For us this means pure, natural ingredients. Ingredients that are as close to their natural state as possible. Face oils (made with plant oils like pomegranate seed oil, Shea butter and avocado oil) often fit this bill. Face oils are often water free and do not need preservatives. Please note they sometimes contain naturally derived and synthetic ingredients.  

Tip: Plant ingredients are easy to spot. A truly natural ingredient will be listed on the label by its botanical name, its common name or both. For example, take a look at the ingredient list from our best selling Mokosh Certified Organic light face cream:

Ingredients: Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) butter⁺, Camellia oleifera seed oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) oil, Adansonia digitata (Baobab) oil, Macadamia ternifolia oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) oil, Borago officinalis (Borage) seed oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil, Sambucus nigra (Elderberry) seed oil, Salvia hispanica (Chia) seed oil, Vanilla planifolia fruit oil, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) and Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf extract..

Many 'all natural' products will contain ‘Naturally derived’ ingredients.  This simply means a natural ingredient is chemically or physically altered in a lab to isolate a specific component.

Naturally derived ingredients can play an important role in improving the effectiveness of your products. Although they are generally safe and effective – they no longer resemble the original plant and are made in a lab. On labels they will include words like “from coconut/sugar/vegetable derived’.

For example, caprylic/capric triglyceride naturally occurs in coconut and palm kernel oil. It is created by splitting oils and isolating the specific fatty acid and recombined with glycerin to form pure caprylic/capric triglyceride. It is an oily liquid used to create a barrier on the skin’s surface. It is sometimes used in makeup, skincare and deodorants to decrease moisture loss and make them easy to apply.

‘Nature identical’ ingredients are synthetic ingredients made to mimic a natural ingredient. Ingredients might occur in nature but may be unethical or unsustainable to extract.

Did you know? Vitamin C is one of the most beneficial active ingredients in skincare. It's also most likely synthetic. While chopping up vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables may be possible for DIY recipes, vitamin C is highly unstable. For this reason, vitamin C is usually synthetic — even in natural skincare products.

Mica is a mineral widely used in makeup to give products a beautiful sheen. While it is a naturally occurring mineral – human rights issues involving child labor can make it difficult to source ethically. Obviously, using child labor for ingredients in our makeup is not something we support – and we accept brands substituting synthetic mica when necessary. Synthetic mica is believed safe and biodegradable.

Clean beauty brands embrace both natural and man-made ingredients. The focus is on safety over source. Not all “natural” ingredients are safe and not all synthetic ingredients are bad.

In clean beauty each ingredient is carefully evaluated for safety, efficacy and its broader impact (e.g fair trade, sustainability). No ingredients linked to harmful health effects (e.g. hormone disruption, cancer or skin irritation) are permitted.