February 15, 2019
Most skincare products come with a recommendation as to how to store them so as to keep them safe and in top condition for as long as possible. Ours say ‘store below 30°C’. We go into further detail on our FAQs page:
“We recommend that products are stored away from direct sunlight and below 30°C. In warmer climates and in hot summer conditions we recommend that you store your products, particularly those in jars (Ultimate Face Cream, 2 in 1 Face Scrub + Mask), in the refrigerator.”
Refrigerator you say? That’s where mine have been these past 10 weeks to keep them as cool as possible. This summer in Australia has been extraordinarily hot and humidity has been at an all-time high. So how does this affect your skin care products?
We recently had a customer return a product to a stockist after some mould grew in the base of the jar, several months after opening. When I discussed this with the stockist I explained that we have had our products stability tested against mould and other common microbes, and they held up. So why would it still grow mould?
Once jars are opened and fingers go into them, products are introduced to a broad array of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi. Add to this poor storage conditions (kept in a space that goes above 30°C and/or gets direct sunlight) and you compromise the preservative system. So why not use stronger preservatives?
There are preservatives and there are preservatives. The list is long and it goes from very mild (fermented radish root), all the way to killer (formaldehyde and other carcinogenic nasties). Because our products contain 100% natural and organic ingredients, we have chosen a preservative system that upholds these standards but also creates a safe and gentle product that is shelf stable.
We also do this because we want to keep our products fresh and as close to natural as possible. Skin care should be treated like a food in some respects. Products contain oils, butters and gels that are extracted directly from plants. These ingredients are then blended to form a skin care product. This product is food for your skin, containing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to improve the health of your skin.
I am always concerned when I see a skin care product that looks and smells exactly the same as it did when it was first purchased years earlier. Alarm bells should be ringing! It’s like the McDonalds experiment where they sit a hamburger on a shelf and it looks and smells the same several years later. It can’t be good!
You don’t expect your food to stay fresh forever, especially when it’s not kept under the right storage conditions, so please take the time to look after your skin care. Kept cool and away from sunlight, your Clémence Organics will last as long as you can stop yourself from using it all up!
July 26, 2024
The quality of your skin varies according to the season, what you’re eating, the climate you’re in, your stress levels, and what you’re using on your skin.
Your skin is never one skin type but rather a living, breathing, changeable organ, and you should treat it as such. By adapting your diet and skincare, you can keep your skin happy, no matter the season.
For example, in Australia we’re mid-winter which means the weather is cool and dry. So I’ve adapted my skincare routine, some habits and my diet, to keep my skin healthy.
March 04, 2024
Autumn is upon us and the cooler weather is on its way. In our glorious patch of the world, the ever-stunning Blue Mountains of NSW, you can already see some of the leaf tips starting to burnish with autumn’s first colours.
As the coolness creeps in and the air starts to become dry, both indoors and out, it’s time to transition our skincare to accommodate the new conditions. After all, luminous skin is not reserved for the summer months alone.
February 19, 2024
Rosacea is a skin condition caused by excessive inflammation and vascular dysfunction. This means that the capillaries on the face become enlarged and cause frequent blushing and redness, particularly on the cheeks, nose and forehead.
It causes a feeling of burning or stinging, and is likened to having sun or wind burn ALL THE TIME. But there are things you can do (and not do) to reduce your symptoms and keep rosacea under control.