Organic Skincare Pro

Differences between Non Organic and Organic Cosmetic Products

The manufacture of a cosmetic product is relatively complex: numerous ingredients are carefully dosed to obtain an effective and harmonious mix of the emulsion, suspension, foam or gel type. A traditional cosmetic product contains 4 ingredients :

• An excipient: a substance that acts as a vehicle for active principle(s). By its composition it will modulate the penetration of the active ingredient into the epidermis.
• Active principles : these give a cosmetic product its effectiveness
• Adjuvants: often essential, adjuvants are preservatives (anti-septics, anti-oxidants), stabilisers (gelling and thickeners agents) and moisturising agents which prevent the preparation from drying.
• The additives: they are sometimes optional, sometimes essential and are mainly fragrances and colourings.
• Other ingredients essential for the formulation: emulsifiers and surface active agents

Each of these ingredients themselves contain several ingredients which are of synthetic or natural origin but very often the proportions of synthetic to natural are not shown on the packaging.

Cosmetique Bio is created in 2002 by the collaboration of about ten cosmetic laboratories working on job specifications for ethical cosmetics; COSMEBIO is today an association with more than 200 members and more than 4000 certified products.
Today the organic and natural market is rapidly expanding and many brands are using the organic appellation for marketing purposes, sometimes for products that contain natural ingredients in very small quantities and no organic ingredients at all.

Cosmebio’s charter led to the filing of very exacting job specifications with the Ministry of Industry, which were published in the Official Gazette on 9 April 2003. These specifications very strictly define, in full transparency and without ambiguity, “environment-friendly and organic cosmetics” and guide consumers seeking authentic natural and organic products. The charter, specially drawn up for the field of cosmetics, goes far beyond the presence in the formula of products stemming from organic farming.

Cosmebio represents the entire sector involved in natural and organic cosmetics, such as :
• Raw material and ingredient suppliers
• Custom manufacturers
• Cosmetic laboratories
• Distributors

Cosmebio’s requirements and what guarantees are behind the logos?

Based on job specifications that were filed with the Ministry of Industry in 2002, the Cosmébio charter offers transparency as to the type of ingredients and the manufacturing procedures used to produce your organic cosmetic products.
In accordance with our charter, the products bearing the ORGANIC or ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY logo contain mainly natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin. The entire composition of an organic product is carefully controlled and must comply with strict rules.

It must contain at least 95% of natural ingredients, ingredients of natural origin or stemming from organic farming (in all cases the proportion is always more than 95%)

The reference standard authorises a minimum or even a negligible quantity of synthetic products that are still available in natural form. (These ingredients must meet the requirements of a very restrictive positive list excluding PEG, silicon, petrochemical derivatives, etc.).
- For vegetable raw materials, at least 95% must be of organic quality
- Without synthetic fragrances or colourings
- Total barring of synthetic preservatives, such as parabens or phenoxyethanol
- No petrochemical products (paraffin, silicon, PEG)
- No GMO (genetically modified organisms)
- No ionising treatments

Nature must be fully respected (respect of ecosystem balances, no testing on animals)
The procedures for obtaining the ingredients must be non-polluting
The wrappings and outer packagings must be biodegradable or recyclable

The consumer must be provided with full, transparent information on the ingredients used and all the manufacturing stages through to the finished product. The percentage of natural ingredients and the percentage of organic natural ingredients must be clearly indicated on all certified product packagings bearing the organic or environment-friendly logos

There are so many treatments for wrinkles, but few have been properly tested. Be sure to ask or research about possible side effects before starting any kind of skin treatment for wrinkles.

Most of the treatments we’ve looked at are available from a doctor, nurse or beautician.

• There’s no proven way to prevent wrinkles. You’re almost certain to get them as you get older. But we do know those ultraviolet rays (from the sun or sun beds) and smoking both make wrinkles worse.
• Skin creams or gels containing retinoid (a type of vitamin A) can reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles, but they have side effects. Creams containing retinoid include the prescription drugs tazarotene and tretinoin.
• Lots of cosmetics promise to improve or cover up wrinkles. Some contain vitamins that the makers claim can help the appearance of wrinkles. Lots of people use these, but there’s not much evidence that they work.
• Other treatments for wrinkles include chemical peels, removing the top layer of skin (which is called dermabrasion), laser treatments and facelifts. But these haven’t been properly tested in high-quality studies.

