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  Kosmetika: Die Themen
 
   
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» The new Avène cleansing milk:
no shortage of powerful words - and a lot of paraffin oil!

There is no shortage of powerful words with this product. Reference is made, for example, to a “patented procedure” with regard to the tube packaging of the new Avène Lait nettoyant Tolérance extreme. It is claimed that no preservatives are required thanks to this packaging.

• Avène has thus realised what so many natural cosmetics manufacturers have known and been applying for centuries, namely that a preserving system is required (from raw materials to manufacturing and packaging) in order to manage with minimum amounts of preservatives or without any synthetic preservatives whatsoever.

So what does the new Avène tube contain? The product allegedly does not contain any perfume or tensides.

Concerning 0% tensides: emulsifiers are actually necessary for a cleansing milk. It would be inappropriate to state that the product contains 0% emulsifiers, as the product contains a raw material with an emulsifying effect. Are tensides and emulsifiers generally considered to be dubious?

  • If the raw materials contained in the second Avène cleansing milk are used, then they should indeed be rejected. PEG raw materials are produced by means of harsh chemical procedures and can make the skin more permeable to harmful substances.
  • Raw materials of this type are not authorised for certified natural and organic cosmetics (e.g. according to the Soil Association, Ecocert/Cosmebio, BDIH, NaTrue).

Concerning 0% perfume: something that apparently did not pose a problem for sensitive skin in Avène Lait démaquillant douceur, namely perfume, clearly is a problem after all, at least for hyper-sensitive and allergy-prone skin. Many women with very sensitive skin have chosen products formulated for sensitive skin in the hope that they do not contain potentially problematic fragrances.
Tolérance extreme cleansing milk is recommended as opposed to standard cosmetics in cases of total intolerance. What produces this total intolerance? Could it have something to do with the formulations of “standard cosmetics”?

“Mild, for sensitive skin”: promises of this kind should be taken with a pinch of salt

All the ingredients that were rejected for the new Avène Lait nettoyant Tolérance extreme (such as tensides, emulsifiers, preservatives and perfumes) are contained in the 2nd Avène cleansing milk presented. In spite of this, they are advertised as being for sensitive skin.

A lot of money for a lot of paraffin oil!

The advertisements for the new Avène Lait nettoyant Tolérance extreme place a great deal of emphasis on what the product does not contain. There is a good reason for this.

  • A slogan such as “This product is composed of milk and a large proportion of paraffin oil” would not be very effective from an advertising point of view (see product analysis below). Paraffin oils are some of the cheapest cosmetic oils of all and they are not without their problems (see box below).
  • If we compare prices, it is clear that the new Avène Lait nettoyant Tolérance extreme is more than five times more expensive than Avène Lait démaquillant douceur. Why? It consists (apart from water) only of glycerine, paraffin and silicone oil plus two adjuvants. Two examples of price comparisons: whilst 1 kg of organic almond oil costs around €20.00 1 kg of paraffin oil costs around €1.00.

 
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Avène: Lait nettoyant Tolérance extrême (Cleansing Lotion Tolérance extrême)
50 ml 13,50 € - 10 ml 2,70 €

  
 
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INCI
6 Avène Aqua
6 Glycerin
6 Paraffinum Liquidum
  Skin-care score 66
6 Cyclomethicone
  Environmental score 66
6 Glyceryl Stearate
6 Sodium Carbomer
  Environmental score 66
   
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6 Basis / Active ingredients
Only glycerine, paraffin oil, a silicone oil, glyceryl stearate as an emulsifying raw material and the acrylic acid carbomer as an adjuvant (stabiliser, gelling agent). The fact that the moisturiser glycerine plays an important role could have something to do with the preservation issue (see preservation). Both oils are synthetic chemicals.
Preservation
The decision as to whether and how a product needs to be preserved depends on the choice of raw materials, among other factors. Glycerine also acts as a preservative and an oil such as paraffin oil is much more “sterile” and robust than a genuine plant oil. If glycerine and paraffin oil play an important role in a product, the preservation issue requires a different approach from that adopted for products containing other raw materials. Would the special tube also protect cleansing milks containing the best natural ingredients such as plant oils and plant extracts? If so, then why are cheap chemicals like paraffin oils used?
 
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Avène: Lait démaquillant douceur (Gentle milk cleanser)
200 ml 10,50 € - 10 ml 0,52 €

  
 
Avene Spacer
 
INCI
6 Avène Aqua
6 Paraffinum Liquidum
  Skin-care score 66
2 Propylene Glycol
5 PEG-6 Stearate
5 PEG-32 Stearate
6 Butylparaben
6 Carbomer
  Environmental score 66
6 Parfum
4 Phenoxyethanol
2 Propylene Glycol Stearate SE
6 Sodium Hyaluronate
6 Stearic Acid
5 Triethanolamine
5 Trisodium EDTA
  Environmental score 66
   
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6 Basis / Active ingredients
This product claims to be for “mild, sensitive skin”, but it contains all the cosmetic chemicals generally used in standard cosmetic products. One such chemical is triethanolamine, a buffer substance which can produce dangerous (carcinogenic) nitrosamines. The main oil is a paraffin oil. The product also contains raw materials such as synthetic moisturisers, 2 ethoxylated (PEG) emulsifiers, the acrylic acid carbomer as adjuvant, 2 preservatives and EDTA which is extremely detrimental to the environment. The only ingredient which can be evaluated positively without reservation is the moisturising hyaluronic acid.
6 Preservation
The preservatives used are a paraben (butyparaben) and phenoxyethanol.
 
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A source of danger: mineral oils

The potential danger of mineral hydrocarbons (mineral oils and waxes) has been the subject of discussions for many years. It has been investigated for years in tests on animals. The conclusion is that mineral oils and waxes with a low viscosity and a short chain length can produce dangerous cumulative effects.

  • Short and long-term studies on rats have revealed that dangerous cumulative effects can be produced by the oral administration of certain mineral hydrocarbons and waxes (with a low viscosity and a short chain length). In practical terms, this means that lipsticks which contain these ingredients, which are ingested in significant quantities, are a source of danger.

The following mineral hydrocarbons are contained in the INCI list:
• Paraffinum Liquidum • Petrolatum • Cera Microcristallina • Ozokerite • Ceresin • Paraffin.

According to directive 67/548/EEC on dangerous substances, petrolatum is classified as carcinogenic (category 2). However, the carcinogenic classification is not essential when the entire refining process is known and it can be proven that the original substance is not carcinogenic.

  • It has therefore been decided on the basis of data concerning mineral hydrocarbons that lip- and mouth-care products should only contain mineral hydrocarbons whose ADI (acceptable daily intake) value has been determined. But is that sufficient?
  • Products such as cleansing milk are products that are wiped off and are therefore different from lipsticks which tend to be ingested. Nevertheless: why should the consumer accept mineral hydrocarbons at all? These cosmetic ingredients are among the cheapest and could easily be replaced by higher-quality, unproblematic ingredients.

 








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