I care about what I put on my face. You clicked here, so I’m guessing you do too!
Brace yourself.
You just won’t believe what is in your moisturizer!
A short story, that solved a mystery for me. Ingredient labels were at one time were a big puzzle for me.
Some of the ingredients had names that seemed made up (they actually are). Some were so long they were unpronounceable.
I had someone tell me about her visit to the back of a butcher shop. She was friends with the butcher. In her conversation with
him as he worked, she asked him what happened to all the leftovers she noticed him discarding. The fat and all the stuff that is
cut off the beef and pork meat. He pointed to a big covered vat. He said there is a company that comes around every so often
and picks it up. He said he has to keep the lid on all the time. By the time they come around it smells pretty bad. She asked him
what they used it for. Why would anyone want this stuff? The butcher laughed. That’s what they use to make all those moisturizers
the ladies all smear on their face. Oh my God! That’s why those names are so long.
How can that be? I’ve never seen anything on any label for any moisturizer that says anything about animal ingredients. They use
many other words for it. Stearic acid, stearates, glycerin, and also many other chemicals (unless it’s marked vegetable it is normally
made from animals).
There ought to be a law. Yes there should be. But there isn’t. Manufacturers don’t have to disclose the source of their ingredients.
They just need to tell you the ingredients’ chemical names. That’s why they use all the names that mean nothing to regular people.
Stearic Acid. What is it? Stearates, stearic acid and waxes along with glycerin work to combine the oils and water together. They are
essential to make a smooth creamy moisturizer! They are the reason moisturizers work so much better than just using plain oil, is due
to this oil and water combination, which helps get the oils down into the skin replace lost lipids. Thereby moisturizing without that greasy
feeling.
The Strearic Acids and the Glycerin and Waxes can be made from either vegetables or animals.
So why do they ALL use animal ingredients? They cost a little less. Not much. But a few pennies adds up though when you are
selling millions of jars and bottles. And up until recently no one cared. In fact, almost no one knew. In fact, unless a moisturizer says
no animal derived products, it is just about guaranteed they used animal based products.
“I enjoy all of your products, and have done so since I placed my first order with you. I just celebrated another birthday, on the 14th
of this month; I turned 67 … and several people tell me that I do not look it at all. This pleases me greatly, and has a great deal to do
with the use of your products, plus the fact that I rely on a number of daily vitamins to keep me going.
Again thank you all your products.”
Sincerely,
Emma
“Dear clearandsmoo
Thank-you sooo much for the product. I love it!!! I have spent hundreds of $$$$ on a good facial cream. Arden, Merle Norman, etc.
This works great,,,,first time in about 10 yrs that my make-up has stayed on face all day. Also, my daughter has “Atopic Dermitis…
rough dry skin. She used it last night and she didn’t scratch and itch all night long. I will spread the news. Rita”
Most use this product at night. Since it absorbs so well, not everyone finds this is a good foundation for make up. Most find they wake in the
morning with soft and supple skin. But some do use a thin layer during the day and love it. Experiment.
“This is my 2nd order; and I love your product! I, along with many others, have been “sucked”
in at the cosmetic counters and have spent a small fortune on my skin. This is as good as any product can get! ”
Kathleen
“This moisturizer makes my skin feel fabulous! I wish I found this 15 years ago! ”
“This wonderful cream leaves my skin soft, and nourished. A super value. “
” I had to write and tell you that I have been using your moisturizer for just a week now and already I see
a remarkable change in my skin. My combination skin is now one type – healthy. It glows. I am 44 years old
and have been using moisturizers since I was 25 and this has to be the best one that I have found. Even with
all the different types of oils in it, it is NOT greasy. Also the light scent is wonderful. “
“Dear clearandsmooth,
The moisturizer is amazing!! I usually have prblems with dry patches, but since I have been using your cream,
they seem to have vanished! I’m usually sceptical and like to prove things wrong, but there is nothing but the
RIGHT stuff here!!!! ”
Jennifer
Since 1999, we have been selling a skin treatment product quite successfully on eBay. One thing many of our customers asked for
was a good moisturizer we could recommend. So we started looking for one we could just recommend. We do that a lot with other
products. But everywhere we looked we saw these awful animal based ingredients, mineral oil (which is in everything), and paraben
preservatives so powerful that 20 years from now you could still use product (God knows why?).
We did find a couple of boutique products we liked. But they were incredibly expensive. Little tiny jars. And we really weren’t all that impressed
with the quality or selection of ingredients they did use.
So after many more requests from our customers we set out to make the best moisturizer we could make. Spare no expense, we wanted the best.
And cruelty free! We figured if our customers asked for it, we knew there had to be a need. And even with the best ingredients, we’d make it in a
large sizes that would last awhile and felt we could get the price right selling direct without all those middle men.
