The task of creating natural cosmetic products that are safe and perform as well as their conventional counterparts is challenging. Formulating natural products is no easy task. Natural ingredients or extracts are complicated chemical mixtures. This presents an issue to formulators because they must understand the chemical behavior and properties of these complex mixtures so that risk is minimized and performance, odor, color, safety, cost, and most importantly, stability and preservation are not compromised. The challenge also includes efficacy and consumer benefits as well as using renewable resources.
Because of the lack of regulation in the industry, all these new products have caused some confusion among consumers. The terms “clean” and “natural” are often used interchangeably and are the most common; you’ll also see “safe,” “green,” and “nontoxic.”
Some use these terms interchangeably because there's no governing body or general consensus around the definitions of clean and natural. Natural is mostly used to describe the purity of ingredients. When consumers are looking for natural products, it's most likely the case that they're in search of a formulation with pure ingredients of natural origin.
Since no government authority, such as the FDA, defines natural, cosmetic products cosmetic brands use their own definition and some may follow the Cosmos Natural definition set by BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio (France), Ecocert Greenlife SAS (France), ICEA (Italy) and the Soil Association (Great Britain).
COSMOS was created in 2010 by the five leading organizations to protect and promote organic and natural cosmetics, and to launch a global harmonized standard for the benefit of both manufacturers and consumers.
The Cosmos standard is the global certification for natural and organic cosmetics. The standard divides the type of ingredients used in cosmetic products into five categories and specifies the requirements for each. We source ingredients from manufacturers that start with natural raw ingredients sourced from sustainable practices and use methods that are environmentally sound and good for communities.
Our Cosmos Natural certified product ingredients come from a renewable/plentiful resource found in nature, with absolutely no petroleum compounds. This includes ingredients found in fauna, flora and minerals. There are also certain ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and petrolatum that should always be avoided because of their questionable safety profiles.
Natural usually tends to mean it contains plant-based ingredients, though there’s a push by some new brands to move away from the word natural because they believe that there are safe petroleum-based ingredients that are environmentally friendly and pose no harm to the earth. Natural ingredients must be listed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA and must meet the heavy metals purity criteria. Companies must fully disclose their ingredients accurately and truthfully and no animal testing of ingredients or products.
Some watchdog groups have become powerful in challenging the mainstream beauty establishment on this issue; the EWG, established 25 years ago as a nonprofit to look at pesticides and food, is arguably the most powerful one. But since then, it’s expanded to larger environmental and human health initiatives, including cosmetics. In 2004, the same year the breast cancer paraben study was released, the group published its first Skin Deep cosmetics database.
The EWG’s database contains more than 73,000 products and ingredients, giving them a rating for their potential hazards based on a complicated set of data and methodology. Leiba says a staff of 12, including toxicologists, chemists, and public health specialists, review the data on ingredients and update it regularly. “We speak to external scientists and industry scientists and see where we differ from them,” Leiba says. “Most of the times we realize we are erring on the side of precaution.”
At Love Sun Body, we are united by our sustainability strategy that is built around pillars that put health and a green initiative at the heart of our work, "Safe for your body & the planet".
Each plant-based and mineral ingredient that we source is certified Cosmos natural. All of our products are biodegradable, all of our packaging is recyclable, minimized and is environmentally friendly. Our manufacturing incorporates natural cleaning ingredients.
Love Sun Body 100% Natural Origin Mineral Sunscreens are the first and only sunscreens in the U.S. certified by Ecocert Cosmos Natural and have been clinically tested hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and are reef safe.
Love Sun Body 100% Natural Origin Mineral Sunscreens meet and exceed the regulatory requirements of the FDA OTC Monograph System, the European Commission’s recommendation on UVA protection and Health Canada Natural Health Products Regulations. Love Sun Body 100% Natural Origin Mineral Sunscreens are made with the safest UVA and UVB filters - SPF 30 formulas non-nano zinc oxide and SPF 50 formulas non-nano zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide and plant based moisturizers.
Love Sun Body was also given the best score of 1 out of 10 for safety and efficacy by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Love Sun Body sunscreen formulas are certified PETA Cruelty Free and Vegan, with no eye stinging ingredients.
We believe there is a strong connection between the health of our clients and the health of our business, our workforce, and the planet and each of these impact one another.
At Love Sun Body, we seek to leverage our reach, scale and expertise to effect real change in sustainability issues. Our green activities and initiatives include recycling, manufacturing, socially responsible investments (SRI) that focus on conservation of natural resources, manufacturing, implementation of clean air, and other environmentally conscious business practices.