What do we mean by "clean"?

As a wellness-conscious mom of two with a decade of experience in the Beauty industry, I had a strong desire to create skincare products for my children that were both safe & natural enough for everyday use, but still deeply moisturizing. My frustration with natural skincare thus far was that it all felt watered down and ineffective.

During the formulation phase of Bubbsi, I iterated for months on the feel, thickness, and absorbency of our formulas with our R&D lab. I also spent a lot of time vetting ingredients for safety & toxicity. Parents simply don't have the time to research every ingredient to know a product is safe, so I wanted to do the research for you so I could stand strongly behind each Bubbsi formula.

I am proud of the high safety standards we have for our products - no shortcuts here. I put these formulas on my own kids everyday, after all.

In this blog post I deep dive on what our "full of yummies, free of yuckies" promise really means - including what we DO and DO NOT put into our products, why, and how we ensure they are safe for everyone.

Our No-No List

Our ingredient filter is quite simple - we avoid anything that even potentially poses a threat to skin, based on the research that exists today.

We never include:

1. Potential carcinogens and endocrine disruptors: It’s probably obvious that we would never include a known cancer-causing ingredient, but a lesser known category are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals pose a threat to the body’s hormone flow (for example, by mimicking estrogen) and can cause adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects. For this reason, we never use parabens (synthetic compounds used as preservatives) or phthalates (commonly added to plastics to increase durability and as a binder in formulas) as they are both linked to a broad range of chronic issues and cancer.

We also don't use mineral oils, which are a class of petroleum products used as a lubricants / moisturizers (think Vaseline or Aquaphor). This one is a bit trickier - research shows that low-grade mineral oil can be linked to cancer, however cosmetic-grade mineral oils are still being debated. We don't use them, just to be safe.

2. Harsh chemicals and potential skin irritants: We don't use any ingredients that are known to cause inflammation of the skin (irritation, redness, swelling) or that commonly cause allergic reactions. This includes dyes and sulfates (harsh detergents in shampoos / soaps that can cause breakdown of skin barrier with frequent use).

We also opt not to use synthetic fragrance, which is a common cause of skin irritation and allergic reactions. More on our all-natural scent below.

3. Common natural irritants and allergens: Natural doesn’t ALWAYS mean good for you - just take poison ivy as an example. There are several natural compounds that have strong potential to irritate skin or cause allergic reaction over time, such as Lavender oil / linalool, chamomile, and limonene (common in citrus oils). We avoid these known natural skin irritants (and more) in both fragrance and formula.

4. Nearly 1,400 ingredients that are banned in EU cosmetics: We stand by strict EU ingredient standards. As of 2018, the EU has banned about 1,400 harmful chemicals and ingredients from personal care products (many of which are listed above), while the US FDA has only banned 30. This huge discrepancy is explained by how the two organizations define harmful ingredients. The EU bans based on the earliest detections of harm, while the US FDA takes action only when there is substantial scientific evidence that shows that the chemical or ingredient is harmful under its intended use.

The bottom line? When it comes to our children, if there’s any open question about safety, we just leave it out.

So, what’s inside?

All of our formulas are made with:

1. High levels of COSMOS-certified organic, cold-pressed coconut oil: It's the #1 or #2 ingredient in each formula. COSMOS, or COSMetic Organic Standard, is an international non-profit certification body that promotes the development of organic and natural cosmetics that are safe, effective, and good (for the environment and people) to use. Read more details on the benefits of coconut oil in our prior blog post.

2. Mostly organic, natural and naturally-derived ingredients: Naturally-derived ingredients are those of natural origin (plant-based) but are extracted in a lab via a natural solvent.

3. Small amounts of safe & nontoxic synthetics: Less than 5% of each formula is safe synthetic ingredients, where we believe there is no better natural alternative. For example, our Shampoo + Wash contains a synthetic preservative because it's the best way to keep that formula fresh and bacteria free.

4. All-natural scent of coconut, vanilla and a spoonful of giggles :) No, but seriously, our fragrance is certified "all natural" by an International Organization of Standardization. Did you know that brands don’t actually have to disclose fragrance ingredients? We believe in transparency so you can find our full fragrance ingredient listing under the “what’s inside” tab for each product

5. pH balance: Each formula matches the average pH level of your baby’s skin. This helps to preserve skin's natural slightly acidic barrier which fights inflammation and bacteria.

boy holding monstera leaf

Safe For the Little Ones

Safety is not just about what goes into a formula, but also how it affects skin and eyes and how it holds up over time.

Our formulas were created in a lab in Paris with the highest standards, thoroughly tested, and manufactured in an FDA-certified facility. Our rigorous 4 month safety testing protocol ensures that each product is:

1. Clean: Free of bacteria / unwanted organisms and has an effective preservative system when challenged by pathogens

2. Stable: High quality over time, even under severe temperatures. Due to the high natural content of our formulas, some variation is expected over time and different temperature conditions, however we’ve deemed that the product is still safe and effective.

3. Non-irritating to skin and eyes and allergy tested: Our products have been applied to a range of skin types over time to ensure that they do not cause skin irritation, eye irritation, or allergic reactions, even when repeatedly used over time. The results of this last and most important test are reviewed by both a Pediatrician and Dermatologist.