Beauty Blog

What is 1,4-dioxane? 1,4-dioxane is a trace contaminant in some cosmetic products. 1,4-dioxane forms as a by-product during the manufacturing process of certain cosmetic ingredients. These ingredients include certain detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers and solvents identifiable by the prefix, word, or syllables "PEG," "Polyethylene," "Polyethylene glycol," "Polyoxyethylene," "-eth-," or "-oxynol-." It is created through a process called ethoxylation, in which ethylene oxide, a known breast carcinogen, is added to other chemicals to make them less harsh. For example , sodium laurel sulfate, a chemical that is harsh on the skin, is often converted to the less-harsh chemical sodium laureth sulfate (the "eth" denotes ethoxylation). The conversion process can lead to contamination of this ingredient with 1,4-dioxane. Other common ingredients that may be contaminated by 1,4-dioxane include PEG compounds and chemicals that include the clauses "xynol","ceteareth" and "oleth". Most commonly, 1,4-dioxane is found in products that create suds, like shampoo, liquid soap and bubble bath. 1,4-dioxane is a potential human carcinogen. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified 1,4-dioxane as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans," based on a finding of sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals intentionally exposed to 1,4-dioxane but inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. So, how do you avoid this harmful ingredient. The FDA does not require 1,4-dioxane to be listed as an ingredient on product labels because the chemical is a contaminant produced during manufacturing. Without labeling, there is no way to know for certain whether a product contains 1,4,-dioxane, making it difficult for consumers to avoid it. Alternative processes to ethoxylation do exist, but many companies don't take advantage of them. Vacuum-stripping can remove 1,4-dioxane from an ethoxylated product, or manufacturers can skip ethoxylation entirely by using less-harsh ingredients to begin with. A study by the Organic Consumers Association shows that 1,4-dioxane is nonexistent in a variety of cosmetics certified under the USDA National Organic Program. Therefore a good way to avoid exposure to this chemical is to buy products that have been certified under this program. Additionally, consumers can avoid products that contain sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds, and chemicals that include the clauses xynol, ceteareth and oleth.

We all know, the FDA does not regulate cosmetics. It does, however, regulate drugs, i.e. products containing "actives" that can change the structure of your skin or treat the symptoms of a condition like eczema or rosacea. Those considered a drug by the FDA, means it comes with a specific set of regulatory guidelines and an approval process involving clinical trials before it can be sold. When buying skin care products, how do you know which it is - drug or cosmetic? Here's where it gets really confusing: Whether or not a product lists the active as an active ingredient on the label comes down to whether or not it's considered a cosmetic or a drug. A skin-care cosmetic product may contain the same active ingredient as a product that's considered a drug, but it won't list the active ingredient in question as an active ingredient on the label, but rather as an ingredient even if it is advertised on the front of the packaging. This is due to the wording of the claims around the ingredient. For instance, a face wash containing salicylic acid may be considered a drug and list it as an active ingredient if it claims to actually treat or manage acne. If it's cosmetic, it may just list salicylic acid among its many ingredients. It's the way a product is marketed including its intended use, what the consumer perceives it to do, and what the packaging claims it will do. That determines which category the FDA puts it in. So, a product might say it can "reduce the appearance of" skin concerns such as wrinkles or redness or otherwise make them "less noticeable" without specifically saying it treats the underlying condition associated with those issues. In these cases, the FDA treats them like cosmetics rather than drugs. Cosmetic ingredients aren't tested by the FDA before they're sold, so the responsibility for them to be safe and effective rests on the manufacturer. Specifically, cosmetics are defined as products "for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance," and they are required not to mislead consumers with their claims, otherwise the FDA may take action. In 2016, the FDA issued warning letters to 30 different companies for citing drug claims associated with topical skin care, hair care, and eyelash/eyebrow preparations, noted on both product labeling and websites. Some examples of the drug claims cited are acne treatment, cellulite reduction, stretch mark reduction, wrinkle removal, dandruff treatment, hair restoration, and eyelash growth. All were selling a product as a cosmetic but labeling and promoting it as a drug, e.g. intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease, or to affect the structure or function of the body. Bottom line: be a label and ingredient reader!  Be wary of companies claiming to cure a health concern.  See if the label states the product is FDA approved.  Check with your doctor if you are unsure of the what the product claims.

