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In a health-conscious society, we put a lot of thought into what we put into our bodies. But what about what goes into our bodies? It’s just as important. Our skin is the largest organ we have, and, since it’s extremely porous, what you put on it gets absorbed. Meaning that the ingredients in your skincare are just as important as the ones in your food. So, what does this mean when you go to select skincare? Take a look at the back of the bottle and make sure it doesn’t include any of the following harsh chemicals or toxins.

Parabens

You’ve heard the word before — Parabens — but might not know the potential side effects of products that contain it. Parabens are typically found in cleansers, deodorant, makeup, and other types of cosmetics to keep the product fresh. But this freshness comes at quite the cost. To your body, Parabens mimic estrogen, a hormone that your body naturally produces. Though the production of estrogen is a natural occurrence in your body, excess estrogen has been associated with increased risk of breast cancer and skin cancer. Scary, right? The FDA acknowledges this link, but for some reason has not ruled it out as too harmful to use in cosmetics. This means that, if you’re unaware of the risk, you could be using products with Parabens in them right now. Go ahead, check your cabinet; we’ll wait. The key is to look for products that specifically state that they are “Paraben-Free”.

Sulfates

Again, you’ve probably heard of sulfates, but might not be aware of their potential harm on your skin. While sulfates aren’t found in many cosmetics, they are found in a lot of shampoos and cleansers, to increase the foaming power of the product. You know that really good lather you get from your shampoo? That’s caused by sulfates, and, while it might be fun to use those suds to create an sulfates in shampooEmma-Stone-esque mohawk, it’s not so great on your scalp. If you’re thinking, “but the suds get my hair so. clean.” You’re right. It gets rid of all the build up and grease, but it’s also stripping away the good moisture and along with it. It’s stripping the oils that are naturally protecting your scalp. This can cause skin irritation, redness, dryness, and itching. That’s not all, either. Sulfates can cause your hair to become brittle and can actually fade your hair color. So that $200 you spent a few weeks ago at the salon? That could be going down the drain along with your sulfate-suds.
When hair color starts to fade, the beauty industry reacts. Many companies are introducing Sulfate-Free shampoos so, if you’re finding that your scalp is dry and irritated, or that your hair color is fading faster than you’d like, you may want to switch up your routine. If you just can’t imagine a shower without suds, though, don’t fret. Sulfates aren’t severely harmful to your health. If you’ve had success with sudsy shampoos and had no irritation, don’t feel like you have to switch it up!

Products from Abroad

While the FDA works hard to keep products safe for consumer use, it can only control products that are created in the United States. While they try to regulate products that are imported, because of lack of resources and authority, they inspect only 1% of imports. Foreign companies do not have to report adverse reactions or abide by the same laws. This means that if you’re using products that are imported from foreign countries, they may be created in poor conditions and contain ingredients that are not FDA approved. Look for products that are developed fully in the United States, and do not important products (or even ingredients) from other countries that don’t follow the same standards.

Formaldehyde

You’ve heard of Formaldehyde, but probably wouldn’t expect to see it in your cosmetics. Though it may be surprising to hear, Formaldehyde is commonly used in cosmetics as a preservative. You may find it in nail polishes, hair gels, soaps, makeup, lotions, deodorants, shampoos, and more (so pretty much your whole bathroom!). Short-term exposure to Formaldehyde, like in products you rinse off, has been linked to skin irritation, scalp burns, and hair loss. Long-term effects, however, are much scarier. With high, or more prolonged, exposure, Formaldehyde can cause cancer. Besides its use in nail polishes, the FDA does not currently prohibit or regulate the use of Formaldehyde in cosmetics. The key? Look for products that don’t have Formaldehyde (or another version of its name – Formalin) in its products.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol (or PG) can be found in many moisturizers and cosmetic Propylene Glycolproducts. While it’s used to condition skin, it has been found to cause hives, irritation, and dermatitis. Its main purpose is to penetrate your skin to help your skincare reach deeper. While this might be good if you were using all natural products, if you’re not, it helps harmful chemicals get even deeper into your skin. PG itself typically sits on the surface of your skin, dissolving your natural oils. Soon, your skin starts to feel dry, and you’ll feel the need to re-apply your moisturizer (that contains Propylene Glycol), and the vicious cycle begins again. This can cause an increase in skin aging and irritation (two things you’re trying to avoid when moisturizing your skin).

