For your security: safe ingredients

Cosmetic ingredients contribute to the efficacy, preservation, texture, color and fragrance of products. Their nature and percentage in the formulas are not chosen at random and each ingredient plays its part in the formula.
The European cosmetic regulations are regularly evolving, 5 to 6 times a year, in order to take into account scientific progress. The decisions are adopted by the health authorities of the Member States. In France: the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) and the Directorate-General for Health on behalf of the European Commission. They are based on the opinion of independent European experts from the various Member States meeting as part of theScientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).

Preservatives

They prevent contamination of the product by mould and bacteria. Without them, the product may deteriorate and present a real risk to the consumer during use.

Parabens

• Their role: Despite rumours and false information, they are very effective preservatives with low allergenicity. They are found naturally in strawberries, carrots, onions and in royal jelly, for example.
   
• For your safety: Parabens are the most analyzed by toxicology experts because they are very numerous and used in many products (food for example). Only four are used in cosmetics: METHYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN and BUTYLPARABEN. They are wrongly suspected of being endocrine disruptors because no studies show an effect on hormonal systems.

Phenoxyethanol 

• Its role: PHENOXYETHANOL is an effective and very well-tolerated preservative. It is found naturally in green tea and chicory, for example. It is the target of many accusations, often unjustified and not based on any solid scientific data. In particular, it is accused of causing liver damage if ingested. Our products are intended to be applied to the skin and do not pass the skin barrier.

• For your safety: The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) reaffirms that phenoxyethanol is absolutely safe when applied to the skin for all age groups, including babies, except for application to the diaper area.

AT DUCRAY, to meet your needs, we no longer use parabens in new products but other preservatives can be used at the right dose to guarantee the protection of the product and ultimately your safety.
For people with hypersensitive or intolerant skin who wish to avoid preservatives altogether, Sterile Cosmetics created by the Pierre Fabre Group is a truly unique alternative. These are formulas whose manufacturing process eliminates the need for preservatives thanks to an exclusive and perfectly hermetic closure system. At DUCRAY, we offer this innovation to compensate for the drying effects of acne treatments.

Should we be wary of preservatives? The video response from our experts:

Sun filters

• Their role: Sun filters effectively protect the skin from the dangers of the sun and, most importantly, help prevent skin cancer. Chemical sun filters are thought to be endocrine disruptors and to damage the marine environment. Nano-shaped filters are suspected of passing the skin barrier due to their small size.
   
• For your safety: To date, there is no proven scientific evidence of their health risk. The many media controversies have sown doubts about the importance of UV protection: According to the WHO, in 2017, 1 in 3 cancers was a skin cancer related to sun exposure. Sun filters, their nature and their maximum concentration of use, nano or non-nano are framed by European regulations and are regularly re-evaluated for their safety by an independent body: the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).

At Ducray, the sun filters used in ICTYANE and in MELASCREEN care do not significantly penetrate the skin.
 

How should I choose the right sun care products? The video response from our experts:

Find out more about: "How are sun care products tested?"
 

Silicones

• Their role: Silicones (CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, etc.) have excellent sensory properties: they improve the feel (smooth, gliding sensation) and the finish (powdery, drier, matte). Today, they are believed to persist in the aquatic environment, to smother the skin and hair and to be endocrine disruptors, although no scientific publication supports this theory.

• For your safety: Silicones are considered to be safe ingredients by international regulatory authorities, including the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). They are chemically inert materials, are well tolerated by the skin, non-comedogenic, non-irritant and non-allergenic.

 Mineral oils

• Their role: Mineral oils moisturize and improve the feel and spread of cosmetic products and have been used in beauty care for decades. They are accused of being carcinogenic because they are mixed up with mineral oils for industrial use.
   
• For your safety: The risk-free nature of these oils has recently been confirmed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BFR). They are absolutely safe for the health of consumers and are also known for their excellent tolerance and their protective and moisturizing properties.
   

At DUCRAY, mineral oils are extremely pure and of pharmaceutical quality. They are in no way oils used for industrial purposes.

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