About Our Natural Ingredients & The Ingredients We Avoid In Our Products

There are so many health and beauty products available on the market, but do you know what ingredients are being used in them?

This is a question that our founder asked herself before developing Natural Birthing Company. Using natural ingredients and having our whole range approved by the Vegan Society was so important to us, and still is to this very day.

So, what ingredients does Natural Birthing Company avoid?

1. Lanolin

Lanolin is used in many beauty products that are readily available on the market due to its low cost. However, research has shown that lanolin allergies are on the rise due to over-exposure of this ingredient. This is one reason why Natural Birthing Company will never use lanolin in any of our products. Another reason is that lanolin is an ingredient taken from the sebaceous glands of sheep. Sheep secrete lanolin in order to protect their wool, and, as a strictly vegan brand we oppose the use of any ingredients derived from animals.

2. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) & Palm Oil

SLS is a chemical that is used in many soaps, shower gels and shampoos. However, SLS is known to be very drying on the skin which is problematic for those who suffer from eczema or psoriasis, and could also be problematic when used in pregnancy as hormones can make the skin dry and irritable. In addition to this, palm oil is used in the production of SLS. If you don’t know, palm oil production results in deforestation, which not only has a devastating effect in destroying wildlife and destroying the ecosystem, but also displaces indigenous people. The production of palm oil is destructive to the planet, and this is why we will never use palm oil or SLS in any of our products.

3. Parabens

Parabens are chemicals that are often used as preservatives in health and beauty products. Studies have suggested that parabens can disrupt the body’s hormones which can have an effect on fertility, the reproductive hormones and increase the risk of cancer. In addition to this, parabens also have a bad effect on the environment, and reports have suggested that parabens have been known to affect marine mammals. We are proud to be completely paraben free.

4. Beeswax

Beeswax is another ingredient often used in the beauty industry as a thickener, emulsifier or to stiffen cosmetics. However, as a non-vegan ingredient this is something that we do not use and will not ever use in any of our products.

5. Mineral Oils

Although mineral oils do originate in the earth, they are in fact a by-product of the distillation of petrol and petroleum products. This not only raises questions on what impurities may still remain after refinement, but they are also non-renewable and play a part in the exploitation of the earth for fossil fuels. Natural Birthing Company are always striving to be more environmentally friendly and our fight against using mineral oils plays a part in this. Instead, we use natural plant oils which are also much more beneficial on the skin.

6. Synthetic Colours & Fragrances

Synthetic colours and fragrances can be found everywhere – from household products, beauty products to food products. There are many studies which suggest the negative health implications of using these synthetic ingredients, from causing allergic reactions to causing cancer – so we stay away from these. Plus, we’re called Natural Birthing Company, not Synthetic Birthing Company!

Now that we have delved into some of the popular ingredients that we refuse to use, let’s have a look at some of the natural ingredients we love to use!

1. Plant oils and butters

Instead of using oils that are destructive to our planet we opt instead for natural oils and butters that are derived from plants. Some of our favourites are:

• Apricot Kernel Oil (derived from the kernels of apricots)
• Cocoa Butter (derived from cocoa beans)
• Evening Primrose Oil (derived from the seeds of the flowers)
• Grapeseed Oil (derived from grapes)
• Olive Oil (derived from olives)
• Rosehip Oil (derived from the seeds of the rose bush)
• Wheatgerm Oil (derived from wheat)
• Sunflower Seed Oil (derived from sunflowers)
• Sweet Almond Oil (derived from almonds)
• Shea Butter (derived from the nut of the African shea tree)

2. Plants

We love to use plants in our products as they are a natural way of promoting skin health. Some of our favourites include:

• Aloe Vera
• Grapefruit
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Mandarin
• Neroli
• Menthol
• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Ylang Ylang

We hope you loved reading our post! For more information on our core values take a look here.