LOreal is committed to providing information about their products and their ingredients to ensure that customers can trust their beauty products. Active ingredients in LOreal products can be natural, synthetic, or chemical in origin and have been proven to work in various studies. LOreal researchers use synthetic chemistry to create new highly effective active ingredients, which are protected by a dynamic policy of patents and play an essential role in the innovation strategy.
Salicylic acid is an active ingredient widely used in the cosmetics industry for its exfoliating and antiseptic properties. It is recommended by dermatologists in the treatment of acne and warts and is found in some anti-dandruff products. It is also used as a preservative to protect formulas against the growth of micro-organisms. However, its exfoliating properties can cause eye irritation in the event of contact with the eyes, and the European cosmetics regulation has banned its use in hygiene products for children under 3 years of age. The level of salicylic acid in skin care formulas is optimized to avoid causing skin dryness.
LOreal uses chemistry to produce active molecules whose resources in the natural state are depleted or found in small quantities in nature, such as vanillin or vitamin C. These synthetic ingredients may be of plant, mineral, or fossil origin (or derived from petroleum and its derivatives) and have undergone a greater chemical transformation than natural ingredients.
LOreal regularly monitors traces of heavy metals in their products to guarantee that they do not represent any risk to the health of the consumer. Lead is a heavy metal banned for use as an ingredient in all cosmetic regulations worldwide. LOreal does not use any ingredients intentionally containing lead or lead derivatives in their products.
LOreal has a list of ingredients that they do not use in their products, including formaldehyde, hydroquinone, heavy metals, plastic microbeads, alkylphenols, phthalates, and toluene.
Positive aspects of LOreal cosmetic products include the use of active ingredients that have been proven to work in various studies, the creation of new highly effective active ingredients through synthetic chemistry, and the regular monitoring of traces of heavy metals in their products. Negative aspects include the potential for eye irritation from salicylic acid and the use of synthetic ingredients that have undergone a greater chemical transformation than natural ingredients.
