Oils in cosmetics: what's behind your beauty products?

What our beauty products are made of

First, you'll tell me the active ingredients... But active ingredients don't usually represent a large percentage of the formula! The bulk of a cream actually made up of a mixture of two phases: one aqueous and the other oily (this mixture of phases is called an emulsion).

The "oily" phase is therefore the essential basis of the emulsion, and its quality will determine that of the cream . However, it is always the active ingredients that take center stage, leaving this major component of the formulas in the shadows.

Mineral oils, esterified, hydrogenated, or natural—they're not the same!

Quick quiz: Can you tell me what types of oils are in your usual creams? And what is their quality? Their origin? Which ones are allowed in conventional or organic cosmetics?

- They're more like "pure" vegetable oils, but you're not really sure?
- More like modified vegetable oils? That have been esterified? Hydrogenated???
- Or even "mineral" oils, i.e. derived from petroleum? (Yes, you read that right, petroleum derivatives in creams, on our skin, it's possible!)

Verdict? If, like all of us, you have no idea, that's normal! Given the lack of information on the subject, we're all lost...

Understanding everything about oils in cosmetics isn't that simple...

So, in our next articles, we'll explain everything you need to know about cosmetic oils and which ones are really beneficial for your skin. That way, you'll be better equipped to judge the quality of what you put on your skin.

And you, would you like to break the taboo?