Why you will NEVER find salicylic acid at Novexpert
Salicylic acid is well-known in cosmetics for its anti-blemish action. Therefore, we decided NOT to use it. Nonsense? Not really. Learn to read between the lines and discover the two sides of salicylic acid. We bet you'll agree with us in the end!
Go behind the scenes of salicylic acid's fame.
Raised to the status as the star molecule of anti-imperfection ranges, we don't deny that salicylic acid partly deserves its dazzling fame.
Its major role is to clean up the epidermis (skin's first layer), eliminating the outermost cells to unclog pores and stimulate cell renewal. Some brands will tell you that it is "keratolytic", a pretty word to highlight a science that they often do not master.
The second role for which salicylic acid deserves recognition is its ability to destroy bacteria, including acne-aggravating bacteria. Let's be honest, salicylic acid is a good anti-microbial.
Where can I find salicylic acid at Novexpert?
In... no range, no product. Don't waste your time searching on our site: we've chosen to blacklist it, i.e. to include it on our dreaded blacklist of skincare active ingredients. A long list of over 1600 ingredients that we will NEVER use, no matter how powerful or fashionable.
You may think this is completely illogical, given what you've just read. But it's not, because the story isn't over yet. For the moment, you've only scratched the surface of the complexity of salicylic acid.
Read on and you'll never look for salicylic acid again.
You'll soon understand our position and probably share it too.
In 2019, the European cosmetics regulation (no less) classifies it as a "CMR 2 substance", i.e. "suspected of having harmful effects on reproduction", in the words of the law itself. What a reward. And there's more to come...
For the past 4 years, salicylic acid has been under study for inclusion in the dreaded but unfortunately not sufficiently closed group of endocrine disruptors. These are molecules of various kinds which disrupt our hormonal system, sometimes even in very small quantities (the dose effect is outdated), and which combine in our bodies only for the worse (like a bad cocktail). To this day, its safety is still under discussion, but for Novexpert, as a precautionary principle, salicylic acid is presumed guilty.
We plead for your health.
Stop Salicylic Acid: [Pregnant] Women and Children First
It should also be pointed out that this active ingredient is already banned in certain cosmetics intended for "fragile" consumers. It is the least that can be done, given the data presented. This is particularly the case for products intended for children under 3. For pregnant and breast-feeding women, it is STRONGLY discouraged, sadly not banned... The hormonal system of these women, in these times as beautiful as they are tumultuous, doesn't need one more disrupter. We therefore STRONGLY advise you to stay away from them if you're expecting a happy event or if they've been sharing your life for a short time.
For the rest of the population, it's simply (for the time being) limited. Activate your radar even more to spot them. Sometimes this won't be so difficult, as new products - notably anti-acne - put him at the top of the bill, a risky marketing strategy in view of its delicate position regarding the authorities.
We too almost fell into the dark side...
We too almost fell into the dark side...
We're not going to hide it, we also thought of using it in our ranges. We had even formulated a few products. That was several years ago, when the first publications on the potential endocrine-disrupting effect of salicylic acid appeared, and with them doubts about its safety. You're familiar with our (sometimes a little too extreme) commitment to universal cosmetics (including for pregnant women) and our blind (but informed) trust in scientific facts, so the rest of the story you've already guessed.
We stopped everything.
To be honest, this decision was also a little selfish, as we wanted to sleep peacefully in the knowledge that we weren't taking any risks with your future health.
Fighting pimples without salicylic acid is possible (and preferable!)
With that in mind, you're wondering whether blemished skin is condemned to stay that way if it doesn't want to gamble with its health. If you're on our site, you know the answer: of course not.
To play on the salicylic acid's field, here are some of our secrets that you can find in the Trio-Zinc line:
- Anti-microbial actives (= destroy bad bacteria including C.acnes): Totarol, a.lauric, the postbiotic Lactobacillus...
- Keratolytic active ingredients (here comes the big word that means purifying the pores and helping cell renewal): gluconolactone, lactic acid...
And that's not all... with the Trio-Zinc active ingredient, our formulas act on the CAUSES of imperfections for a lasting effect. Here's an example: Trio-Zinc reduces the amount of IGF-1, a literally pro-acne growth factor that is stimulated when your diet is rich in sugars and/or milk.
And, between you and me, salicylic acid doesn't do that.
As pioneers, committed and sometimes a little rebellious, we've always been guided by the "precautionary principle" when it comes to chemical pollution of the body and its consequences. As you can see, salicylic acid will not be the exception that proves the rule.
References:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:342:0059:0209:fr:PDF
https://health.ec.europa.eu/scientific-committees/scientific-committee-consumer-safety-sccs_en