If you're joining us on our Clean Salon beauty journey, now is the perfect time to do a beauty cabinet detox, getting rid of products that contain unhealthy ingredients you are now determined to avoid. It can be a little surprising to realize just how many products we use every day. Most of us have more than we think. Now consider that the more you use, the higher the chance you're not only using one ingredient villain, you may be layering on several of these toxic ingredients - from head to toe. The first step is identifying the ingredients you want to avoid. Be a label reader. If you are unsure of what an ingredient is, you can always check our Clean Salon menu. You also might want to start just by avoiding all of the dirty dozen. These are the most problematic and have the most science behind them. If you can't afford to toss everything and start over…which most of us can't…put a big black X on the item so when it is time to replace it, you're not just grabbing the same brand out of habit. It's a good reminder you want to find a clean product to replace it. It is important to remember that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate beauty products and has only banned 11 substances. In contrast, the European Union (EU) has over 1,000 banned chemicals. It also much more closely monitors and approves beauty products. If you want to learn more about this, we've provided the links below for chemicals banned in the USA, Europe, Canada & Japan. USA Chemicals banned https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/prohibited-restricted-ingredients-cosmetics EU Chemicals Banned https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R1223-20150416&from=EN Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-hotlist-prohibited-restricted-ingredients/hotlist.html Japan https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11120000-Iyakushokuhinkyoku/0000032704.pdf

100% vegan hair care produced in Sweden Maria Nila is not the usual hair care brand. Their 100% vegan and cruelty-free products are developed out of love for animals, and a belief they should not be part of hair care products. By providing high-quality vegan beauty, they make it easy for everyone to take a step towards a sustainable and friendlier world. When you choose Maria Nila, you choose cruelty-free, climate-friendly and color protecting hair care produced in Sweden. Their chemists develop products with carefully chosen ingredients that make a difference for clients, salons, animals and the environment. They have their own product development, production, filling, and warehouse in a factory in Helsingborg, Sweden. From there ship all over the world. Maria Nila 100% vegan shampoos, conditioners, and masques come in formulas True Soft, Sheer Silver, Pure Volume, Luminous Colour and Structure Repair. Maria Nila Colour Refresh is a gentle hair masque with non-permanent color pigments. By using Colour Refresh you can easily either intensify your current color or change the color in your hair. The color washes out successively and stays in your hair for about 4 - 10 washes. It ranges in 15 shades. In 2018 Maria Nila opened up the doors to their new innovative factory and beauty hub. Located south of Sweden, this hub multiplied the manufacturing capacity by four! In this facility, everything happens, from creative ideas to finished products. From trend forecasting and resourcing of new ingredients, to chemistry, formula development, filling of bottles and finally storing in a warehouse on their way to salons all over the world. This factory is designed to produce sustainable beauty, features like a solar panel covered roof, equivalent to the energy usage of 60 households, and a circular air condensation equipment. This allows for the residual heat to be transferred back into the production process, means great energy efficiency that makes the most out of the invested resources. The new beauty hub has a capacity of producing 5000 products per hour, generating less energy and emissions per produced unit than ever before! At Marian Nila, they have a more modern and holistic view on working conditions. They provide a fully equipped gym center, charging stations for all of the company's electric cars. They also have a 64 sqm plant wall to enhance the air quality, how cool is that! Inside the building, the laboratory 'The Innovation Room' and "˜The Beauty Studio' also make way for great creativity to further create upcoming trends, educate hairdressers and develop tomorrow' hair care products. Maria Nila has safety and quality checks in every step of the production chain. They assure that you that their products have the highest possible quality, in every single unit. By driving and controlling the entire process from concept to product, they are able to guarantee healthy working conditions and high-quality formulas.

They are so easy! The face mask has exploded because they make your face look and feel great and your beauty routine faster. But...with all the different types of masks available, how do you select the one or more that are right for your skin type. Let us help you! First, if you are under the impression that face masks are an indulgence, you are mistaken. Your skins need the love and care a mask can provide. Cream Masks These are great for normal to dry skin. They provide moisture, hydration and soften your skin. They also make your skin plumper and smoother. Look for ingredients like AHA's (alpha hydroxy acid), BHA's (beta hydroxy acid), essential oils and natural butters. Clay Masks These masks balance out oil levels and help to regulate oil secretion on the surface of your skin so they are best for oily or acne-prone skin. Clay masks help rid your skin of all the dust and debris that has built up; plus they remove blackheads. They help to resolve T-zone issues and firm skin. Look for ingredients like lactic and citric acids. Gel Masks Sensitive and dehydrated skin types should use a gel mask. They are gentle, lightweight and get absorbed quickly. They can hydrate and calm your skin while firming it. Look for ingredients like cucumber, green tea, and mint. Exfoliating Masks Skincare experts recommend a skin face exfoliation twice per week. This helps to get rid of dead skin cells that clog pores. Exfoliating helps to brighten, giving you a healthy glow. Look for ingredients like glycolic acid, lactic acid or papaya, and pineapple fruit enzymes. Thermal Masks Also know as self-heating mask, these use science to work miracles on your skin. The ingredients generate heat with exposure to air or water or both. They produce a deep cleaning, unclogging pores and enhancing blood circulation. They can pull out deep impurities in the skin. These masks are especially perfect in winter. Peel Off Masks Want an instant glow? Use a peel-off mask. They physically removed everything that has settle on the top layer of your skin - dead skin cells, dust, oil and blackheads. Look for ones that use fruit or plant based and use all natural ingredients. Hydrogel Masks Holding much more moisture than a regular gel, these are very, very effective for repairing fine lines, wrinkles and other signs of aging. They can be used by most skin types, reduce redness caused by inflammation and leave your skin baby soft. Vitamin C Masks Aging reduced your skin's capacity to produce collagen - the substance that gives your skin it's flexibility. A vitamin C mask will fortify you skin, fill up the tiny lines, and boost collagen production. Vitamin C (also called L-ascorbic acid), along with AHA's (alpha hydroxy acids) are some of the best anti-aging skin care ingredients.