The funny thing about this moisturizer is at first we didn’t advertise it. And we noticed we were selling a lot of it. People would just see it on
our shopping cart on our web site and buy when they were reordering our Acne cleanser. We just figured people were sampling it. We never really
paid too much attention, except we started noticing people were reordering and posting additional comments on our feedback forum about it. And
emailing us and mentioning how much they loved it. This led us to decide to promote it on eBay. We think we have a wonderful product here that a
lot of people love using and feel good about using.
We do not use Phthalates. Phthalates are used to make plastics flexible and stabilize fragrances, and are found in a plethora of consumer
products including toys, personal care products and medical equipment. It is not a requirement for manufacturers of moisturizers to disclose
that these are in their products. Although the fear right now is the effect on babies in baby products, we see no reason for this ingredient to
be used except for one reason: long, long shelf life. Of course ALL of our products are made and shipped fresh.
Did we skimp on anything? We talked with our container supplier and he told us a funny story. He said these big companies that make these expensive
moisturizers, spend a fortune designing the jars. They do customer surveys and use focus groups to pick the most desirable container. He laughed and
said that they put the same ingredients inside, but their real focus is on the look of the jar. So if the container is what is important to you, this is not the
product for you!
Like we said, with these big boy’s, it’s all about the Jars. The jars have just got to look good. What’s inside, who cares. Put it into a nice (small) jar and
put a $235.00 price on it and they will buy! Designer Moisturizers? What are they going to think of next? Designer toilet paper?
Look if you want a real nice moisturizer that just melts into the skin and makes your skin feel wonderful even the next day. Buy this!
If you want to feel good about what you are putting on your face. And you’ll know no animal died for your skin. Buy this!
If you want anyone who looks into your medicine cabinet to think you are really cool and have loads of money. Go to Neiman Marcus’ website and
slap that $235.00 Natural Bisse on the Discover Card and enjoy. When that jar is empty, buy a jar of ours and put it in the empty jar (you be able to
fill their jar twice or more). You’ll always be cool AND look good.
We use only the freshest, highest quality ingredients we can find.
Reverse Osmosis Purified Water: When looking at other skin care products I always want to know how the water they use is purified(if at all). Is it filtered? How small a filter? Ozonated? Often the devil is in the details. We use only Reverse Osmosis purified water. Reverse Osmosis purified water is the gold standard for being clean and pure. So if we are talking microscopic differences why is it important? Reverse Osmosis water, we’ve found, works better than any other water to maximize the potential of the precious ingredients we use. It’s expensive, but we believe anything else is purely just cutting corners.
Jojoba Oil (pronounced ho ho ba): (Simmondsia chinensis) Jojoba oil consists of pure esters extracted from organic Jojoba seeds. We use a farm grown variety grown in Arizona. Pesticide free and first pressing from the finest seeds produced. First pressing means this is sort of like Extra Virgin. The very best we can find. The importance of Jojoba esters derives from their similarity to the natural restorative esters produced by the sebaceous glands in the dermal layers in the human skin.
Mango Butter: (Mangifera indica) A luxurious Butter imported from India made from the seeds of the Mango Fruit tree. We use this butter purely for it’s luxurious feel and absorbency. It seems to help carry the other oils deep into the skin. You’ll only find this is the quality stuff and rarely a primary ingredient.
Kukui Nut Oil: (Aleurites moluccana) Kukui nut oil, brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian settlers, is quickly absorbed into the skin. Kukui nut oil is high in linoleic and linolenic essential fatty acids. Excellent for skin conditioning after sun exposure, as well as for acne, eczema, psoriasis, hemorrhoids, dry/wrinkled skin and offers good protection for outdoor sports. It offers just the right amount of lubrication without leaving a greasy feeling. Excellent for chapped skin and may prevent scarring. It is very expensive, but makes our moisturizer extra special. We use the good stuff too from Hawaii (at about $140 gallon, it has to kept under lock and key). To show you how far we go to find the best products, here is an example. This Kukui Nut oil is also available from other countries at about half the price, but it is solvent extracted (if at all possible, we don’t use solvent extracted ingredients, just expeller pressed products, except some of the essences are only available that way). Instead of a light sweet smell, like the good stuff from Hawaii, it has a heavy chemical odor. We won’t touch it.
Macadamia Nut Oil: (Macadamia integrifolia) This tree is native to Australia. Also known as Queensland nut oil, this cold pressed oil is high in palmitoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that acts as an antioxidant, preventing deterioration of cell membranes. For mature skin it is hydrating and gentle. It is a skin lubricant and is easily absorbed by the skin, sometimes described as a “vanishing oil.” Helpful in cases of sunburn and wound healing.
