Your Health & Safety

Why Soul Story Skincare?

Yes, our skincare products contain only natural, non-toxic ingredients and are safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products free from mineral oil?

1. MINERAL OIL DOESN'T LET YOUR SKIN BREATHE

Mineral oil is an occlusive agent—meaning it seals the skin, not letting air, water or anything else get in (or out). Wherever these agents are applied, they form an invisible film on the skin’s surface that blocks the pores and hinders its natural respiration process.

Anyone who is even slightly acne-prone will have alarm bells ringing over that statement. Blocked pores mean trapped dirt and oil—leading to blackheads, pimples, whiteheads, you name it. You might as well cover yourself in plastic wrap.

2. MINERAL OIL WILL NOT NOURISH YOUR SKIN

So we have established that mineral oil is occlusive, meaning it forms a barrier on your skin. Theoretically, this "locks in" moisture—but what if there is not enough moisture in your skin to start with? Are you really making progress? Probably not, as mineral oils take away the skin’s ability to absorb moisture. This is not only valid for moisture in your cosmetic products, but your skin is also sealed off from moisture in the atmosphere.

Furthermore, unlike other emollients, mineral oil does not allow your skin to absorb the other beneficial ingredients that are in your skincare products. And there is simply nothing in mineral oil that is going to nourish your skin from the inside out. Let's face it: mineral oils are a cheap filler materials and that is why they're so ubiquitous in beauty products. Why settle for them when you could use something way better?

This is why it’s important to use skincare products with no mineral oil so your skin is free to breathe and absorb moisture. Remember: Skincare first, makeup second.

3. MINERAL OIL IS NOT METABOLIZED BUT STAYS IN OUR SYSTEM.

This stuff gets into our bodies just from us applying beauty products to our skin. And once it's in our body, it doesn't leave. According to Dr. Ray Peat, health care specialist: "certain components of mineral oil (which is in many cosmetics) are toxic, and any mineral oil that gets into the system is not metabolized." Since even experts share this opinion that mineral oils are harmful, heed their advice and use products that replace them with other ingredients that are actually beneficial to the skin.

What are parabens?

Parabens are man-made chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics. They are found in many beauty products, lotions, and moisturizers. It is a very cheap ingredient that helps preserve products for a long time, which is why they are so widely used.

What forms of parabens should one be aware of?

The most common forms of parabens used in beauty products are methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products paraben-free?

We do not formulate our beauty products with parabens because they are under debate for their safety. According to a number of respectable health organizations, research indicates that parabens are endocrine disruptors that get stored in the body tissue and interfere with glandular activity and hormone production. In fewer words, they are suspected of disrupting your hormone balance.

When parabens are absorbed by the body through the skin, they cause hormonal imbalances since they mimic hormones such as estrogen. Studies have shown that prolonged, regular exposure to estrogen over the course of a person’s life has been linked to an increased risk of suffering from breast cancer. Even the US FDA admits that estrogenic activity in the body is associated with certain forms of breast cancer, which is why we do not want to add it to our non-toxic cosmetics.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products free of phenoxyethanol?

Phenoxyethanol is synthetically produced in a laboratory and used as a stabilizer and as a preservative. It is a skin irritant and has been banned for use in certified organic skin care products by Ecocert, COSMOS and the EU organic certification standard. Even though Story Story Skincare products are not certified as organic, we only use the healthiest and finest quality natural ingredients, which is why we decided not to use phenoxyethanol.

Although phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea and chicory, the cosmetic ingredient is not plant derived and does not have any benefits for the skin.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products ethanol-free?

Two main reason why Soul Story Skincare products do not contain alcohol such as ethanol:

1. Dries out the skin that can cause skin irritation and triggering rosacea flare-up (redness).
2. Prevents the absorption of vitamin A, lack of this vitamin can lead to signs of premature aging.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products free of triethanolamine (TES)?

Triethanolamine (TES) is an ingredient in many cosmetics that serves as a tri-alcohol and amine. This means that it’s a stabilizer that can be used to adjust the pH of the skincare product. It is also a surfactant, which means it causes suds which is why it is found in many skin cleansing products.

According to OrganicConsumers.org, triethanolamine can cause allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could even be toxic if absorbed consistently over a long period of time. It can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of the skin, all symptoms which may increase with higher concentrations of this chemical in the beauty product (The Green Beauty Guide). For these reasons, Soul Story Skincare is taking a precautionary approach and decided to exclude triethanolamine from all its natural skincare care products.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products free from sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)?

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is potentially harmful to the skin and hair. It cleans by corrosion, which means that it dries the skin and causes irritation by stripping the protective lipids from the skin’s surface, disabling it from effectively regulating its moisture balance.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent (cleaning agent) and surfactant (which means it makes bubbles). It is used in industrial products such as car wash soap, soap to wash engines, and bathroom & floor cleaners. Does that sound like something you would want to put on your skin? Sadly, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a common ingredient found in many skincare products, but at Soul Story, we believe that it has no place in natural, non-toxic cosmetics.

Why are Soul Story Skincare products SLES-free?

To make SLS less irritating, it is often ethoxylated. This is a chemical process that adds ethylene oxide to SLS, resulting in the modified compound of SLES. But SLES is also a concern because it can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may be carcinogenic. To be on the safe side, we at Soul Story Skincare have decided not to use it in any of our products.

Hopefully, this page was able to give you some interesting and useful background information on harmful ingredients found in many cosmetics and beauty products. Now you know what to watch out for!

Since here at Soul Story Skincare we truly care about your health and safety, we do not include any of the above-mentioned ingredients in our products and promise to produce only non-toxic natural cosmetics.