Acacia Gum also known as Gum Arabic is one of the most ancient of the gums. Acacia gum is a safe and natural stabilizer and thickener in cosmetics. From mascaras to skin lotions to hair products, eyeliners, and lipsticks, Acacia gum is a safe and natural ingredient that will bring stabilization and texture to products. Acacia gum is derived from the sap of the Acacia Senegal tree and is harvested by making small cuts in the tree's bark and allowing the sap to solidify. The acacia tree is a thorny, scraggly tree that grows approximately 4.5 m tall. It is most abundant in regions of Africa, especially in the Republic of Sudan. During times of drought, the bark of the tree splits, exuding a sap that dries in small droplets or tears. Historically, these hardened sap tears served as the major source of acacia gum, but modern commercial acacia gum is derived by tapping trees periodically and collecting the resin semi-mechanically. In skincare: Acacia gum is used as a soothing ingredient and helps alleviate inflammations. Gums are also used to thicken natural liquid soap and cosmetics. Acacia gum can also be used in lotions, creams, and serums to improve texture and act as an emulsifier. It can also help lock in moisture, reduce eye puffiness, and tighten the skin. In Cosmetics: Acacia gum is used in mascaras, lipsticks, foundations, and other cosmetics to improve texture and consistency and to help makeup apply more evenly and last longer. It can also act as a natural film-former that coats and protects the skin and hair, and helps products like sunscreen and facial masks stick to the skin. In Haircare: Acacia gum can be used as a protective agent in hair products.

Welcome the truth with Truth Treatment Systems. Created by Benjamin Knight Fuchs who had a goal to formulate products that would provide topical nourishment for the skin that met the strictest performance standards. All products are made with 100 percent active and functional ingredients that will make a difference on your skin. No fillers, preservatives, waxes, emulsifiers, oils or fragrances. All of their topical treatments work with the biochemistry of the skin. Products augment and enable dermal processes at the skin cell (not surface) level. Ingredients activate fibroblasts, normalize keratinocytes, stimulate proteins and enhance the production of extracellular lipids. And that's the secret. Truth Treatment Systems products and regimens don't change skin chemistry, they support skin chemistry! Apply a pea-size amount of any balm and notice the soft and supple feeling. Work in a small dose of Omega 6 Healing Cream and notice the radiance. Use Retinol Gel once or twice a week before you go to bed and notice the subtle lifting of your skin and watch how fine lines and blemishes begin to disappear.

In order to understand what "non-comedogenic" means, it may be helpful to break the word down. A comedo (or comedones, if more than one) is a type of pimple, or lesion that can form on your skin. Pimples differ according to their appearance and what causes them. A comedo, the least severe form of acne, is the result of a clogged pore. Pores are the tiny openings in your skin that you can see when you look very closely, especially in a magnifying mirror. Inside those pores are hair follicles -- sacs beneath the skin that house the hair root -- and that's where pimples begin. When your body produces excess sebum, it can combine with dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria to plug up the pore. The result is a pimple -- a comedo. If the comedo is closed at the skin's surface, it's called a whitehead. When it's open at the skin's surface, and you can see the plugged follicle darkened by melanin buildup, it's called a blackhead. Substances that cause your pores to become clogged and develop comedos are said to be comedogenic. Non-comedogenic products shouldn't clog your pores. Non-comedogenic is essentially "non-pore-clogging". If you have combination, oily or sensitive skin, you should use "non-comedogenic" makeup and creams and cleansers. However, there is one thing to keep in mind: there aren't really any regulations specifying what a company has to do to call its cleansers "non-comedogenic", and products labeled that way may not work for everyone. The next time you want to hide your inflamed and large pores with heavy foundation, stop and think a moment. Are you making the matters worse? Your main goal is not to get a reversed effect. With no guidelines or standards in place, even the thickest, greasiest moisturizer can claim it "won't clog pores"! As a general rule, the thicker the product, the more likely it is to be pore-clogging. Instead, if you have oily or clog-prone skin, avoid products with a thick, creamy consistency. Look for products that have a liquid, gel, or extremely light serum texture, or a thin, water-based lotion consistency. Generally, products with thinner textures are less likely to clog pores or worsen breakouts.

