Orba Originals - Our 'Naturally No Nonsense Skincare' Philosophy explained

So What Exactly Is 'Naturally No Nonsense Skincare'?

First of all, we like to keep things natural. We won't use synthetic ingredients that could make our creams cheaper to buy, or quicker to make. We believe that if mother nature created it - we can't improve on it, so we respect our raw material and don't try to tamper with the properties. We're also aware that not everything that is natural is good for you so we carefully choose what we work with to ensure we're passing the best possible products on to you.

Secondly, we know that working out what is best for your skin can be a minefield. With a lot of conflicting information readily available it can be difficult to tell what is definitely good for you and what isn't.

The truth is that good skincare is a very personal matter. What might work for you might not work for a member of your family. This isn't just down to our genetic make-up but also because it is possible for allergies and irritations to develop over time sometimes due to prolonged exposure to certain ingredients after which the use of certain products can become problematic.

The trouble is that sometimes the very product we're using to alleviate an outbreak might be making it worse! This is why we have a strict no nonsense philosophy. If an ingredient doesn't make sense for your skin - we just won't use it - simple!

In practical terms, anything we know from our supremely qualified family scientist, to be a recognised allergen won't make it into our pots!

So we thought we would spell it out for you.

Here is a list of of what you will and what you won't find in our products. Some of the ingredients might surprise you! And if we haven't made things clear enough or you want further information then please do get in touch with us right away and we'd be happy to help.

WHAT YOU WILL NEVER FIND IN OUR PRODUCTS			WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN OUR PRODUCTS

	LANOLIN	Lanolin is a natural product obtained from the fleece of sheep. Although Lanolin is widely used in various forms of cosmetics because of its hypoallergenic properties and the ability to block out bacteria, we won't use it in Orba products as it is also a known irritant exacerbating dry skin conditions such as Eczema and can cause Contact Dermatitis.		ESSENTIAL OILS and PURE OILS	Essential Oils or Pure Oils are natural little wonders for your skin and are the key 'tool' used in aromatherapy to bring about well being and balance for the body. Essential oils are not actually oils, they are aromatic essences sourced from plants flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds and they have particular therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties which aid in
					healing and preventing illness. There are about 150
	ALCOHOL	These come in many forms such as Propylene Glycol (PG) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in moisturisers and creams (look out for the 'ol' at the end!) and we avoid them because they can cause allergic reactions and excaerbate existing skin conditions such as Eczema.			different oils with great healing properties. We carefully select and blend essential oils for use in our creams so that the greatest benefits are delivered to your skin.

	PARABENS	This is a new one for us. We have to admit that we've been quite happy to use 'good' parabens up until now and that is simply because having a scientist in our family whom we trust (of course!), we've had reason to believe that further empirical study is required to prove the case linking Parabens to Cancer....it wasn't a popular opinion but, we feel, an informed one.		NATURAL VITAMINS	It is possible for Vitamins to be created synthetically in laboratories and very often products listing Vitamins actually refer to the use of synthetic vitamins. Many will argue that the chemical structure of synthetic Vitamins are indistinguishable from the real thing. However, since we have the choice and we believe that Mother Nature knows what she is doing, we prefer to use the 'real stuff'!
		However central to Orba's ethos has always been a
		commitment to putting our customers first and providing skincare that our customers really want and so we've made the decision to go 100% paraben free from this point onwards.		NON- ANIMAL SOURCED SOLUTIONS	As well as keeping our products free from animal cruelty we avoid the use of animal derived ingredients which are sometimes obtained unethically. This also means our products are suitable for vegetarians.

	STEROIDS	While Topical Steroids certainly can provide rapid relief from the discomfort of itching associated with allergies like Eczema and Psoriasis, prolonged use can cause harmful effects which may include:		NON- SURGICAL SOLUTIONS	We source some of nature's most wonderful ingredients to bring about the same skin-rejuvenating and cell tightening effects that you might otherwise pay thousands of pounds worth of money for.
		Thinning of the skin, Changes in pigmentation, Telangectasia (blood vessel) formation, Rosacea, Perioral dermatitis, Acne, Contact Dermatitis, Greater proneness to skin infections and Delayed wound healing ability.
		We think those are more than enough reasons to avoid using steroids altogether!!

	ANIMAL TESTING	None of our products have been tested on animals. Our products are entirely cruelty free and we ensure the safety of our products through dermatological testing - which means they are tested on human skin.

	NO ANIMAL DERIV- ATIVES	We prefer to avoid the use of ingredients derived from the bodies of animals on ethical grounds. This means you won't find ingredients like collagen, keratin, elastin or similar 'natural' animal derivatives in any of our creams.

	MINERAL OIL	A derivative of crude oil (petroleum) mineral oil is used industrially as a cutting fluid and lubricating oil. It forms an oily film over the skin which acts as a shield to lock in moisture which is why you will find it is widely used in moisturisers. However it also locks in, toxins and wastes and hinders normal skin respiration by keeping oxygen out.

	SUNSCREEN	With widespread awareness over the last 20 years of the dangers of sun exposure, from sun-damaged skin to skin cancer, the use of sunscreens has become a routine part of our daily lives. This has led to various allergic reactions to the chemicals found in sunscreens. Most of these allergic reactions represent contact dermatitis.

	NO HARSH CHEMICALS	Most of the chemicals which go into our personal care products are the same as the harsh toxic chemicals used in industry. In some cases the full extent of their potential dangers are still being assessed and we think it is best to avoid these altogether:
		SULPHATES such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is commonly used to create luxurious lather in cleansers and shampoos but which can be excessively drying for skin.
		TRICLOSAN is a common ingredient in antibacterial products but it is very harsh and we feel there are kinder, more natural ways to combat bacteria such as the essential oils which we use.

		There are many OTHER CHEMICALS we won't use in our creams but there are far too many to list here. If you are concerned about any ingredients in particular, whether we use them or not then give us a shout and we'll be happy to talk things through.