often really is a case of “you get what you pay for”.
What if I want to buy vegan skincare?
The ingredients on your skincare label also won’t be able to tell you if your ingredient is animal- or vegetable-derived, unless the beauty brand has gained vegan certification and is showing that certification logo on its label. Some brands declare their formulation to be vegan-friendly.
Not every brand does this of course, so you won’t always know if some of the ingredients in your favorite skincare cream have been derived from animals.
What is your top tip for buying the best quality skincare product?
My advice is always less is more – go with simplicity in your formulations and that way you’ll find it much easier to eliminate any ingredients that are causing you problems or don’t fit with your clean beauty ethos.
