Your skin care products — products you use every day — how are they packaged, and what does that tell you about them?
Moisturisers and scrubs in particular are often sold in open-mouthed pots and jars. These look great, with a boutiquey, traditional feel. Scooping out and smoothing on a beautiful cream with your fingers can be a wonderfully uplifting experience, something a little like this:
Yet plunging those fingers in, day in and day out, has some drawbacks that you might not have considered. Even the cleanest fingers are not sterile, and every dip contaminates your product with microorganisms from your skin. Most skin care products — being nutrient-rich creams and gels — are perfect environments for the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds (fungi). Bacteria have even been found living in hairspray! So why don't these products usually spoil?
The commercial reality of these products (given that retailers require them to have a two-year shelf-life) is that most of them are loaded with preservatives and chemical stabilisers. You can find the preservatives in the ingredients list of your product: benzoates, alcohol (ethanol), isothiazolinones, phenoxyethanol, or the ubiquitous parabens (esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, most commonly mixtures of methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben). Some products contain multiple preservatives, in combination, and others hide them under fancy brand names. The truth is, without preservatives and with storage in hot humid bathrooms and daily use, most products in open-mouthed jars would spoil. In some cases, contaminated cosmetics can even become dangerous.
Don't they make cosmetics safer? Well yes... and no. The science is still catching up, but there are signs that preservatives can inhibit normal skin bacteria, leaving skin more susceptible to some disease states. Preservatives can worsen skin problems like rosacea and acne. Some people just have ultra-sensitive skin, and others are even allergic to preservatives.
Is there an answer? One approach is to minimise finger-to-product contact, reducing contamination of the cream or gel, and thus the need for high levels of preservatives. This can be achieved simply through the use of pump-packs. Unfortunately most commercial skin care products sold in pump-packs are formulated identically to whatever is otherwise sold in a pot or jar.
Formulated exclusively for you!
At Border Compounding Pharmacy, we believe in freshness. Our skin care products never sit around on our shelves. They are formulated to order in our laboratory, using only high-quality ingredients. We offer a range of personalised options to reduce the preservation of your products: Preservative-free, Water-free, and Minimally-preserved. We package our skin care products in easy-to-use, contamination-preventing airless pump packs.
Our frustration with consumer skin care products led us to design an easy four-step system for choosing an all-natural hyaluronate-based moisturiser suited for your skin and needs: the BCP Custom Skincare system. In addition, our cosmetic industry-certified pharmacists can help you personalise any other aspect of your skin and hair care.
Interested to learn more? Why not contact our helpful staff to discuss preservatives, or to order your custom-made personal care product today. We formulate it for you.
If you would like help selecting which vitamins and oils to put into your skincare you can book a FREE UV skin analysis you can do this in-store or online via zoom with our skin consultant Melanie. or contact us to discuss your skin type and skin concerns.
Border Compounding Pharmacy skincare products are unique, because they are formulated by pharmacists.
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