Your cosmetics: free-from parabens etc... but do they actually work?

 

I was just perusing this month's issue of our industry magazine SPC (Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics should you be interested!), and was taken by editor Clare Henderson's editorial in which she makes the point that surely what is important is not what cosmetic products don't have in them but whether they work or not.

She asks "Are we a free-from culture?' and goes on to say that while 'free-from' used to be the preserve of products developed for sensitive skin, it's very much equated today with the naturals sector. She says that Mintel has been tracking fragrance-free and alcohol-free products for a number of years but recently began tracking paraben-free and found it is now way ahead of the other two.'

Says Henderson:'And now there's a whole slew of ingredients that are being given the free-from treatment.......In addition to parabens....sulfates, PEG products, mineral oil, petrolatum, silicones, DEA, TEA, glycols, phthalates, synthetic fragrance and synthetic colours are often on the free from list. It's not quite the same as a claim to efficacy."

She goes on: "Some products seem to be pretty much without everything which, as Mintel points out, begs the question: "What's left? What's in it?" In some cases the answer is that the product is basically made of essential oils."

Henderson concludes: "I suppose that's fine if that's what people want but, with all the advances in cosmetic science coupled with high consumer expectations I'm guessing that what most people want is products that are going to work, whatever they have or haven't got in them."

As Henderson says, free-from did use to be the preserve of sensitive skin products. The Queen range, for example, is free from perfume and other ingredients which are traditionally known to be irritants. In addition, we try to keep formulations as simple as possible while still producing products which do actually do what they say they do. We wouldn't still be going after more than 80 years if our creams and lotions didn't work.

Now that so many ingredients have been demonised (I won't bang on about this again - do read our previous post about parabens here) it is these that are associated with causing irritation to sensitive skin. I appreciate that all sensitive skin is different but our creams are no less suitable for sensitive skin now than they have been for the last eighty years i.e. for all the years before this nonsense about chemical ingredients and natural-being-better-for-you started.

If you do a search on Google or another search engine for a 'cream for sensitive skin', the sponsored links on the right-hand side are dominated by ranges which jump on the free-from/naturals bandwagon. 'Toxins in your skincare!' screams one, 'Natural Organic Skincare' clamours another. It's all a bit misleading for the consumer.

An email we've just received underlines this point:

'I wonder if you could send me some samples for my skin type,' writes a woman from Derbyshire. 'I have oily skin and have been diagnosed with acne rosacea. I have quite red skin and would like something that will not affect it, I have tried (she mentions here a whole host of brands) and most tea-tree products.'

The assumption she is making is that because tea tree is an essential oil and it has an antiseptic quality, it must be ok for her. As I am always saying, essential oils are some of the most irritant ingredients around.

I suppose I'm also a bit confused as to where this leaves Queen. If we say perfume-free or fragrance-free, we could be accused of jumping on the free-from bandwagon. And, given every other company is advertising that they are suitable for sensitive skin, we are not left with much else to differentiate ourselves. Apart from, of course, that our products do work and don't make ludicrous marketing claims! That's not very glamorous or compelling though as a marketing or advertising strap line. 'Buy Queen because our products work and  we don't make ridiculous claims' doesn't really work.

I think we are perhaps always destined to be understated and a bit of an 'undiscovered secret'.   This certainly seems to fit well with our existing clientele. A letter we received enclosed with an order today is typical of our customers:

"I would be most grateful if you could send me two more pots of your Queen Skin Cream as I have always found it most beneficial."

Most beneficial! How's that for a strapline? Queen - it's most beneficial. It says it all......no drama or free-from needed!

Have a good week.

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Pregnancy and sensitive skin - go back to basics

I wrote a while ago that we had had a number of emails about skin problems during and after pregnancy. Since then, we've had quite a few more.

Having had a baby fairly recently (well, two years ago but it seems like yesterday what with the ongoing and endless fatigue), I do remember that the skin changes do take you by surprise. I had thought everyone 'glowed' during pregnancy but my experience, and that of my friends, was that we actually found our skin was worse - spotty but very dry and ultra sensitive. As an aside, skin does glow - caused by an increased volume of blood to the cheeks, resulting in an attractive blush - but if you are suffering from acne at the same time, the visual effect isn't quite as pleasingly aesthetic!

That's quite apart from all the other afflictions that occur: a fine down on your cheeks and jawline that makes you feel like a small, furry creature (that does go thankfully) and brown spots and patches. And then there's stretch marks. I know it's hard to take on board but if you're going to get these - and not everyone does - no amount of slapping on moisturiser or body cream will help prevent them (they will, however, keep your skin moisturised) whatever all the advice or product marketing says to the contrary. Your best guide is to ask your mum what happened to her. If she didn't get them, there's a good chance you will avoid them too.

The brown patches, called chloasma and commonly called 'the mask of pregnancy', are areas of pigmentation which usually appear on the cheeks, forehead and neck. They are caused by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone stimulating the production of melanin. Annoyingly, they can't be prevented (not everyone gets them, I hasten to add) but can be minimised with the use of sunscreen and by staying out of the sun. They do fade but, in my experience, do not disappear completely.

Anyway, back to the spots, dryness and sensitivity....My experience seems to be shared by those who have emailed Queen.

"Now that I'm pregnant my skin is getting even worse with more red spots and dry spells. Do you have any advice on what sort of skin care I need that will actually improve my skin's condition," says one woman.

Another says: "My skin used to be oily, but during pregnancy and since having a baby it's been quite dry."

