Additional Information
- So whats the difference between these two terms?
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In our preservative-free products such as Avacado smash Body butter, Brown Sugar + olive oil Body scrub and Mango + Apricot Sorbet cleanser there is no water. So no preservation system required. Products that do not contain water, do not require any preservation system. These are all based on raw, food-grade oils to give your skin all the nutrients and vitamins in highest concentration.
Our oil based formualtions are the most innovative product. The oil butters and sorbet are developed in such a way that they are not sensitive to temperature (meaning they neither melt in hot temperature or harden up in cold). But the moment they touch your skin, instantly melts to its oil properties and sink right into your skin. Your skin will get all the nourishment straight from raw fresh ingredients without any addition of chemicals, thickners, stabilisers or preservatives.
For all our other water-based products, we have come up with a very unique and innovative method to self-preserve our products. In these, the traditional preservatives are replaced by natural ‘Multifunctional’ ingredients which apart from delivering their main functional property also exhibits antimicrobial property.
The intelligent combination of our multifunctional ingredients using synergism and boosting effects, are friendly to the skin, and also protect the product from microbial contamination, without using synthetic preservatives or chemicals. And it does so without having to keep the product in the fridge.
As an example some of these multifunctional ingredients are:
- Glycerin –as a humctant keeps the skin well hydrated and nourished.
- Sodium Levuniate - helps to condition and tone the skin.
- Sodium anisate - helps to maintain the skin’s acid balance which increases protection against microbial infection.
However, said that, as these products are truly natural without any chemical or synthetic derivatives, care needs to taken while using them. Please use dry clean hands when using and store them in cool dark place, away from direct sunlight. Depending on the care, the products can last from 6-12 months from opening.
- Why Fragrance free?
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Fragrance formulas can be complex mixtures of many different natural and synthetic chemical ingredients, and they’re the kinds of cosmetic components that are most likely to be considered “trade secrets.” This means companies can avoid telling consumers what’s in their “trade secret fragrances,” which often times include several, and up to even hundreds of, synthetic chemical mixtures like phthalates, petroleum and neurotoxins.
It’s well known from extensive research that fragrance, whether natural or synthetic, is a common sensitizing ingredient for all skin types. The way most fragrance ingredients impart scent is through a volatile reaction. Unfortunately, this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin. You might not see the damage on skin’s surface, but it can be silently occurring every day, causing minor problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.
Think about it from skin health prespective. If your were to eat processed food every morning and night full of fragrances, preservatives, thickners and stablilizers, the damage it will do to your health over the years will be irrevocable. You won’t see any difference in a day, week or month but in years time you most definitely will. Your skin works the same way. It is the largest organ of your body and absorbs the ingredients you put on it.
That’s why at Okana, we only focus on ingredients that your skin will benefit from. Fragrance is one ingredient that damages your skin the most in skincare. So why include it? At the end, it is just a marketing ploy to get you to like the product better but has no role in providing any nutrient to your skin.
- Why Alcohol Free?
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Alcohol is often used in skincare and cosmetics as a carrier to help other ingredients sink into the skin or for its astringent properties as a treatment for oily types. But that tight feeling is a sign of dehydration. Alcohol eats up your skin’s protective barrier, leaving your skin dry and irritated. That’s also how they help other ingredients better penetrate your skin, by the way. Once this barrier is damaged, everything can get through it. Infact, Alcohol can actually increase oiliness, so the immediate de-greasing effect is eventually counteracted, prompting your oily skin to look even more shiny.
Bad alcohols in skincare deteriorate your skin’s protective barrier which means your skin is no longer effective at keeping moisture in. It also stimulates oil production which could lead to breakouts if your skin makes too much oil. To put it simply, Alcohol harms your skin’s protective surface, depletes vital substances needed for healthy skin, and makes oily skin worse.