While there’s a lot of information out there about Glycols, it’s important to note that not all glycols are created equal. Caprylyl Glycol, for example, is derived from caprylic acid – a natural fatty acid found in coconut oils, palm oils, and some milk. This type of Glycol (as well as some other Glycols) have been found to have no health risks and can still help your cosmetics be more effective. So when you’re selecting your cosmetics, don’t avoid Glycol entirely, just be sure that the product your choosing doesn’t contain harmful Glycols like Propylene Glycol or Butylene Glycol.

Alcohols

Like Glycols, Alcohols are also not created equal. There are good alcohols, that don’t cause irritation (also known as fatty alcohols), like cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol. Then there are drying alcohols, that do cause irritation, like SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, benzyl alcohol, propanol, and isopropyl alcohol. Found in a lot of skincare, these can give a great short-term feeling of skin irritants in cosmeticsweightlessness and a quick-dry finish. While products containing these drying alcohols may be tempting for those with oily skin, the long-term negative effects far outweigh any positive short-term effects. Though your skin may have that silky matte finish right away, stripping the skin of its natural oils causes your body to react and produce even more oils (causing your skin to be, ugh, even more oily). Removing your skin of its natural oils, as many of the products above do, removes the protective layer that naturally occurs on your skin. This can make your skin vulnerable to acne causing bacteria and speed up the aging process of your skin.

THE NEW STANDARD

While it may seem like a daunting task to find cosmetics that contain no harmful ingredients, it’s important to ensure that what you’re putting on your body is benefiting you and not causing you short or long-term consequences. Natural alternatives do exist and skincare can be just as effective without being harmful. Luckily, cosmetic companies are reacting to consumer needs, and consumers need to feel comfortable purchasing products that won’t harm them or their skin.

At Cirem, we’re dedicated to providing the beauty world with quality products that contain no harsh ingredients. Our products aren’t tested on animals. We know exactly what ingredients to use that won’t harm anyone’s skin. The only testing we do is on ourselves, volunteers, and of course, human participants during clinical trials. We are also proud to not only develop our own formulas from scratch, but to handle all sides of the business from beginning to end, here in the United States.

Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt

Though we usually think of skincare as lush makeup and staple moisturizers, skincare has been a part of the human routine for thousands of years. Though cosmetics have likely existed for even longer, the first evidence of cosmetics stems from Ancient Egypt, approximately 6,000 years ago. Not only were cosmetics ingrained into their everyday routines, they were also extremely important culturally. Aside from beauty purposes, Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics for a variety of reasons, the first being for mummification, burial traditions, and honoring their Gods and Goddesses. While that may be a bit far off from how we typically use cosmetics today, they had similar reasons for using them in their everyday life. Ancient Egyptians also used cosmetics to protect them from the elements — mainly sun rays and insects.

Since standardized cosmetics didn’t exist, Egyptians created their own natural skin care products using items they could collect from their surrounding (like olive oil, ostrich eggs, dough, essential oils — from herbs and plants, and milk). Queen Cleopatra herself allegedly took beauty baths in sour milk. Exfoliating scrubs couldn’t be grabbed off the full shelves of Sephora, and instead had to be handmade using sand and aloe-vera. Some of the best skincare secrets stem from Egyptians – like using aloe, myrrh, and frankincense. These products, particularly frankincense, were believed to possess anti-inflammatory properties and were used as anti-wrinkle creams by Ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptians, like us, also used cosmetics for makeup purposes. Makeup was created using a variety of products including metal ore, copper, water, oil, animal fat, and precious stones. The original smokey eye, now iconic in Ancient Egypt, was created using kohl. Despite its beauty, kohl unfortunately was made from burned almonds, coffee, soot, and lead. As we now know, lead can be deadly, especially when exposed to it over time. Egyptians also used a clay called red ochre to decorate their lips, nails, and cheeks (forming the original lipstick, nail polish, and blush). Henna was also used for makeup and to create designs on the skin, similar to how we use Henna today.