Someone else writes saying she has always had sensitive skin but that, during her current pregnancy, Nivea baby sun lotion has caused an outbreak of urticaria (an itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to anything from food to sunlight to prescription drugs). She is now finding it impossible to use anything on her skin without further irritating it and is desperate to find some skincare and make-up products she can use before she goes to a number of weddings later in the year.

Hormonal changes do increase skin sensitivity during pregnancy and some women do find they become irritated by products - both cosmetics and household detergents - that they have previously used without problem. Spots and acne,  are caused by increased sebum production during pregnancy, another result of all those hormones surging around the body. 

These extremes should stop once your baby is born so our advice is not to stress about your skin. The best thing you can do is to support it during pregnancy by going back to basics and keeping things as simple as possible (the Queen philosophy for all skin!). Drastic changes and trying out numerous different products will only make things worse.

So, here's the Queen guide to looking after skin during pregnancy:

Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, preferably using a cream cleanser rather than a wash-off cleanser;

Avoid perfumed products and products containing essential oils;

Avoid harsh acne creams. Your skin will clear up once you've had the baby;

Don't overstimulate your skin with scrubs, masks and other products.  If you do feel the need to use an exfoliant, use some oats moistened with a bit of water - messy but very gentle;

Fight the urge to attack spots or over-handle your skin as this can just make it worse:

Don't take long, hot baths as these will further dry your skin. Take short, just-warm showers and baths and moisturise well afterwards.

I must mention that the other great thing about Queen products is they can be used on your baby too. Our Medicated Cleansing Lotion is a fabulous alternative to wipes or as a supplement to wipes (you should never just use wipes on a baby's bottom but should always follow with lotion) and our Skin Cream is a great barrier cream. I've always used both of these, as have my friends, and our babies have NEVER suffered from nappy rash, not a claim many people can make, I think.

Right well, I am off to update our sensitive skin tips blog at http://skinsensitive.wordpress.com.

Have a good weekend.

The Queen Team

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Are you getting value from your cosmetics?

We have just had a call from a lady who had samples of Queen products a few weeks ago at John Bell & Croyden:

"I just love them and can't believe I'd never heard of them before. I wanted to tell you because I am so pleased with them."

She went on to tell me about how she had tried all sorts of ranges, including one which cost six times as much as Queen (that's about £160 for a moisturiser then!) and that ours were as good, if not better.

It's so true that you don't need to spend a fortune to get decent products. I know some might consider Queen products are expensive but at less than £15 for a Queen Moisturiser, I do disagree. Yes, you can buy a £3 moisturiser from big high-street chains but quite apart from it not being as good, it will have been mass produced, most likely made and packaged abroad and has quite probably been sitting around for a long, long time before it hits the shelves.

Queen products are not mass produced (they are handmade and hand-filled), they are made in tiny batches so are always fresh, they use only the highest quality ingredients and they are made in the UK. So many companies have farmed out their production to Eastern Europe or Asia, buy their jars and labels from Asia and their labels from Eastern Europe. We buy everything from UK-based companies. It costs more but it's supporting British Industry -  we know quality is good and a by-product is that surely it's better for the environment.

I am reminded as I write of a packaging company sales rep that came to see us last year. He looked stressed and angry as he'd just found out that a foreign supplier had let him down, thus putting him in a really difficult position with a client. He felt completely powerless as he was not able to see the supplier to talk to them face-to-face and he had been unable to physically check up on the manufacturing process (he'd been told weeks before that production had started but was then told it hadn't). Anyway, I am digressing. The point is we have control over our production and, if anything goes wrong, or a customer has a problem we can look into and solve it ourselves. Our customer service is fantastic.

In addition to the above, our products are tried and tested. There aren't many skincare ranges that have been around for 81 years and which have loyal and longstanding customers, some of whom are in their nineties! As for products that cost £160 a pop, do have a look on the back and see if the ingredients they use are any different from the mid-range products. You will probably be surprised to find they are not. The high prices are all a marketing ploy. If it's expensive, people assume it must be better.

So to my make-up lesson. I am quite excited by what I learnt even if I was told I have dark circles under my eyes (one thing I didn't think I suffered from). The therapist was lovely and it's not her fault that she has been misled to think/say that the products she use are entirely natural (it was a mineral make-up range). As it happens, the products were nice but I did feel really itchy and over made-up by the time I got home. In addition, I looked ridiculous because I had a day look on one side of my face and a night-time look on the other (even down to my lips).

I am sure most people would feel a lot of pressure to buy some of the products as the lesson (despite costing £40) was definitely geared towards demonstrating the benefits of this particular mineral range. I did try to make it clear from the beginning, however, that I was interested in general tips and tricks and that I did like my existing make-up mix (Queen with a few other brands thrown in!). I learnt how to shade my face, how and where to apply eyeshadow to minimise the black circles and to cover imperfections. I will be sharing these tips in my wordpress blog (http://skinsensitive.wordpress.com/)and on our site at www.queen-cosmetics.com in the coming weeks so stay in touch.

The other excitement down at Queen HQ this week is that The Tiny Box Company (I wrote about them in our 11 April blog), our neighbours down here at the farm, were on Dragon's Den on Monday night and secured £60,000 of investment from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis in exchange for a 40% stake in the business! They hadn't said a word about it (although we did know they were going to be on TV in some form or another) as were under strict instruction not to. I am dying to find out what the next step is and whether Peter and Theo will be making a visit to East Grinstead. I am sure there will be a lot of rubber-neckers if so. We wish them all lots of luck.

Well, we are short-staffed here today due to various viruses striking down children and grand-children so I had better get stuck in with getting the orders out.

Have a good weekend.

x

 

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