Have you experienced the problem when you regularly take a facial cream, but your skin is becoming more and more dry, sensitive and irritable? What's behind it? The reasons can be complex. Possibly a neurodermic disposition is based - but perhaps also ingredients of your cosmetics are the cause. In particular, additives are problematic. These are, in addition to preservatives, fragrances or alcohol, especially the emulsifiers in our daily cosmetics.
What is the task of emulsifiers?
Each face cream consists of watery and oily ingredients, which cannot be mixed with each other. Emulsifiers now have the ability to chemically bind these two phases of an emulsion.
What is the origin of emulsifiers?
Emulsifiers in conventional cosmetics usually consist of polyethylene glycols (PEGs). These synthetic molecular compounds are made from the extremely toxic and environmentally harmful petroleum derivative ethylene oxide. PEGs can trigger allergies, are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic.
Such emulsifiers are fortunately taboo in natural cosmetics. Here, emulsifiers are commonly made from esterified herbal fatty acids. They are generally considered to be skin-friendly. However, these fatty acids mainly consist of industrially processed, refined palm oil. For many years, this has always been rightly denounced as harmful to the environment and to health. Palm oil destroys the jungle to a great extent, deprives humans and animals of their livelihood and accelerates climate change.
Some of the natural cosmetics emulsifiers are also found as E-substances in the processed food sector. They are seen increasingly critical because they influence sensitive metabolic processes in the body and can, for example, alter the microbiotics of our intestinal system.
What do emulsifiers cause in your skin?
Emulsifiers do not only connect water and lipids of your facial cream. As a side effect, they continue to emulsify within your skin. They also connect to your skin’s lipids, dissolving your healthy protective skin barrier. In case of later water contact, the skin lipids are rinsed off (washing-out effect). Thus, the protective layer of your skin becomes porous, brittle and weak- with far-reaching consequences:
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Your skin is no longer able to store moisture. Instead, the water escapes (increased transepidermal water loss). Your skin dries out more and more. It loses moisture together with active agents, showing signs of premature aging.
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Your skin becomes permeable for pollutants from the environment. Thus bacteria more easily penetrate through the weakened lipid barrier. They can cause inflammation, pimples and impurities. From there, bacteria can also reach deeper skin layers and the organs (weakened immune skin defense).
Behind which ingredients are emulsifiers?
The following ingredients of the INCI declaration / ingredients list are emulsifiers:
Emulsifiers in conventional cosmetics typically start with PEG- or have an –eth ending, e.g. Laureth 4, Ceteareth-15, PEG-8.
Natural cosmetics emulsifiers are e.g. Sucrose stearates (as E 473 as well used in processed food), methyl glucose sequistearates, glyceryl stearates (citrates), cetearyl glucosides, hydrogenated palm glycerides.
What herbal alternatives are there?
The salvaging solution for dry, sensitive and problematic skin are facial creams WITHOUT drying emulsifiers.
A vegan alternative in natural cosmetics are, for example, lecithins from GMO-free soya or sunflower oil. They connect aqueous and fatty components of a cream. Lecithins are a natural component of any cell membrane. In contrast to conventional emulsifiers, lecithins with their high content of phospholipids do not dry your skin out. Rather, they strengthen your skin barrier, re-moisturize and re-lubricate.
Our emulsifier-free myrto facial creams with fruit fibers from pectin follow an innovative concept. The fruit fibers of pectin connect - purely physical without chemical reaction - oily and watery phase of a cream like in a net on your skin. Pectin stabilizes the natural consistency and additionally prevents moisture loss.
Beta-glucan in our myrto creams, as a powerful natural active agent, additionally strengthens your skin barrier. Beta-glucan deeply and long-lasting moisturizes your skin. It acts anti-inflammatory and improves your skin's UV protection. Beta-glucan helps to make your skin more resilient against environmental pollution.
Our emulsifier-free concept with beta-glucan has proven itself successful, particularly for sensitive, dry and problematic skin. The emulsifier-free formulations strengthen your healthy skin functions for a long-term smooth, delicate and rejuvenated skin.