We’ve looked closely at the research the wrinkle treatments into categories, according to how well they work.

Wrinkle Treatments that works but whose harms may outweigh the benefits in the future run

Tazarotene gel

Tretinoin creams or gels

Isotretinoin gel

Wrinkle Treatments that need further study

Laser treatment

Chemical peels and acid creams

Facelifts

Pills containing extract of fish cartilage (Imedeen)

Other treatments

Botulinum toxin (Botox)

Filler injections with collagen

Face lifts are a well-known treatment for wrinkles. But we didn’t find any good-quality studies looking at whether a face lift helps with wrinkles.

There are several ways of doing a face-lift. Most people have a general anesthetic to make them sleep. If you have a local anesthetic, you will also be given a drug to help you relax (a sedative).

In one type of operation, a surgeon makes a cut along the hairline at the top of your forehead and behind your ears. Some of the fat is removed from under your skin, and some excess skin may also be removed. The skin is then pulled into its new, tighter position and sewn into place.

You’ll probably have swelling, bruising and tenderness for a few weeks. Your stitches will be taken out after a week or so. You’ll have a scar, but it will fade in time and should be hidden by your hair. More modern surgical techniques, such as keyhole surgery, can be used to reduce scarring.

How good and how safe a face lift is will depend partly on the experience of the surgeon doing the operation.

You’ll need to stay out of the sun or use very high factor sun block for several weeks after your operation.

A face lift can go wrong, just like any other operation. Be sure to ask about the risks as well as the potential benefits before agreeing to surgery.

Plastic surgery is done on the NHS to repair damage that’s happened because of disease, an accident or surgery. For example, if you are badly burnt, you may have surgery to help restore your appearance. Plastic surgery may also be offered to correct a problem you have been born with. These types of operation are often called plastic surgery or reconstructive surgery.

If you choose to have surgery, such as a face-lift, to make yourself look younger, it may be referred to as aesthetic plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery. For this, you’ll usually need to pay for private treatment. Cosmetic surgery isn’t usually available on the NHS.

Although you’ll need to see a private doctor, it’s a good idea to see your GP first. Your GP will be able to give you advice, and discuss how your overall health might affect the operation you’re thinking about.

The Department of Health gives the following advice to people considering cosmetic surgery.

• Make sure your cosmetic surgery provider is registered with the Health care Commission. They must be registered by law. You can read inspection reports on all private health care providers at the Health care Commission’s website.
• Ask about the qualifications and experience of the doctor who’ll be doing the operation. You can ask to see before and after photos of their previous operations.
• Make sure the person giving you advice is a doctor or nurse. They’ll be able to give you more detailed advice than other members of staff.
• Ask for the full details of the operation, including what kind of anesthetic you’ll need, how long you’ll take to recover, and how likely it is you will have problems or side effects.
• Think about your reasons for having the operation. Are you doing it for yourself or for someone else? Are you likely to get the benefits you’re hoping for?

Botulinum toxin is an injection that aims to smooth out wrinkles. You may have to wait a few weeks before the injections start to work. The benefit is temporary and goes away after three or four months.

In the UK, doctors and specially-trained nurses can prescribe botulinum toxin to treat wrinkles. Other health care staff can give the injections if they’ve been properly instructed by a doctor or nurse. However, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get this treatment on the NHS. Botulinum toxin is sometimes prescribed on the NHS for people who have muscle twitches. But you’ll need to see a doctor privately if you want it as a cosmetic treatment.

The most widely known brand name for botulinum toxin is Botox. Other brand names are:

• Dysport
• NeuroBloc
• Vistabel.

The brand that’s marketed in the UK for treating wrinkles is called Vistabel. It’s made by the same company as Botox, and in the same way. It’s recommended for treating vertical lines on the forehead, but a doctor may also suggest it for other kinds of wrinkles.

