Before we take a look at the ingredients and what role they play in our Citrus & Walnut Body Scrub, I wanted to talk about an ingredient found in most other exfoliating cosmetic products on the market at the moment.
This ingredient has already been banned in the US, effective from 2017, not to mention Environment Ministers from Austria, Sweden and Belgium calling on the EU for an outright ban on it being used in any household products. It can be found in face wash, body scrubs and even toothpaste! Waitrose have declared they will not stock any products which contain this ingredient.
If you haven’t guessed already by the clues I’ve given, the ingredient in question is Microbeads.
Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic, almost always smaller than 1mm and can be made up of many different materials including Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Nylon.
If rubbing plastic onto your teeth, body and face isn’t off putting enough, there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that microbeads are having a devastating impact on marine life and the environment.
Due to their small size and the fact our sewer systems are simply not designed to break down microplastics, these little blighters are flowing into the ocean at an alarming rate. Recent studies have shown that up to 100,000 microbeads can be washed down your sink in just one application of face wash or other cosmetic product. From your sink and into the sewers they make their journey into the ocean and also into many aquatic animals’ digestive systems including fish, which are then eaten by humans. So not only are we washing in them, we’re ingesting them too and as these microbeads also absorb toxic chemicals such as fire retardants and pesticides, I think we will all be ingredient checking before purchasing any future cosmetic products!
They are also incredibly cheap to manufacture which is part of the reason why cosmetics companies are so reluctant to find any alternative.
Here at Sweet Cecily’s we take environmental issues seriously and we’re proud to say we do not use microbeads in ANY of our exfoliating products, instead, we go all natural using ground walnut shells for our gentle but effective Citrus & Walnut body scrub.
Our scrub also contains Shea butter, Castor oil, Vitamin E oil and Essential oils, which we will now have a closer look at.
Butyrospermum Parkii or Shea butter as it’s commonly known is a fat derived from the nut of the African Shea tree. It’s known for its quick absorption into the skin and also its ability to lock in moisture. Keep your eyes peeled for a more detailed blog coming in the next few weeks, dedicated purely to Shea butter!
The use of Castor oil for medicinal purposes dates back to when the Egyptians used it for eye conditions. Since then, it’s been used most widely for its deep moisturising capabilities and its ability to promote the production of Collagen & Elastin, which help slow down appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Vitamin E oil has been used for many years in the cosmetics industry but it is rare that much attention is paid to it in favour of exciting new fancy sounding ingredients, however, it has many benefits when applied topically including anti oxidant properties.
Zesty essential oils give our scrub it’s luxurious, relaxing scent making it one of our personal bathroom essentials!
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With love,
Dorrie