Here at Estuary Essentials, we believe in making Clean Products for Clean People. That means many things to us – we want you to be clean and healthy, and we choose only ingredients that we trust to do the job safely. We stand by our products – we wouldn’t have you using anything that we wouldn’t have our own family use!
Cruelty Free Ingredients Only
The ingredients used in products that we make are carefully selected with research, after which we test on ourselves before sharing with our network of testers. Our ingredients and our products are never tested on animals.
We strive to ensure that our formulas are free of harmful dyes, sulfates, phthalates, and parabens. While agencies like the FDA may allow for these ingredients in foods, cosmetics, and personal care products, there is information available that show cause for high concern over putting these chemicals in and on our bodies. We’re happy to share some of that information with you here – it’s a lot of reading, and the short version is that these chemicals may not show immediate harm; however, they may quietly do damage either directly or indirectly.
Why we avoid using dyes
The general reason we avoid using dyes in our products is that it’s unnecessary. Dyes are added to many products on the market as an attractive way to assist in selling the products – it’s a psychological appeal. We believe our products will sell themselves in their natural state. We trust customers to make decisions that are informed rather than impulsive.
The more serious reason that we avoid using dyes in our products is that many artificial dyes are connected to health concerns. Some of these concerns are dire enough that outside of the USA, there are bans on using some artificial dyes. The known risks include allergic reaction, hyperactivity, inhibition of nerve cell development, genotoxicity, kidney tumors, bladder tumors, brain tumors, dose-based toxicity, thyroid tumors, adrenal tumors, and testicular tumors. To read more in-depth about the effects of artificial dyes in our products, take a look at Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. While this study focuses on food consumption of dyes, we know that some of the same dyes are in cosmetics and personal care products, and we know that the products we use on our bodies absorb into our bodies. As a basic principle, Estuary Essentials will always avoid artificial dyes.
Full Disclosure: Some of our soap bars may have mica colorants as a simple and natural way to distinguish them from each other. Mica powders are naturally-occurring minerals. We choose to use these minerals to make it easier to see which variety of soap you are holding. As a non-essential additive, we are happy to take requests for making soaps without the mica colorants!
Why we avoid using sulfates
What are sulfates? Sulfates are detergents, or surfactants, commonly found in products like shampoo, body wash, face cleanser, and toothpaste. Some sulfates are found in nature, and some are synthetic. The most common ingredients you’ll see out there that are sulfates are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These are generally the cleaning and foaming bases in liquid washes. These ingredients are known to cause irritation to skin, which gets worse with prolonged use. Both types of sulfates also dry out skin and hair. Some people even experience worsening acne when using these products. Sulfates are known to strip hair of its natural oils, causing long-term damage to hair and drying the scalp. There is research you can read to learn more about sulfate surfactants in shampoos: Pro and Contra of Cleansing Conditioners. Note that sulfate-free liquid cleansers tend to be less lathery and more creamy formulas.
Why we avoid using phthalates
What are phthalates? Phthalates are synthetic chemicals used primarily in plastics, to make fragrances last longer, and to help lotions and topical treatments absorb into the skin. Sometimes the ingredients of a product will show the actual phthalate names, and sometimes the ingredients list will just show a vague additive like “fragrances” which may have phthalates. Unfortunately, phthalates are Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which carry a number of risks for use in and on our bodies. In Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement, researchers detail how phthalates are connected to hormonal disruptions, which may lead to effects on male and female reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology, thyroid, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology. In another research article, Immune System: An Emerging Player in Mediating Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Metabolic Health, connections are made between phthalates and issues with the immune system. A person’s exposure to, and consumption of, phthalates can be measured by testing urine samples, and from this we know that women and people of color are more highly affected by phthalates. Research shows that the more types of personal care products a person uses, the more phthalates are found in tests. This tells us clearly that phthalates in our skin care products are absorbing directly into our bodies and gaining access to our endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, and digestive system. You can read more on this topic in Racial and Sex Differences between Urinary Phthalates and Metabolic Syndrome among U.S. Adults: NHANES 2005–2014.
Because we would prefer to avoid having these chemicals in our own bodies, we avoid putting them into our products. We only use phthalate-free fragrances in our scented products, and we generally will have an unscented option available. Any topical products that we make which are intended to absorb into the skin will always rely on the natural absorbing properties of the base ingredients.
Why we avoid using parabens
What are parabens? Parabens are chemical preservatives widely used in food and personal care products. Manufacturers use parabens to stabilize many personal care and food products and prolong their shelf life. Ingredient labels may show parabens with their full chemical name (usually ending in -paraben) or it may use a vague ingredient like “other preservatives” which may include parabens. Like phthalates, parabens are endocrine disruptors in the body. Even at low concentrations in the body, parabens can affect the endocrine system. In Parabens and their effects on the endocrine system, researchers point out that parabens in the body target hormonal receptors like those used by natural androgens, estrogens, and progesterone, and many other hormones. Disruption in normal functions for these natural hormones can lead to developmental issues, fertility issues, reproductive disorders, thyroid disorders, and more.
Being that we, ourselves, are indeed humans, we recognize how important it is to not disrupt our endocrine systems in such damaging ways. Products from Estuary Essentials will never include parabens for any reason. Our products may have a shorter shelf-life due to a lack of preservatives, and we’re okay with that. We hope you can understand, however we encourage you to bring to our attention any concerns with our products’ shelf life. We are only human, and we are always learning.