Grab your soda maker! It's not just for drinks! It can also make a beauty treat for your face! Sparkling water not only helps cleanse your skin in a deeper way-its carbonation helps to break up the dirt and oil embedded in your pores-there are real benefits aesthetically. For example, at room temperature, carbonated water becomes a vasodilator [normal water needs to be heated to have a vasodilation effect], meaning it triggers your blood vessels to open up, bringing the blood supply to your skin's tissue. This, in turn, enhances nutrient delivery, like oxygen, to the dermis [skin]; and the better your circulation is, the better your system will function, and the healthier your skin will look. First popularized by women in Japan and Korea, sparkling water is slowly making its way to the U.S. The reason some aestheticians love this treatment, other than for its simplicity and timelessness, is because the mineral water can help keep the cells between collagen fibers strong, aiding overall firmness and plumpness of the skin. The sparkling water is also known to help mechanically wash out the pores without too much harshness. Because this treatment is known to be compatible with all skin types, aestheticians can turn to this treatment without being too concerned about irritation or being overly harsh on the skin. In addition to clear pores and a healthy glow, tap water's pH (of 7) can disrupt the skin's acid mantle (a barrier on the skin's outermost layer), which is slightly acidic at a level of 5.5 pH. That's the same pH of carbonated water. So when you cleanse with the sparkling water, the carbonation won't alter your complexion's pH; whereas washing your face with tap water can cause dryness, which can lead to tiny cracks in your skin, inviting bacteria to brew, and breakouts to occur. Yep, acne happens THAT easily. How to wash with sparkling water. Once or twice a week is enough. Some people say that any longer than ten to fifteen seconds is too much for the skin, and other folks will say that they soak for as long as they can hold their breath. The idea is that this shouldn't be overdone and should be carefully monitored to see how your skin reacts in order to find that sweet spot of how long your skin should be soaking for. Pour sparkling water into bowl that is large enough and deep enough to submerge your face. Submerge your face into the bowl of sparkling water for 10 seconds. Massage your favorite cleansing wash into your skin. Wash away the soap with the carbonated water rinse. Dab your face with a towel before moisturizing. TIPS: If the foaming effect is too strong, mix equal parts sparkling water and mineral water to dial down the fizz for a gentler rinse. Combine a 1:1 ratio of sparkling and green tea water, drench cotton pads with the solution, and then placing them on you face for 10 minutes. It's an amazing refresher! If you want to try sparkling water on your face and you don't have a soda machine, buy a bottle first. If you and your skin love the effects, over time it may be worth the investment in a machine. .

Microcrystalline Wax is a specific type of wax produced by de-oiling petroleum as part of the petroleum refining process. Typical microcrystalline wax crystal structure is small and thin, making them more flexible than paraffin wax. It is also more elastic than other waxes and has a higher melting point. It is used in cosmetics and beauty products as a viscosity agent, binder and emollient. It is considered safe for use in these products. There are many types of waxes used in many types of products including lipsticks, baby products, eye and facial makeup, as well as nail care, skin care, suntan, sunscreen, fragrance, and non-coloring hair preparations. Ozokerite, Ceresin and Montan Wax are mineral waxes, derived from coal and shale. Paraffin and Microcrystalline Wax are derived from petroleum. Emulsifying Wax, Synthetic Wax and Synthetic Beeswax are manufactured waxes. Waxes thicken portion of cosmetics and personal care products and help keep emulsions from separating into their oil and liquid components. These waxes lessen the brittleness of stick products and add strength and stability to lipsticks. These waxes also hold together the ingredients of a compressed cake. Industries that utilize petrolatum, such as the personal care, cosmetic, and candle industries, have pushed for more materials that are considered "green" and based on renewable resources. As an alternative, hybrid petrolatum can be used. Hybrid petrolatum utilizes a complex mixture of vegetable oils and waxes and combines them with petroleum, micro wax based technologies. This allows the manufacturer to incorporate higher percentages of renewable resources while maintaining the beneficial properties of the petrolatum.