L’Oréal Cell Renew Revitalising Day Cream, SPF30 –50 ml €
No need to present the L’Oréal group, the biggest multinational in the cosmetics market, a leader both in France and at international level. And like all large groups, the l’Oréal group now displays its « sustainable » commitments « for the future » with huge ladles of marketing campaigns … that certainly represent exorbitant budgets. There is no need to repeat their commitments in terms of sustainability here, they all seem more than « perfect ».And if we were to take a closer look at one of L’Oréal’s products, what about the formulation of the cosmetic products presents on the market?
L’Oréal Age Perfect under the spotlight
L’Oréal Age Perfect Day Cream product benefits, – as presented on the brand’s website (UK version)*:
DESCRIPTION
« Discover millions of new skin cells with this revitalising SPF day cream that promotes cell renewal. Formulated with a powerful antioxidant recovery complex, the cream enhances radiance leaving skin feeling toned with a luminous looking glow.
BENEFITS
Cell Renew Revitalising Day Cream SPF30 is formulated with:
Antioxidant Recovery Complex:
- Neohesperidin: powerful antioxidant known to support cell regeneration
- Vitamin E: antioxidant known to boosts skins natural defence against free radicals like pollution
- SPF30: Protects skin against the harmful effects of UV rays
The product claims
As is often the case in the cosmetics sector, L’Oréal highlights two active ingredients (black truffle and black tea kombucha) which are supposed to account for the global effectiveness of the formula: « two active ingredients rich in polyphenols and vitamin B (…) to accelerate cell regeneration and prolong the vitality of the skin. » (as specified on the french version of l’Oréal’s website. This is a very common marketing technique, not only in the conventional cosmetics sector by the way*. And the fundamental aspect of the base of the formula, the so-called « excipient », is very often forgotten, and is of paramount importance.According to K.P. Witten, Head of Development at Beiersdorf, « 80% of the desired performance can be achieved with a quality excipient. The active ingredients, however extraordinary, only account for the remaining 20%.
* (However, there is one important difference: the quality of the excipient is generally much better in certified natural and organic cosmetics, as it is based entirely vegetable oils and waxes, as mineral oil/silicone components are simply not allowed)
More information can be found in the video on this topic (in french, however).
Let’s have a closer look at L’Oréal Age Perfect ingredients list
If we get back to the example of L’Oréal’s day cream, it’s the truffle extract and black tea that are highlighted as main ingredients with exceptional qualities. But when we take a closer look at the INCI list, we see that these components are found in 17th and 22nd position; in very small quantities and therefore with extremely limited benefits.The main ingredients are always to be found at the top of the list, which makes it easy to identify those present in the highest concentration. Finally, everything at the very end of the list is present in extremely small quantities.On the other hand, -once again- it is interesting to look more closely at the whole formulation of the product and to compare it with the brand’s product description.So if we take a closer look water is in first position, closely followed by glycerin and somewhere in the middle the two highlighted active ingredients. What would be interesting now would be to know what lies in between these two ingredients….
