I just saw a TV ad for a new moisturizing product that started out by saying, “Why use three skin care products when you can use one that works?”
The Garnier 3-In-1 Moisturizer claims it contains “96% Naturally-Derived Ingredients.” Of course, the ad caught my attention. So, I looked it up. My first interest is always to look at the ingredients. In this case, I wondered, what do they mean by “naturally-derived”? Here is how they answer the question:
“We consider an ingredient to be naturally-derived if it is unchanged from its natural state or has undergone processing yet still retains greater than 50% of its molecular structure from its original natural source. This formula consists of 96% naturally-derived ingredients.
“The remaining ingredients constitute 4% of the formula to ensure its sensoriality and preservation.”
From the above information, I’m still not sure I understand what “naturally-derived” really means. And, the remaining 4%, they claim, constitutes the rest of the “formula to ensure its sensoriality and preservation.” Hmm, I assume this means perfume and preservatives (neither of which is desirable for good skin care).
Turning to the ingredients, what do you suppose is the first ingredient? One guess. Yes, it’s water. While they claim on their packaging that the product is “MADE WITHOUT MINERAL OIL, PARABENS, SILICONES, DYES,” ether and alcohol (denatured) are the fourth and fifth ingredients in a list of 21. And the list goes on, including other drying and unnatural (and undesirable) ingredients. So, whether the ingredients are “naturally derived” (whatever that means) or not has little bearing on the quality and efficacy of the ingredients for good skin care!
Despite marketing claims, the bottom line is: Read the ingredients! If it starts with water, it will be followed by a long list of unpronounceable items that include chemicals, preservatives, and other ingredients that may actually do just the opposite of what the product claims is its purpose. For example, this Garnier product claims to be a moisturizer, while one of its ingredients, salicylic acid, is an exfoliant used for acne and dissolving warts! Further, while the product appears to receive high ratings on line, some sites disclose that many of the reviewers received an incentive for providing their rave remarks. Expert ratings only give it a 2 out of 5 stars for a number of reasons.
Sheeperfect® came into being because I had not found good moisturizing products that were made with no water and all-natural ingredients. Fortunately, it seems the trend is to become increasingly mindful of ingredients in products, but businesses may be more and more inclined to market to this growing awareness by concocting meaningless claims that may grab your attention (as in this case), are false, and/or delude consumers into believing a façade. The packaging may be pretty, but what’s inside is what really matters.