What won’t be found in our products and why

Today there is a lot of debate around natural versus synthetic. Synthetic ingredients, analysed one by one may be shown to be harmless – what concerns us is the cumulative effect of a lifetime of usage and the cocktail of chemicals that can build up in our bodies. We have endeavoured to make our product as close to nature as possible. Here is a brief explanation of why we have chosen not to use the following ingredients.

Mineral, Paraffin Oils, Sorbolene –  These are petrochemical products derived from crude oil that may contain known or suspected human carcinogens. They can also form a barrier on the skin resulting in fluid retention, irritation and blocked pores. Although they may soften and improve the skin at first, prolonged use can remove the skin’s natural sebum.

Petroleum Derivitives – Such as propylene and butylene glycol, commonly used as humectants (moisture binding agents) are highly penetrating and can cause adverse reactions, skin irritation and may weaken the cellular structure of the skin.

Parabens / Synthetic Preservatives – Parabens- methyl, butyl, propyl and ethyl, are proven toxic chemicals used widely but in small quantities in cosmetics. The concern here is their accumulative effect. Parabens have been found in cancerous breast tissue and may create a mild oestrogenic effect that could alter the balance of the users’ hormones.
Other synthetic or petroleum derived preservatives may release formaldehyde, a probable human carcinogen or break down into formaldehyde. These are diazolidinyl urea, suttocide, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium 15.

Genetically Modified Botanicals – We choose to know the makeup of our botanicals. There is growing evidence that GM crops damage ecosystems and could harm our health. We feel genetically modified is the antithesis of natural.

Synthetic Colours – Many of the artificial colours are carcinogenic and proven skin irritants. Coal tar colours may contain heavy metal impurities. Our colours occur naturally from the raw materials we use, such as; cold pressed oils, chlorophyll and clays.

Synthetic Perfumes – Often contain hundreds of ingredients that are carcinogens such as methyl chloride. When ‘fragrance’ is listed on a label it can be any combination of chemicals, so it is impossible to make an educated choice. According to the American Academy of Dermatology fragrance is the number one cause of allergic reaction in cosmetics. The perfume in our products comes only from plant derived essential oils.

Sodium Laurel or Laureth Sulfate – Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) a foaming agent and other Chemical Detergents have been shown to cause allergic reactions, extreme skin irritation and eye damage. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) often contains dioxane, a known carcinogen, skin and eye irritant.

No Animal Testing – We are against using animals to test cosmetics.  None of our finished products are tested this way and we make sure that none of our individual ingredients are tested on animals.  The only testing we do is on our ‘Friendly Australian’ volunteers.

Simple Packaging – We like LoKa to look good but we keep packaging to a minimum,  without expensive bling, bells and whistles.  We put all of our energy and resources into making the best product we possibly can.