Let’s take the time to check the composition of the product by taking a closer look at the list of ingredients, the INCI list of L’Oréal’s Cell Renew Revitalising Day Cream
Ingredients/ INCI*: AQUA / WATER • GLYCERIN • HOMOSALATE • OCTOCRYLENE • ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE • ALCOHOL DENAT. • BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE • HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE • BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE • DIMETHICONE • CETEARYL ALCOHOL • PEG-100 STEARATE • PEG-20 • PETROLATUM • CETYL ALCOHOL • TUBER AESTIVUM EXTRACT • BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER / SHEA BUTTER • C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN • SACCHAROMYCES/XYLINUM/BLACK TEA FERMENT • GLYCERYL STEARATE • TUBER MELANOSPORUM EXTRACT • DIMETHICONOL • DIMETHYL ISOSORBIDE • CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE • NEOHESPERIDIN DIHYDROCHALCONE • SODIUM CITRATE • SODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE • SODIUM HYALURONATE • SODIUM HYDROXIDE • CYCLODEXTRIN • ADENOSINE • VIGNA ACONITIFOLIA SEED EXTRACT • MANNITOL • DISODIUM EDTA • DISODIUM SUCCINATE • PROPYLENE GLYCOL • HYDROLYZED CICER SEED EXTRACT • HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • CITRIC ACID • LAURETH-7 • XANTHAN GUM • BIOTIN • FAEX EXTRACT / YEAST EXTRACT • POLYACRYLAMIDE • ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • OCTYLDODECANOL • BHT • TOCOPHEROL • TOCOPHERYL ACETATE • POTASSIUM SORBATE • SODIUM BENZOATE • SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE • SODIUM SALICYLATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • CI 14700 / RED 4 • CI 19140 / YELLOW 5 • LINALOOL • GERANIOL • ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE • LIMONENE • HYDROXYCITRONELLAL • CITRONELLOL • HEXYL CINNAMAL • BENZYL ALCOHOL • BENZYL SALICYLATE • PARFUM / FRAGRANCE
Ingredient analysis
Ingredient’s list analyzed with the website’s INCI Search tool
As always, it is the first 5-10 ingredients that make up the majority of the product’s overall « profile ».
Following water and glycerin, we go straight to the « problematic synthetic components » list with a host of controversial sunscreens and different ingredients derived from petrochemicals (mineral oils) or silicones. A « product base » that is almost entirely based on synthetic ingredients (except the glycerine), some of which are highly controversial.
A long list of controversial substances are in L’Oréal’s Cell Renew Revitalising Day Cream:
- HOMOSALATE a chemical UV filter/sunscreen, suspected endocrine disruptor*.
- OCTOCRYLENE a chemical UV filter/sunscreen, suspected endocrine disruptor*.
- ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE (Octisalate) a chemical UV filter/sunscreen, suspected endocrine disruptor*.
- Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone) a chemical UV filter/sunscreen, a suspected endocrine disruptor
- Several Silicones : DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONOL environmentally problematic substances (not very biodegradable), pollutants
- Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, derived from mineral oil, problematic for the environment
- A series of PEGs (@BIS-PEG-18 METHYLETHER DIMETHYL SILANE, PEG-100 STEARATE – PEG-20), these are ethoxylated materials. These are obtained from highly reactive and toxic gases, and are the result of a chemical process that requires the strictest safety measures. PEGs can also make the skin’s barrier more permeable to other substances and are not very biodegradable and therefore also polluting.
- Phenoxyethanol, a controversial synthetic preservative, with proven toxic potential (harmful to the liver, in particular)
- Film-forming agents, like Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, and Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer problematic for the environment, pollutants
- The « Fragrance »/ Perfume listed in the INCI list can also sometimes be a problem: since it is a non-certified product (in natural and organic cosmetics), there is a good chance that it is a synthetic fragrance, which very often also contains phthalates, also classified as endocrine disruptors. To avoid the presence of phthalates, the only certainty would be to opt for a certified product, as synthetic perfumes are simply not authorised by the various specifications in natural and organic cosmetics.
Verdict for the analysis of L’Oréal Cell Renew Revitalising Day Cream:
A formulation that is far, far from being… flawless. A very unspectacular base/excipient (mainly glycerin and silicones), surrounded by very problematic and controversial ingredients (problematic synthetic preservatives, synthetic UV filters/sunscreens, endocrine disruptors, silicones, etc…)
No less than 5 very problematic synthetic sunscreens, for a simple day cream… what else? On top of that, there is a whole list of controversial and polluting ingredients, problematic for the environment (silicones, acrylates, Peg, mineral oil derivatives etc) – which is just perfect for consolidating and putting into action these « sustainable commitments for the future »…only kidding.
It is always worth taking a closer look at the formulation of certain randomly chosen products. Very often we come to the conclusion that the commitments touted by multi-nationals like l’Oréal are still far from being reflected in reality.Why then invest huge sums in advertising this new vision of « For the Future » when the product formulation of a randomly choses product… just stands for the absolute opposite?
