Some of you may know that over the years, I have become increasingly discerning with skincare. There are a few main reasons for this:
- Skincare is frighteningly under-regulated
- Labels are incredibly misleading
- The skin is our largest organ, and it absorbs whatever we feed it
When I began to research clean skincare, I went through a wave of emotions. I was excited to find the best possible products (clean & effective), I was sad that some of my life long items had to be tossed, and I was angry that few restrictions are in place to protect us from ourselves when it comes to skincare.
About 3 months ago, I was introduced to Kulia Skincare. It was the perfect time to reignite my love for clean beauty that is sustainable and responsible, from production to ingredients.
Kulia is centered around the divinity of nature. They urge you to breathe deeper, slow down, and create skin rituals. Infused with catalyzing rose quartz and amethyst to raise your vibration, Kulia is not playing around! Product lines like this remind me that our skin is sacred, and should be treated with love, care, and the most pure ingredients you can find.
Kulia has two signature products: the Regenerative Face Serum: A deeply hydrating facial serum full of phytonutrients that rejuvenate and calm aging skin for an immediate, radiant lift. Also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and preserves skin’s natural glow. Perfect for a glowy look during all your Zoom meetings! The Revitalizing Eye Serum: A powerfully rejuvenating eye serum brimming with collagen-boosting and anti-inflammatory extracts that leaves eyes immediately brighter and more youthful. I love to put Kulia on my face then pop on a meditation class to sit and just exist.
What really stands out for me is that Kulia only uses sustainably sourced plant extracts and oils that are ECOCERT certified. I like to be able to look at the label of products and understand what I am putting on my body. No scientific or convoluted names here–just natural ingredients and a transparent ingredient list. You can view all the ingredients here.
Why does clean beauty matter?
I said goodbye to toxic offenders in my bathroom one at a time, with a vow to never repurchase them. Less Ariana Grande “thank u, next,” and more like Taylor Swift “we are never getting back together.” The app Think Dirty helps to identify what’s lurking in your vanity, but once you start to see the same toxic flagged ingredients, you’ll be quick to notice them when they are in the ingredient list. The most shocking “bad products” are the ones labeled as organic, all natural, botanical, and other deceiving buzzwords. Again, because the industry is under-regulated, companies can pretty much say whatever they want.
A bit of perspective:
In the US, we ban 11 ingredients in skincare.
In Europe, they ban over 1,300 ingredients in skincare.
WTH, right?
The most common offender in the claiming-to-be-clean space? Phenoxyethanol.
It is a preservative used to keep organic ingredients from growing funky things and also to make your products last longer. It has flown under the radar for a long time, especially when people started focusing on parabens. It appears on labels as glycol ether, 2-phenoxyethanol, phenoxytol, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, and 1-hydroxy-2-phenoxyethanol. It is a solvent, and solvents are carcinogens, can cause reproductive problems, and guess what? They are ORGANIC.
Many brands use phenoxyethanol in large doses, arguing that trace amounts are not harmful. But what if many products in your arsenal are using trace amounts? The accumulation is real.
Phenoxyethanol is also often found in adult shampoo and facial cleanser, sunscreen, and lotion baby soaps and bubble baths, begging the question of their safety for the most delicate of skin. Phenoxyethanol can cause central nervous system damage in infants, urinary tract discomfort, and irritation. It is in about 25% of beauty care products.
But it’s used as a preservative because no natural ones exist, right?
Wrong. Honeysuckle, tocopherols, and plant based antioxidants are just a few examples.
I hope you find this information helpful. Wishing you a healthy and happy skin journey.
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