Shea Butter; (Butyrospermum parkii) World renown for many incredible healing properties, but not commonly used here in the USA. The Shea tree grows in the wooded savannahs in west Africa (Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso). The fruit is harvested by the natives and hand processed to the finished butter product. This is how we buy it. Often times though you’ll find it as a minor ingredient in some supposedly high quality moisturizers. We use a special natural variety. Most Shea Butter used here in the USA is commercially processed to remove the natural color and odor, or industrially extracted with hexane solvent (a carcinogen). Traces of hexane can be in the resulting Shea Butter. Hexane extraction yields more butter, but it is odorless and white and quite frankly about as good mineral oil. Which as far as we are concerned, is no good! You can also feel good about using this ingredient, because income from Shea helps poor women in West Africa who hand make it in a complicated process involving boiling in water.
Hemp Seed Oil: (Cannabis sativa) This is one of the more effective skin-care oils with a wonderful nutty smell. Hemp seed oil is derived from the seed of the plant Cannabis sativa, best known as the marijuana plant, and least known for its many productive uses. It is dark and thick and gives our product it’s slightly green cast. Hemp seed oil has none of the intoxicating properties of the leaves. Since hemp cannot be legally grown in the U.S., the supply of its oil is low and the price high. Hemp seeds produce a vegetable oil that is high in protein and can be used within a variety of foods and cosmetics. Alpha linolenic, linoleic and oleic acids–the essential fatty acids known as the omegas–make up 88% of the total fatty-acid content. Its moisturizing properties when used in proper strengths are absolutely magical.
Apricot Kernal Oil: (Armeniaca vulgaris, Prunis armeniaca) Apricot Kernel is a light but rich oil which is especially good for sensitive skin, as well as for and skin that is inflamed or dry. It can be used alone or in massage and is used quite often in lip balms and creams. It is particularly helpful for dehydrated, delicate, mature or sensitive skin. It has a high vitamin A content.
Vegetable Glycerin; is a humectant. This means it has the ability to draw water right from the air and bring it closer to your skin. We use a Kosher Variety made only from vegetables. Yes some companies use an Animal based product made from Animal Fat.
Emulsifying wax NF; This is a vegetable based product that helps bind the oils together into a pleasing emulsion.
Vegetable Stearic Acid; OK if you read labels, you’ll find this ingredient in many cosmetics. It is really essential to help bind oils and waters together. Unfortunately most companies use a product made from Animals. Yes most likely cows or pigs. YUP! And because most moisturizers use just mineral oil they need a lot of this stuff to make it thick. Plus they have to use a lot of fragrances, because that stuff stinks. We use a Kosher variety made strictly from vegetables. I’d like to tell you it’s a lot more expensive, but it’s really about the same price, just a little more. I don’t know why they use that stuff. REALLY! Maybe it works better with Mineral oil. Who knows? I guess if you sell a million jars, a nickel really adds up.
Citric Acid; natural preservative plus it balances the PH.
We also use 2 special non-paraben preservatives(which are vegetable derived): Diazolidinyl Urea and Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate they are insurance against mold and bacteria growth. We like these preservatives because they work in extremely small quantities. Much less than 1% (actually it’s .2%) And they don’t have the side effects in some people that preservatives like Methylparaben or Propylparaben have when absorbed into the skin.
Real Natural Essences of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Jasmine. Why not use an artificial fragrance like ALL the other moisturizers’ use? For one thing fragrances are cheaper than real essences (that can’t be a good sign). Fragrances also have alcohol in them and hundreds of other unknown ingredients, and quite frankly I personally can’t handle fragrances. I guess I am allergic to them (and that means others are too!). But I’m not allergic or sensitive to essences. I love them! And just a little goes a long way. Not overpowering either.
We make this product fresh on an as needed basis. We don’t make 100’s of thousands of jars ahead of time, and then store it for years at a time as most moisturizers are made to save money. I like to say there is a bit of the art in making this product. It can only be made in small batches of 200 Jars or bottles. It is hand made and mixed with care by our master moisturizer maker. Each ingredient must be added in a certain order and with the proper temperature in mind. That’s why our competition hasn’t figured it out yet. (They all use thickeners which aren’t true moisturizers.) Put this together wrong, even using all the right ingredients and it will be a useless glop. We are so picky that about 1 out of 5 batches has to be destroyed, because they just don’t meet our standards.
Does it feel greasy? No it is luxurious and creamy. We use absorbing oils and butters. Not mineral oil.
Why do WE use exotic oils and butters? The real question everyone should be asking is: Why are they not used more often? They have absolutely wonderful properties and the longer you use them the better your skin feels. But they are harder to work with on a larger scale. And they do vary in consistency. So more supervision is needed. It’s easy to have a minimum wage worker just pour in a bucket of mineral oil. Cook it with waxes and binders. Load up on a bunch of commercial artificial preservatives so it can sit on a shelf for 3 or 4 years until someone comes along and likes the pretty jar well enough to buy it ‘On Sale’.
FRESH MADE Our moisturizer is always shipped fresh. Even though our preservatives are powerful enough, we don’t want you to guess how long ago it was made.
