Clean Beauty 101

From inception, the concept to launch an entirely new standard of ‘clean skincare’ has been a constant in our pursuit of next level natural. Our ethos at Romilly Wilde has always been unwavering and crystal clear – clean beauty is a movement, NOT just a moment. It is without compromise, not cleanish, but is and always will be 100% non-toxic, cruelty free, and without the addition of synthetic chemicals, preservatives, and fillers. Just natural, plant energy to metabolise the skins cell productivity and health. The overarching goal, to create a lean skincare line that respects the skin’s ecosystem and never overburdens the skin with a complicated range of convoluted products that quite simply confuses the skin and its sensitive mantle. Clean beauty is about clean science - modern stem cell technology in a sustainable and conscious way. Beginning with the purity of raw materials that make up our INCI list, and the clinical studies behind these raw, active materials to back up their efficacy. Every choice is methodically purposeful in order to maintain the integrity of the ingredients within; from the co2 (non-solvent) method to extract our essential oils, to the way we package these nutritious, plant-based ingredients in state of the art touchless packaging to maintain their integrity.

One of the most common questions we are asked when it comes to clean beauty is the preservation of the ingredients. In essence, without chemicals how does this preservation occur? For starters, most products have water on their INCI list which falls prey to waterborne bacteria and microorganisms, hence why preservatives are used. However, products that do not use water, such as ours, are not prone to microbial contamination, especially when mixed with an antioxidant such as vitamin E or rosemary extract. The valuable actives are suspended in ferments and lactobacillus solutions serving as a natural preservative that reduces the rate of oxidisation and extends the shelf life of oil-based products. Many natural antioxidants are found in nature to help preserve the freshness of a natural skincare product (that is not water based) and extend its useful life. Some natural preservatives include: vitamin E (which can help the stability of a product, but not kill bacteria growth), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), rosemary extract, citric acid, manuka honey, grapefruit seed extract, and essential oils in blended forms. By using natural ferments, probiotics and essential oils, we are able to naturally preserve our products without the introduction of synthetic chemicals.

Of course clean ingredients would be nothing without the packaging to protect them. It is vital to note that any packaging that is exposed to air and allows consumers to constantly dip their fingers into the product (our fingertips being a host for bacteria) increases the likelihood of cross contamination and preservation of a product. Hence, “airless packaging” is essential in protecting the integrity of a product especially from the gasses in our atmosphere that can accelerate product decay. Furthermore, with airless packaging, you guessed it - the need for preservatives are not necessary and why all of our Romilly Wilde packaging is airless with a pump valve to protect the ingredients from contamination and oxidisation. Moreover, it is also about the quest to continually source innovative packaging and delivery methods that have an eye on lowering our overall environmental impact.

The movement of clean beauty has now been estimated to be a twenty billion-dollar global juggernaut. Not only is ingredient transparency more important than ever, but companies touting clean products and leaning into greenwashing buzzwords such as natural, organic, holistic and green must have the credentials and clean science to back it up their claims. Consumers more than ever want to know what is going on their skin, how these ingredients will affect their overall health, and how the product is going to perform on their skin. Not to mention, what impact will the products have on the planet at large. As we see it, clean beauty has to walk the entire walk, not just a few steps to look good for the consumer. The clean beauty movement is about asking ourselves these important questions, educating our selves on what we use in our everyday lives, and its impact to our health and the planet at large.