11.02. Latvian television showed the documentary Toxic Beauty. The description of the film on the LTV website reads: "The film tells about how many and dangerous harmful substances can actually be contained in skin care products. Scientists mention that more than 1,000 harmful substances can be found in several cosmetic products, causing hormonal changes, developmental disorders and increasing the risks of male infertility. Along with that, diabetes, cancer, infertility, obesity and skin diseases are listed as threats".
How can we, as consumers, understand how safe the particular product is and which products should be avoided?
We asked these questions to the representatives of the domestic professional cosmetics manufacturer GMT BEAUTY - certified beautician Terēze Beļkova and cosmetic production manager Jānis Graudiņas.
We at GMT BEAUTY felt that such a film was out. Customers called and asked if our products contained any of the harmful substances mentioned in the film, or if the products were safe. On the other hand, specialists who work with our products in their offices and know that they are safe, said that they want to distribute our products to their customers for home use, because the demand has grown drastically. The resonance was profound.
How is it really? We can only comment on the situation from our point of view and experience in the industry, because it is not just black and white.
GMT BEAUTY has been teaching its customers about cosmetics, its compositions, effects and correct application since the first day of its existence.
The current legislation neither in Europe nor in the USA ensures that the market is fully protected from low-quality, and sometimes even dangerous, cosmetics entering the market.
That's why we always tell our customers - read the labels and ingredients, and you will be more protected from the effects of various dangerous substances. Of course, every customer cannot be fully familiar with all the compositions and names, but at least the names of the basic raw materials should be known, which should be careful when buying and using a cosmetic.
There are several ways to make sure a product is safe:
1. In order to understand a little bit what is inside the cosmetic product and how much - please note that the list of ingredients is created starting from the ingredient that is the most in the product. Most often at the top of the list is aqua - water. The very last ingredients will be mentioned, which are the least in the product. If you see that natural oils or active substances are behind the smell (Parfum, Aroma), then most likely they have been added in such a minimal concentration that it will be difficult to expect a significant effect .
2. There are several substances that should not be in 21st century cosmetics. Although they are not prohibited by law, today there are new, natural and skin-friendly substitutes for these substances that can be used. If you see labels like Paraben (various phthalates), BHT, BHA, PEG, Parafinum Liquidum (Petrolatum), Silicon (Cyclometicone), Triclosan, DEA, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (various), Aluminum, Talc, Formaldehyde and more, then should consider or use such a cosmetic.
3. Existence of certificates and quality approvals on the product packaging – if a certificate label, such as Ecocert, is found on the product, it provides additional security that the product is safe for use and does not contain any harmful substances. But often, certificates serve only as a marketing tool. Today, there are many different certificate-issuing institutions, so we recommend that you evaluate the reliability of the certificate and read the product labels.
4. If the product promises that wrinkles will disappear within a week - make sure by what methods this is achieved, because a quick and immediate effect can only be achieved by aggressively acting on the top layer of the skin. Usually, this approach does not ensure a long-lasting effect and does not prevent problem, but deepens it. The effect of the cosmetic product can be qualitatively assessed after four to six weeks. This is one skin change cycle. GMT BEAUTY uses only proven natural active substances in its products, which are scientifically formulated using biotechnology and clinically tested. Among them you can find, for example, plants that act similar to botox, deep and natural moisturizers, raw materials that are a natural alternative to fillers and substances that can increase breasts - this is not a miracle, only science.
5. Percentage of natural raw materials in the cosmetic product. It is possible to achieve a 100% natural composition of a cosmetic product and it is nothing extraordinary, but only by understanding the composition, you can understand whether this product is really obtained from 100% natural substances. The composition of natural substances in GMT BEAUTY cosmetics ranges from 98.5% to 100%. Since we use electrolytes in our cosmetics for a better effect of the products, we have to use cosmetic bases that are synthesized, because bases created on the basis of natural substances do not provide the required stability of cosmetics. However, we are constantly experimenting with the latest scientific achievements in this field and will soon abandon this type of bases.
6. Price category – if the product costs 5 euros and promises a miracle, you cannot expect that it will contain high-quality, professional raw materials.
7. Beautiful aroma - an irresistible aroma makes you want the product, but be careful - the aroma is like a hook. Read the labels and you will understand whether there is anything else good in this cosmetic without the fragrance. It is not for nothing that all GMT BEAUTY products have a lemongrass aroma - instead of aromas, we use lemongrass essential oil, which is absolutely safe for the skin and does not affect the product formula. It is volatile and does not cause harm.
8. Bubble masks and other miracles - various cosmetic products with different effects tend to appear on the market, such as bubble or magnetic masks. Be careful with it! The effects are often not achieved with natural remedies and can be unfriendly to the skin.
9. Manufacturer - pay attention to the manufacturer himself - how accessible and transparent is he? Is it possible to contact him, visit him, or is he hiding behind a mailbox? It often turns out that cosmetics are produced in an unknown place, in the basement or in the kitchen, and it is neither safe nor hygienic.
10. Professional class cosmetics brand - certified specialists of the cosmetics industry, doctors work with this type of brands. So they basically have to be safe, harmless, non-allergenic, also suitable for very sensitive skin. As a professional-class GMT BEAUTY brand, we cannot afford to produce low-quality or unsafe products - then our long-term specialist-customers will no longer cooperate with us. Professional-class cosmetics set a high bar for quality and safety with their name alone.
11. Health inspectorate - you can contact the health inspectorate if you have any doubts, because the health inspectorate monitors cosmetics manufacturers and their compliance with norms. The health inspectorate carries out regular inspections here as well, and this should be the case.
12. To evaluate a cosmetic product and its safety, there is a vast amount of information available on the internet, but – be careful, not everything should be trusted and the information needs to be assessed. If you want to receive more reliable information, you can check websites like http://www.safecosmetics.org/ or http://www.cosmeticanalysis.com/ and remember – a smart customer is better protected from "pure marketing"!
Ceram, to give you a brief insight on how to navigate the cosmetics market. If you have any doubts and are not sure about any of the ingredients – we are open to questions and will help as much as we can. You can call us, visit us, and we will try to help.
The safety and effectiveness of GMT BEAUTY professional-class cosmetics are guaranteed by several hundred certified beauty specialists who have been working with us for the second decade.
If you doubt whether the products you have chosen are safe, you are always welcome to try the GMT BEAUTY professional-class cosmetics produced in Latvia, the quality, safety and effectiveness of which we guarantee.