FOR YOUR SAFETY: SAFE INGREDIENTS
We pay a lot of attention to consumer concerns about controversial ingredients. Our objective is to provide you with tangible and scientific proof about these ingredients to help you better understand and to guide you in your choice.
Cosmetic ingredients contribute to the efficacy, preservation, texture, color and fragrance of products. Their type and the percentage used in the formulas are not chosen randomly, and each one has a role to play in the formula.
European cosmetics regulations evolve 5 to 6 times a year, to take scientific progress into account. Decisions are adopted by the health authorities of Member States. In France: the French national agency for the safety of medicines and health products (ANSM) and the French general directorate for health on a proposal from the European Commission. They depend on the opinions of independent European experts from various Member States, gathered as part of the French scientific committee for consumer safety (CSSC).
Preservatives
They help to prevent the product from becoming contaminated by molds and bacteria. Without preservatives, the product can become degraded and pose a real risk to the consumer during use.
Parabens
- Their role: If we look past the rumors and false information, these preservatives are highly efficient with little allergenic effect. They can be found naturally in strawberries, carrots, onions and royal jelly, for example.
- For your safety: Parabens are subjected to the most analysis by toxicological experts, since they are very high in number and are used in many products (food for example). Only four parabens are used in cosmetics: METHYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN and BUTYLPARABEN. They are wrongly suspected of being endocrine disruptors. No study has proven their effect on hormone systems.
Phenoxyethanol
- Its role: PHENOXYETHANOL is an effective and very well-tolerated preservative. It can be found naturally in green tea and chickory for example. It has been the target of many accusations which are often unfounded and not linked to any solid scientific data. It is particularly accused of causing liver problems if ingested. However, our products are designed to be applied to the skin and they do not pass through the skin barrier.
- For your safety: The committee of scientific experts for consumer safety (CSSC) confirms that phenoxyethanol is absolutely safe when applied to the skin. This applies to all age groups, including babies, except for applications to the diaper area.
For those with hypersensitive or intolerant skin who want products that are completely preservative-free, the Sterile Cosmetics technology invented by the Pierre Fabre Group is a completely unique alternative. These are formulas whose production process make it possible to completely eliminate preservatives thanks to an exclusive and perfectly hermetic closure system. At DUCRAY, we offer this innovation for skin care products that offset the drying effects caused by acne treatments.
Should we be wary of preservatives? Find out what our experts have to say in this video:
Sun filters
- Their role: Sun filters help to protect the skin effectively against the dangers of the sun and they particularly help prevent the onset of skin cancer. Chemical sun filters are suspected of disrupting the endocrine system and harming the marine environment. Filters in Nano form are suspected of permeating the skin barrier due to their small size.
- For your safety: To date, no scientific proof of their health risks has been found. A multitude of controversies in the media has helped to spread doubt, even though it is essential to protect our skin against UV rays: According to the WHO, in 2017, 1 in every 3 cancer cases was a skin cancer caused by sun exposure. The use of sun filters, their type and maximum concentration of use, nano or non-nano, are determined by European regulations and are regularly evaluated for safety by an independent organization: the French committee of scientific experts for consumer safety (CSSC)
At DUCRAY, the sun filters used in ICTYANE and MELASCREEN products do not significantly penetrate the skin.
How to choose the right sun care products This video from our experts has all the answers:
Find out more about "How we test our sun care products"
Silicones
- Their role: Silicones (CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, etc.) have excellent sensory properties: they improve the feel (slippery, smooth sensation) and finish (powdered, dry, mattified) of the product. Nowadays, they are suspected of remaining in aquatic environments, of stifling the skin and hair and of disrupting the endocrine system, even though there is no scientific publication that supports this theory.
- For your safety: Silicones are considered to be safe ingredients by the international regulatory authorities, including the French Committee of scientific experts for consumer safety (CSSC). These are chemically inert substances that are well-tolerated by the skin. They are non-comedogenic, non-irritant and non-allergenic.
Mineral oils
- Their role: Mineral oils hydrate and improve the way a cosmetic product feels and spreads onto the skin. They have been used in cosmetics for decades. They are accused of being carcinogenic, since they are unfortunately confused with industrial-grade mineral oils.
- For your safety: It was recently confirmed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BFR) that these oils carry no risks. They are absolutely harmless to consumer health and are even known for their excellent tolerance and protective and hydrating properties.
At DUCRAY, we use extremely pure mineral oils of pharaceutical quality. We never use industrial-grade oils.
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If you want to find out more about the ingredients that we use in our products.