Cosmetics in Ancient Rome and Greece

Ancient Egypt was certainly not the only place that skincare and makeup could be found. The word “cosmetics” actually stems from its use in Ancient Rome. They were typically produced by female slaves known as “cosmetae,” which is where the word “cosmetics” stemmed from. While Ancient Greeks and Romans used the ideas of the Ancient Egyptians, they took their skincare and beauty rituals one step further. Many Greeks and Romans would spend an entire day at the “spa” to focus on their skin. The cosmetae, or cosmetic slaves, would sometimes pluck out individual hairs across their master’s body (mainly the chest, upper lip, backs, arms, and legs) to give them their sleek appearance. To further achieve the “smooth” look, fragrant perfumes and oils were applied after bathing, some shipped from thousands of miles away.

Similar to Egyptians, Greeks and Romans also used natural skincare to protect their skin from the elements. Sand and oils were used to protect their skin from the sun. This wasn’t always to prevent sun damage, as this was not a widely known issue at the time. It was predominately to avoid getting tanned skin, which was commonly associated with the lower class, or those who worked often

outside. Women commonly used white lead, crocodile dung, and chalk in order to lighten the appearance of their skin. They also created face masks with starch and eggs, which were believed to tighten the skin, reduce wrinkles, and keep the face looking as youthful as possible. This was even more common in China, particularly under the Shang Dynasty (in 1760 BC). A powdered face with smooth skin was extremely popular and white powders were used to achieve the whitest complexion possible. Taking it another step further, many also used gels and lotions to permanently bleach their skin. One natural ingredient, that’s still used today in skin whiteners, was songyi mushrooms.

Skin Care Developments in Europe

As skincare moved to Europe and the Middle East, new ingredients and methods were invented and introduced. The first cold cream was developed using rose oil and water, and melting beeswax into it. They used the mineral alum to treat scabs and used olive lead to fight acne. The popularity of skin whitening did not die down, though, and Europeans took it one step further. They combined vinegar and lead to make a whitening foundation and used it to get rid of freckles and whiten their skin. During the Elizabethan Era, many Europeans used this whitening foundation. At the time, it wasn’t popular to wash their faces and/or bodies, so typically, they piled on layer after layer of the whitening foundation to achieve a look as pale as possible.

During the Elizabethan Era, as lead/vinegar mixtures were being left on faces, doctors began noticing the side effects of lead. They recommended the use of alum instead, but many continued to use lead-based products until the 1860’s, when lead in cosmetics was officially challenged. In 1906, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was created.

A common theme among cosmetics across history was their goal of removing freckles, calming irritation, reversing damage done by the sun, and whitening skin. Cosmetics in the late 1800’s promised to do these things as well as cure pimples and eczema. By the twentieth century, skincare primarily focused on cleansing and clarify skin and helping to make skin look more youthful.

Natural Beauty and Products for Darker Skin

As natural beauty became preferred over heavy makeup, a focus on skincare
that helped skin from the inside became prevalent. Translucent powders and invisible lotions also became increasingly popular in order to achieve the now iconic no-makeup-makeup look. Despite the many social strides made in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, dark skin was still seen as undesirable. Skin whitening was as popular as ever and products were made nearly exclusively for light skinned women. Powders typically came in pure white and skin tone (with the skin tone color matching Caucasian women). Because of the lack in products for dark-skinned women, when Madame C.J. Walker and Annie Turnbo Malone introduced the first products aimed towards dark-skinned women, they were wildly successful.

