The Truth About Ingredients presents ingredient information in a non-biased way. I will attempt to explain (in simple English) what the ingredient is and how it works and direct you to read safety information from an independent source. It will be up to you, the consumer, to make an informed decision about ingredients and by extension, what products to select.
I started Hair and Skin JUNC as a way to educate myself and others about ingredients that for years have been overlooked, or substituted for cheaper more easily mass produced ingredients. While I can proudly say all Hair and Skin JUNC products have natural and sometimes organic ingredients at their base, there are still ingredients that one cannot get away from when manufacturing hair and skin care products. To completely avoid certain products, like preservatives, would be to risk product contamination and the harmful effects of using those products. All Hair and Skin JUNC products that are either oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions contain preservatives. Facial cleansers and shampoos also contain preservatives. Basically, all products that contain water or a water based substance, will contain one or more preservative.
The cremes that I use at home can be made without the use of chemical preservatives because I will use all the product within one, to two weeks, I will use a spatula to dispense product that are in jars and I can store the product in the refrigerator. Using the product over a short time period limits the amount of time the bacteria has to grow. Using a spatula to dispense the products (stored in jars) reduces the risk of introducing bacteria into the product with hands. Refrigerating the product also helps to create a somewhat hostile environment for bacteria, thereby slowing down the growth rate. To completely avoid the use of preservatives in oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, as well as other products containing water; one would have to buy these items the same way they purchase fresh milk – in the refrigerated section of the store, every seven to ten days. Does that sound like fun? Not for me, so I opt for the preservatives.
Preservatives
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound used as a preservative. It provides broad spectrum antimicrobial coverage for gram-positive and gram negative-bacteria, mold and yeast. In short, it is used to kill bacteria and stabilize formulations. Phenoxyethanol can be derived synthetically as well as from purely organic matter. For more information on Phenoxyethanol, go here.
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tetrasodium EDTA is used as a chelating agent and preservative. Chelating agents are chemicals that combine with metal ions and remove them from their “sphere of action.” Cleansing solutions such as body washes, facial cleanser, shampoos, etc., contain tetrasodium EDTA because they work in conjunction with the surfactant*. The surfactant pulls the dirt and oil away from the surface of hair or skin and the tetrasodium EDTA neutralizes the ion molecules that are attracted to the water and the surfactant, allowing them to be washed away. “The binding of metal ions also helps to prevent spoilage of cosmetics and other personal care products. It helps to maintain clarity, protect fragrance compounds, and prevent rancidity.” For more information on Tetrasodium EDTA, go here.
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*Surfactant (Definition copied from here) A shortened form of “surface-active agent”, a surfactant is a chemical that stabilizes mixtures of oil and water by reducing the surface tension at the interface between the oil and water molecules. Because water and oil do not dissolve in each other a surfactant has to be added to the mixture to keep it from separating into layers. Surfactants in cosmetics provide one or more of six functions:
- Detergents – for cleansing
- Wetting agents – in perms
- Foaming agents – for shampoos
- Emulsifiers – in creams and lotions
- Conditioning agents – in skin and hair-care products
- Solubilizers – for perfumes and flavors
