COSMETICS
The law defines a cosmetic product as any substance or mixture applied to the human body for the purpose of cleansing, beautifying, enhancing attractiveness or improving appearance.
Beauty products play an important role in all phases of our lives. Roughly speaking, cosmetic products can be classified into the following categories: facial care, body care, hair care, UV protection, decorative cosmetics and perfumes. This means that cosmetic products can include skin creams, gels and oils, deodorants, soaps, shampoos, shaving products, hair dyes and skin whitening products, make-up, toothpastes, sunscreens and so on.
The manufacture and sale of cosmetic products on the market is regulated in the EU by Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Every product placed on the market must have a safety assessment and a safety report (this report must demonstrate physical, chemical and microbiological stability, the origin of the compounds, their quantity and toxicological profile), a product information file (PIF), be appropriately labeled and be manufactured following the guidelines of ISO Directive 22716:2007 and good manufacturing practice (GMP).
So, before any product enters the market, it must first have a hefty dossier and be registered in the CPNP portal (the on-line system where all products sold in the EU are registered).
NATURAL COSMETICS
Although the regulations governing the quality and safety of cosmetic products in the European Union are among the best and most stringent in the world, we must add that the above-mentioned Regulation (No 1223/2009) does not regulate in detail the field of natural cosmetics. Of course, natural cosmetics are also subject to all the above requirements, but the legislation does not define what natural cosmetics are. This is why there is a lot of confusion on the market, as many (including large concerns) advertise their products as natural. But are they? Roughly speaking, then, it could be argued that every product is natural, as it certainly contains water and/or oil as its base, and both ingredients are natural.
Water and vegetable oils/butters are a source of life and are of course completely natural, but if water and oils are treated at very high temperatures and additionally by various physical and/or chemical processes, this removes all the components that make the water or oil “alive”. They are thus depleted, thus producing refined products (distilled water, refined oils/butters) which have a longer shelf-life, but which are also rendered empty or “dead”.
The legislation does not provide us with a precise definition of what constitutes a natural product, but if we refer to the guidelines and established practice, it should be considered that a natural cosmetic contains ingredients of natural origin (which may be of plant, animal or mineral origin), obtained exclusively by physical, microbiological and enzymatic methods. Natural cosmetics must be free of synthetic colors, artificial fragrances, certain preservatives, parabens, paraffin and other petroleum derivatives, genetically modified ingredients, silicone, etc. They must also be free of animal testing and the manufacturing process and packaging must be environmentally friendly. The stars of natural cosmetics are plant extracts, hydrolates and unrefined oils.
NANU COSMETICS
We live in an age where consumers are increasingly aware of what is in the products we consume and put on our bodies. We are learning more and more about the effects of chemicals on our bodies and also on the environment.
Natural cosmetics are on the rise not only because they are kinder to our skin, but also because recent studies show that they are extremely effective.
NANU cosmetics are 100% natural and organic wherever is possible. NANU products are free from synthetic colors, artificial fragrances, parabens, paraffin and other petroleum derivatives, genetically modified ingredients, silicone, etc.
The products have, of course, not been tested on animals and the manufacturing process and packaging are environmentally friendly.
The ingredients used in our products are carefully selected. Behind each selection are hours of study, verification, data review and testing. Each ingredient is in the product for a specific purpose – a targeted action.
WHAT ARE WE?
PARABEN-FREE
NATURAL
ANTIOXIDANTS
SUSTAINABLE
FREE OF MINERAL OILS
SILICONE-FREE
ALCOHOL-FREE
HANDMADE
FOR ALL SKIN TYPES
NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS
NANU cosmetics are also completely water-free, using hydrosols instead of water, as well as exclusively unrefined organic oils.
Most commercial creams are composed of distilled water and refined oils, which means that the base ingredients have been treated at high temperatures and have lost all the beneficial ingredients such as minerals, vitamins, antioxidants… This effectively means that the product is “dead” – as there are no active, “living” ingredients in it. In addition, commercial skin care products are treated with aggressive preservatives and stabilizers and, until you open them, they last indefinitely. However, even after you open them, most commercial products are usable for 2 years or even longer.
On the other hand, NANU’s natural cosmetics are made up of 100% natural ingredients. In our formulations, we use hydrosols (which are the by-product of the aqueous distillation of medicinal plants) and contain a high percentage of aromatic molecules and active ingredients, as well as unrefined organic oils, which also retain all their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are essentially active ingredients. Such products are said to be “alive” because they are full of active ingredients, so the processes continue. They are also minimally treated with preservatives.
You can also identify natural products by their shelf life. Long shelf-life means that either there are no active ingredients in the product, or the product has been treated with a high concentration of preservatives and stabilisers. Most of the preservatives used in commercial cosmetics are parabens. Parabens are responsible for many allergic reactions, are proven hormone disruptors and are even thought to cause cancer.
Good quality ingredients, properly selected and calibrated, are the essence of a good product. And good products can actually make a big difference to youthful-looking skin.
FORMULATIONS
They are the result of our own research
Each product is the result of years of research, calibration, the exciting search for the right structures, processes… We choose quality ingredients with certificates, where the traceability and purity of the ingredients and the organic origin are clear. The products and the brand express what we believe in!
Unlike traditional industrial cosmetics, our cosmetics are built on performance, not just sensory properties. Most active oils are destroyed by heat treatment and therefore lose their function, so great care is needed in how they are incorporated into the cream. The same applies to plant extracts and antioxidants, all of which are heat sensitive, so the process of incorporating these ingredients into the formulations themselves is crucial, as care must be taken to ensure that the functional properties are not lost during formulation. It is therefore a challenge in natural cosmetics to successfully combine what is key in cosmetics, i.e. their natural efficacy with their sensory properties.
In our products, all ingredients are carefully selected and work in synergy with each other. We feel it is important to ensure that the user knows and understands the difference between, for example, refined and unrefined shea butter; and the difference between essential oils in a cream for their fragrance or for their unique composition. How good the product is will depend very much on the interplay of these ingredients, their effect and their calibration to give the skin a pleasant and beneficial texture.
OWN LABORATORY
All products are handmade in our own laboratory, which meets all Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
We produce individual products continuously, in small batches, to ensure you get the freshest product. Because all our products contain high concentrations of plant extracts and because they are natural ingredients, it is a fact that these products are more prone to spoilage than commercial products. With natural cosmetics we are talking about “living” products, whereas products from the commercial industry are “dead”. As natural cosmetic products have a relatively short shelf life (maximum 12 months), it is essential to produce them in real-time, which is only possible in our own laboratory.