Botulinum toxin aims to reduce the movement of muscles so that they relax and smooth away wrinkles. It’s injected carefully, because the idea is to affect only the muscles that are causing wrinkles. However, the injections can sometimes affect other muscles too. This may cause side effects, like drooping eyelids or muscle weakness. If these do happen, the effect should wear off in a few months. But if you get any problems with swallowing, talking or breathing after one of these injections, get medical help straight away.

Collagen is a chemical that can be injected just under your skin to plump it up and hide wrinkles. Some brands of collagen come from cows or pigs.

Human collagen can be made from skin cells grown in a laboratory. Non-animal substances such as hyaluronic acid can also be used. Collagen and other filler chemicals are eventually absorbed by your body.

The effects of filler injections usually last about six months. A few people get an allergic reaction to filler injections. And there may be some pain, redness, bruising or swelling in the week or so after treatment.

You should make sure that your injection is done by someone who is properly trained. If a filler is injected into the wrong place, it could block a blood vessel and damage your skin or other tissue in your face.

You can buy pills containing fish extract that claim to improve the appearance of your skin. One brand is called Imedeen. There’s been some research on these pills, but not enough to say whether they work or not.

The largest and most reliable study found that fish-extract pills were no better than a dummy treatment. There was no effect on people’s wrinkles even after three months of treatment. One study did suggest that fish-extract pills might help with fine wrinkles, but it only looked at 30 women, which makes the results less reliable.

In one study, about a quarter of the women taking fish-extract pills got some side effects, including spots, greasy skin or weight gain. But roughly the same number of women taking a placebo got side effects too, so we can’t say whether the treatment caused these problems.

Lasers are high-energy light beams. Surgeons can use a laser to remove the top layer of skin. The idea is that the skin grows back smoother.

You may need a sedative or a local anesthetic to help with any pain during treatment. You’ll need to wear goggles to protect your eyes during surgery. And you’ll need about two weeks at home to recover afterwards. The results you get will probably depend on the skill and experience of your surgeon.

You may have some side effects:

• Your skin could be red for several months
• Scarring is also common, although it usually gets completely better in a few weeks
• You may get spots or your skin may change color in the treated area. Retinoid creams like tretinoin (see above) can help with spots.

Several different kinds of laser can be used to treat wrinkles. The research we found was poor, but it suggests there’s little to choose between the different kinds.

If you decide to have this treatment, make sure the clinic you choose is registered with the Healthcare Commission. Clinics providing laser skin treatments must register by law.

Isotretinoin (brand name Isotrex) is a retinoid (a chemical that comes from vitamin A). It is similar to tretinoin. It is available only on prescription from a doctor. If you use isotretinoin gel regularly, it can improve the appearance of your skin. But it can cause unpleasant side effects.

In one study:

• More than 5 in 10 people using isotretinoin got peeling skin
• Just under 5 in 10 got itching
• Up to 7 in 10 got a burning sensation on their skin
• Up to 1 in 10 had severe skin reactions.

For some people, the side effects of isotretinoin are so bad they stop using it.

If you’re pregnant, using isotretinoin could harm your baby. If there’s a chance you could become pregnant, make sure you use contraception

Tretinoin is another retinoid (a treatment that’s related to vitamin A). It comes as a cream or gel that you put on your skin.

Lots of beauty products contain vitamin A (sometimes called retinol). But the form of vitamin A in beauty products is much milder than tretinoin. Tretinoin is available only on prescription from a doctor. The brand name is Retin-A.

Lots of studies show that creams containing tretinoin improve the appearance of fine wrinkles. But some of the studies were small, didn’t last very long or had other problems that make the results less reliable.

You need to use tretinoin regularly for three months to six months.

Like other retinoids, tretinoin can irritate your skin. You may notice redness, itching or stinging at first. But these side effects soon go away. Some people notice dry or peeling skin that peaks after about three months and lasts until you stop using the tretinoin cream.

Tretinoin can make your skin burn in the sun faster than normal. You need to avoid the sun or wear sunscreen while you’re using tretinoin. And don’t put the cream or gel on sunburnt skin. Ask your doctor for advice about using this treatment safely.

If you’re pregnant, using tretinoin could harm your baby. If there’s a chance you could become pregnant, make sure you use contraception.