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WHY ONLY 12 RAW INGREDIENTS OR LESS?
Everyone of us at Clear Skin Days has suffered with breakouts at some point (and still do!). It’s something we're so passionate about and want to help as many people as we can!
During our own skincare journeys, we realised that a less-is-more approach seemed to be the most effective, and that layering up too many products or treatments was sometimes making things worse. We found results in simplicity and consistently using good ingredients effectively.
Having created many skincare products for other brands, we recognised a gap in the market for a range designed for blemish-prone skin that was gentle yet effective, focusing on using fewer ingredients more effectively. That’s when we created our rule of ‘12 or less raw ingredients’ for every formulation, designed around our approach of no more and no less than what’s needed to clear up spots and blemishes.
Here is a little more about why we use 12 or less raw ingredients in our formulations:
“Each one of us at Clear Skin Days has experienced breakouts, and still do so we know how it feels and want to help you feel a little more in control”
WHAT IS A RAW INGREDIENT IN SKINCARE?
Firstly, it’s important to explain what we mean by a ‘raw ingredient' and how this works when sharing information on our packaging. Clear Skin Days products use 12 or less raw ingredients or materials. But when you look on our packaging, you'll see that sometimes, there are more than 12 'components' listed out - this is because some raw materials have to be split down into their basic forms and show the appropriate INCI names (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients).
For example, a solution of Hyaluronic Acid is one raw material but on the INCI list, it’s split into: Aqua (Water), Hyaluronic acid and Leuconostoc / Radish Root Ferment Filtrate. Not very straight forwards at all but we wanted to be transparent and share how it works as we didn't want anyone to be confused or to think we weren't being transparent.
HEALTHY SKIN BARRIER
Since the K-beauty boom and single ingredient trend, consumers are layering and using more products than ever. Its been an incredible We love this approach of supporting ingredient education, and personalising your skincare routine. BUT, the watch-out is that some people can experience skin issues if formulations are mixed wrongly, or ingredients are overused too frequently at high levels. The result can be a damaged skin barrier.
So why is your skin barrier so important? The outer layers of the skin are there to both prevent water loss and protect against damaging, environmental aggressors such as pollution. When your barrier is compromised, bacteria and pollutants can enter skin, and water escapes. This can cause a whole range of issues such as dryness, sensitivity and, worsening breakouts and acne.
Given the vital role your skin barrier has for good skin health, it’s important to avoid using products or adopting habits that can damage it.
For example, some potent, blemish-busting ingredients (e.g. benzoyl peroxide) can dry the skin, which can then weaken our skin’s barrier. Over washing can also be a bad habit people with blemish-prone skin fall into, as there is the misconception that acne is a result of poor hygiene. This can strip skin of important natural oils and again cause damaging changes to our skin’s barrier.
We keep our ingredient lists tight, targeted and balanced. Our formulations aim to treat the skin issues associated with blemish-prone skin, whilst helping to maintain a healthy skin barrier.
INGREDIENTS THAT WORK
In a fast-paced beauty industry with continuous new ingredient launches, we avoid being fad-focused. We aim to focus on those ingredients that we know are proven to work for blemish-prone skin.
We ensure that every ingredient in our formulations serves a purpose, therefore adding nothing more for the sake of having a nice marketing story.
SENSITIVITY
Blemish-prone skin is often coupled with sensitivity and irritation, and we understand the frustration of breakouts and flare-ups. A big part of the journey is figuring out what works for you, that’s why we keep our ingredients clear and concise, so you can quickly learn what does, or doesn’t work for you.
We also aim to keep potent ingredients at levels that can be used frequently, so they aren’t damaging skin while they get to work clearing up blemishes.
OUR ETHOS
We think that in life, keeping things simple is actually one of the hardest things to do, but it is an ethos we try to live by. It can be easy to overcomplicate things, but to keep things simple takes quite a bit of practice! For many people, the beauty industry has become overwhelming and complicated, so that’s why we created our Clear Skin Days ‘simple’ framework:
We only ever use 12 or less raw ingredients in our formulations
Our product usage is clear
Regimes are easy to build
This is our simple reason for existing; to help you feel in control of your skin for clearer skin days.
GET IN TOUCH
If you want to know more or need a bit of advice, get in touch and say hi at hello@clearskindays.com. We’d love to hear from you and help where we can. 💛
Alternatively, You can get in touch via the form below or by DM on IG.
