What is natural skincare?

Here at Octane we’re passionate about natural skincare. Really passionate.

Back in around 2003 I took a crash course in the manufacturing of skincare, the ingredients and formulas that are commonly used, what is good, and what is just plain bad.

What is natural skincare you ask? Simplistically natural skincare is made from ingredients that Mother Nature provided. Those ingredients are kept in as natural state as possible, so oils like avocado, jojoba, macadamia, and extracts like kakadu plum, Davidson plum, green tea and licorice root are added to our formulations as they are.  Sure there are some ‘sciencey’ names like Sodium Hyaluronate (found naturally in your body, but in Octane’s case being extracted from microbial fermentation of plants such as wheat) and Ethylhexylgylcerin (in the case of Octane, made from vegetable oil glycerin ) which is a safe preservative to stop your natural skincare perishing too quickly. It was developed to replace Parabens in the cosmetic industry as Parabens have been shown to be carcinogenic…Just one example of science and natural working together to create a better safer way.

So at Octane we are very specific about what can and can’t go into our formulations. Sodium Laurel Sulphate, Parabens, chemical fillers, preservatives, synthetic fragrances and silicones are not our thing. Remember, by way of being plant derived and cruelty free we are a vegan friendly company.

In the distant past, ‘natural skincare’ has been touted as ineffective by some of the big brand, mass produced skincare companies globally. However, if you’re savvy, and I know you are because you’re reading this article, you’ll know that some of the big corps, big pharma and co may not always tell the whole truth…. Profits may come first. But natural skincare has always been highly beneficial to our skin for a very long time, with wonder oils such as jojoba, aloe and avocado doing great things for skin health, and backed by ever-growing scientific studies. Evidenced by marketing spin by the big corps now they realize the people want safe, chemical free skincare… “now with soothing avocado oil!”

I can tell you it is much cheaper to fill a plastic tube with petrochemicals, silicone, and mass produced crap than to extract oils and extracts from farm grown specialized renewable plants, and craft healthy, effective, safe skincare packaged into recycled and infinitely recyclable aluminium bottles…but here at Octane we want you to have the best, safest skincare possible.

So again, I ask you to consider the health of your biggest organ… your skin. Why would you put chemical laden, lab produced crap that costs just cents to make on your skin? Some of these chemicals have been proven to be counterproductive to skin health (please read our article on Silicones), some dangerous, carcinogenic and some even found in cancer cells!!

Octane Skincare has been carefully and lovingly crafted from nature. We have decades of experience in the science and technology of plant derived goodness, and we have tailored each product to be good to your skin…and get amazing results. We even avoid scenting our products as much as possible as we believe a gentleman should have a signature cologne or scent he has chosen, and that it should do the talking!

Now for a little homework. I want you to go and read the ingredients on the back of your skincare. Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Propylene Glycol, Parabens (methyl, butyl, ethyl and propyl), Phthalates (DBP, DEP, DEHP, DMP), synthetic dyes, Benzyl Peroxide, DEA, MEA and TEA, and all the silicone types Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclomethicone, Cetearyl Methicone, Cyclopentasiloxane to name a few are, in the opinion of the team at Octane, are NOT ingredients you should be applying to your skin. Simple.

If you have any concerns about the ingredients in the skincare you use, please google and educate yourself, or simply ask us. If you have any concerns about our ingredients we will be only to happy to help you understand how and why we use what we do.

If your skincare has any of the above listed ingredients I would suggest you throw it out…and of course buy some Octane… but in the least, just bin the stuff, it’s not worth the 20 cents it cost to make to put it on your skin. Our skin absorbs up to 60% of topical products, so just don’t put rubbish on it in the first place.

Capeche? 

Written by

Adam Taylor