Packaging

Most of our packaging materials (low density polyethylene for tubes, polypropylene for caps, glass and PET for bottles, white boxes, aluminum canisters) can be recycled easily and are environmentally friendlier. We are also committed to a “VMVerdant” program of environmentally-friendlier choices whenever possible: recycled paper, glue-less papers, and glass, with a long-term vision of a carbon-neutral footprint and zero plastic.

Ingredients

Our top criterion for selecting ingredients is hypoallergenicity. Many natural ingredients are allergens. So while we’ll try to use natural, organic ingredients, we’ll only do so if they are proven to be hypoallergenic. Our virgin coconut oil (present in the majority of our products), for example, comes from an organic coconut farm in Leyte, Philippines. Similarly, instead of parabens, our preservative system makes use of monolaurin, another coconut-derived product which is used in almost all VMV products.

When choosing ingredients our primary filters are the allergen lists published by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, and European Surveillance System on Contact Allergens, both of which conduct multi-center patch tests over several years on tens of thousands of patients. They are also both independent organizations, which ensures our objectivity in ingredient selection. We further vet our ingredients via internal patch tests, which are conducted on final formulations as well as accessories like brushes and sponges. If an ingredient is on these lists, we will not use it. Sometimes, an ingredient suddenly makes it to these lists (such as vitamin E, which we used to use in almost all our products) — meaning we then reformulate. At times this can result in a lag where some of our products may still contain a recently listed allergen, but we do commit to reformulating all our products to ensure that we do not use proven allergens.

In addition, we refer to the American Academy of Dermatology’s requirements, as well as those of other countries regarding sun protection and skin safety. As skin cancer, photosensitivity, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, psoriasis and other diseases are real concerns for many of our clients, we must prioritize protection and allergenicity before any other consideration (many of our clients have more serious conditions such as melanoma, rosacea, polymorphic light eruption, etc., and need this level of protection and care).

But… what about environmentally toxic ingredients?

There are certainly toxic ingredients that could make it into anything, not just cosmetics. The good news is that skincare and cosmetics are regulated in most countries. This means that we have to register our formulations to show that a) no toxic ingredients are present and b) if there is an ingredient that has risks past a certain concentration, that the formulation has it well within the allowed limit.

Many environmental watch groups have important information that can be helpful regarding certain ingredients but important context can sometimes be missing or difficult to access or understand and some environmental groups can be unclear about objections. For example, lead in lipsticks is a common alert. Lead is a proven carcinogen but the concentrations of lead usually used in lipsticks (certainly in our formulations) is less than what is found in the water we drink or air that we breathe. Certain ingredients that have shown toxicity have done so in experiments with animals that were fed the ingredient, sometimes at levels about the equivalent of the animal’s body weight over several years. The presence of the ingredient in a skincare formulation is a different scenario from eating these ingredients (and very different from ingesting them at one’s body weight). For these reasons, we defer to official regulatory boards internationally.

That said, some products do violate rules and are flagged for illegal levels of ingredients, or using banned ingredients. This is why it is a comfort that cosmetics are regulated in most countries and have to use ingredients that are proven safe and at allowable concentrations.

Even for safe ingredients there are also sometimes worries about how much they penetrate into the body. Many ingredients found in skincare and cosmetics have molecules that are too large to penetrate the epidermis, making penetration to the dermis and beyond unlikely. This is why, for example, we currently do not use nanoparticles (even if they make newer sunscreens feel sublimely not-there) because the jury is still out on whether they penetrate too deeply into the skin and beyond.

To sum up, we choose ingredients that are scientifically proven in multi-subject, multi-center patch tests to be the safest for the skin. For products that provide a more serious health function, like sunscreens or active treatments, we also prioritize evidence-based efficacy.

Community and Small Farm Support

On the small organic farm that we support, nothing goes to waste. Coconut by-products are used to feed fish in fresh flowing rivers on the land (gravity fed fishponds) which also has evolved naturally into a bird sanctuary of wild ducks, white herons, and hawks. It is a cooperative farm, providing free education to farmers and schools in the area, and sharing food and techniques with neighbors as well as participating in livelihood development and medical missions.

It’s an ongoing process to be green as a company, but we continually make it a priority. We make the effort to choose more environmentally friendly materials for our packaging, to use more biodegradable materials and make it easier to recycle. While hyperallergenicity and efficacy is of utmost importance in our ingredients, most of our products contain  monolaurin as a natural preservative, and organically produced virgin coconut oil. And the farm that produces the oil ensures nothing goes to waste while fostering the local natural and human ecosystem.

Subscribe to VMVinSKIN.com and our YouTube channel for more hypoallergenic tips and helpful “skinformation”!

If you have a history of sensitive skin…

…don’t guess! Random trial and error can cause more damage. Ask your dermatologist about a patch test.

To shop our selection of hypoallergenic products, visit vmvhypoallergenics.com. Need help? Ask us in the comments section below, or for more privacy (such as when asking us to customize recommendations for you based on your patch test results) contact us by email, or drop us a private message on Facebook or Instagram.

For more:

• On the prevalence of skin allergies, see Skin Allergies Are More Common Than Ever. 
• For the difference between irritant and allergic reactions, see It’s Complicated: Allergic Versus Irritant Reaction.
• For the difference between food, skin, and other types of reactions: see Skin & Food Allergies Are Not The Same Thing. 
• On the differences between hypoallergenic, natural, and organic, check out Is Natural Hypoallergenic? and this video in our YouTube channel. 
• To learn about the VH-Rating System and hypoallergenicity: What Is The Validated Hypoallergenic Rating System?

Want more great information on contact dermatitis? Check out the American Contact Dermatitis Society, Dermnet New Zealand, the Contact Dermatitis Institute, and your country’s contact dermatitis association.

Your skinfatuated, skintellectual, skingenious team at VMV Hypoallergenics!