Organic skincare

What about ‘natural’?

Unlike organic products, there are no  any standards or requirements for labelling products as natural or all natural. The ingredients may only be derived from natural sources.

However,  some ingredients found in nature can be manufactured artificially and produced with greater purity, and more consistent quality than their natural counterparts.

For example, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, may be derived from an orange or produced in a laboratory. Both are great for our skin!

The latter would not be considered natural however, there are no laws requiring manufacturers to differentiate between natural sources versus bio-identical laboratory synthesis of natural ingredients. 

An example of this is the famous sodium laureth sulfate. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

This ingredient is considered to be an irritant to the skin and has been linked to contamination and organ toxicity.

However, it can be manufactured from coconut oil, allowing it to technically be considered natural. However, at Amana we avoid this ingredient altogether. Why? Because we hand pick only the highest quality and mildest ingredients for the best skincare products.

In fact, certain ‘natural’ ingredients, like lactose in milk, or tea tree organic essential oil, may cause severe allergies and irritations.

So what actually matters? What are we looking out for?

At Amana we simply believe in ‘the best’. ‘The best’ is the freshest, purest, highest quality skincare ingredients. It is more important to gain accurate information about the sources and formulation of the ingredients, manufacturing practices, and third-party research that might demonstrate results on real people.

At Amana we hand-pick and analyse every single ingredient we use, on its own and in combination with other ingredients to find possible synergies.

It’s science working hand in hand with nature.

A truly natural skincare product would be smashing an avocado and applying it raw on the skin.

However, this could be a lovely mask, not a skincare product.

A skincare product that is convenient to use every day, has beautifying, scientifically proven  properties, looks great on its own and under make-up and it is bacteriologically safe to use within a period of time. Not all ingredients must be ‘organic’, ‘,natural’ to manufacture the best product, as each ingredient is best analysed individually.

Why do Amana products have such a short expiry date?

Amana skincare products contain water and natural ingredients. It means without any preservatives, the products would only last for about a week before getting unsafe to use.

The purpose of adding preservatives to a product is to inhibit oxidation and prevent chemical changes that happen due to exposure to air, moisture and contamination from use.

Many  commercial products are mass produced in huge quantities and might sit in warehouses and stockrooms for months, or even years, before they hit the shelves of retail stores.

They often contain greater quantities and concentrations of preservatives.

Amana products are produced in smaller batches, using fewer and safer preservatives, assuming that the products will not sit in storage as long and will be consumed sooner.  

Certain commercially used and legal preservative molecules are toxins to the body. They permeate the epidermis and enter the bloodstream directly, causing inflammation.

When we consume products containing toxins orally or into our lungs, such as legal and illegal drugs, contaminated food, air…etc, our bodies, if overall healthy and functioning well,  are able to expel the toxins effectively . Our livers, lungs, kidney are the toxin managers to our bodies.

However toxins from preservatives and other harmful ingredients that enter the bloodstream directly through our epidermis are much less safe then simply consumed via the mouth.

Amana products, containing  fewer and safer preservatives, are  better for your skin and overall health as a result.

One should be able to use up a jar of skincare cream within two months anyway if used daily.

Once six months from the production date of Amana cream have passed, the product must be discarded. The packaging may be sent to Amana for recycling.

What about animal testing?

Of course none of the Amana products were tested on animals.

However, do not get fooled! In July 2013, animal testing of cosmetic products in the European Union has been banned on all products manufactured and sold in the region.

So technically, none of the products nowadays sold in the EU have been tested on animals.

Labels may be deceiving. Just like mineral water is gluten-free, vegan, lactose free, sugar-free and egg  free. And kosher.

What about vegan?

All Amana products are vegan, which means they contain no animal products or by-products whatsoever. No animal fats, collagen, beeswax, honey, no animal hair, scales or milks or milk derivatives.

In addition to this, no animals were harmed in the manufacturing process. For example, certain wild plant like the jungle andiroba might be harvested damaging the natural habitat of animals. Or, even worse, rain forest might be destroyed to plant oil palm trees.

None of these will ever happen in the production process of Amana produst, as we analyse every single ingredient and its origin, purity and efficacy.