By the 1920’s, a shift in beauty ideals caused slightly tanned skin to be seen as desirable. Cosmetics, in turn, followed this trend. Tinted face powders and lotions that emulated a tan were introduced. While this marked a major shift in beauty ideals, it certainly wasn’t the end of the negative thoughts towards dark skin. Tanned skin was only desirable in the summer, as it was seen as being achieved during leisurely vacations and travels (instead of outside labor). So, skin whiteners were again introduced in the Fall-time and marketed as allowing people to get rid of their summer tans and help them achieve their desired pale skin again.

By the 1960’s, darker skin tones were more embraced.

Cosmetics now promised deep, long-lasting tans. Sunbathing became extensively popular and products were introduced that promised to help protect the skin while doing so. Unfortunately, the first of these products offered very little protection and skin cancer rates rose in response. Soon, though, doctors recognized the link between sun exposure and skin cancer, and SPF was introduced. Multi-step skincare solutions also arrived at this time, boasting regimens similar to those offered today, with cleansers, toners, and moisturizers.

Vitamins in Skin Care

The 1990’s brought incredible discoveries in the skincare world, many of which are used by skincare companies today (including Cirem Cosmetics!). The roles of Vitamins A, C, E and B were discovered to help premature aging. Hyaluronic Acid was also found to provide unparalleled benefits to skin. Antioxidants and natural ingredients replaced hormonal and steroidal ingredients, and the natural benefits of vitamins and acids began to be recognized.

Cirem Cosmetics: A New Standard

Now, a variety of skincare products are available for almost any beauty concern one can have, including body washes, gels, lotions, exfoliants, moisturizers, toners, and sun protection. There is mainly a focus on helping skin from the inside out. The existence of the FDA keeps known toxic ingredients from being used, though many skincare products still do unfortunately have side effects.

That’s why Cirem Cosmetics has made it their mission to create a new standard. A standard that gives the beauty world a cosmetic with no side effects, no harsh ingredients, and superior results. Being a pharmacy before a cosmetics company, their unique position allowed them to back this mission with scientific research. After careful study, experimentation, and investigation, their first product was born, their “3-in-1 Serum.” Specially customized to suit the needs of their patients, it’s key ability was not only to deliver exceptional flawlessness, but at the blink of an eye using unmatched Rapid Absorption Technology™.

Many years and rave reviews later, it became clear that a new standard in the cosmetic world had been concocted. With increasingly innovative formulation techniques and a passion to forever strive for excellence, Cirem proves that quality always conquers quantity with each and every packaged bottle. It is this same integrity that sets the Cirem standard.

Practice Safe Sun – Always apply sunscreen in the morning as the final step to your Cirem skincare routine, BUT before your make-up. This ensures your skin will be kept beautifully protected from the unforgiving, damaging rays of the sun, while keeping skin desensitized from the retinol and vitamin C actives in the potent Cirem products. Be sure to re-apply your sunscreen every two hours if outdoors.

Baggage Claim – For an instant, cooling and soothing skin sesh, stash your Cirem Skin Jewel in the fridge overnight. Any time of day, feel free to gently massage the Jewel around the orbital area to help drain excess fluid and puffiness from your precious peepers for a brighter, beautiful, more wide-awake and “lifted” look.

Don’t Be So Hard-Pressed – When applying your favorite Cirem Cosmetics products, gently press product into skin, rather than rubbing. This prevents pulling and tugging that can damage delicate facial tissue, leading to eventual loss of elasticity.

Case in Point – Slumber on satin or silk pillowcases to keep your Cirem Cosmetics products from absorbing into sheets, while also allowing skin and hair to effortlessly glide across pillow’s surface. Cotton sheets can cause unwanted pulling and tugging of delicate skin.

Clean Up Your Act – Apply your Cirem HCR 3-IN-1 Serum to just-cleansed skin that is still slightly damp for superior absorption, while sealing in touchably-soft, silky-smooth hydration. And, always remember to apply excess product to back of hands, forearms, and décolleté. Your skin doesn’t stop at your neck!

Have a cool go-to beauty hack or skincare secret you swear by? Be sure to share it with us! Tag us at #ciremsiren