How Safe Is Your Skincare

How Safe Is Your Skincare

How Botani Tests Their Products

With a push towards health and wellness sweeping the nation, Australians are becoming increasingly cautious about what they put on their skin. When we apply toxins and potentially harmful chemicals to the skin, chances are they'll end up in the bloodstream. We all want to believe that we're using the safest possible products, which is why so many Australians are making the switch to natural products. We see words like "natural," "organic" and "toxin-free," so we're correct to assume that these products are safe. Right? Not necessarily. Unfortunately, Australia doesn't have many regulations in place to test neither the quality nor the safety of topical skin care products before they hit the shelves. So how do you make a safe, informed decision when investing in beauty? Make sure the brands you choose rigorously test the products they formulate.

Australia's Cosmetic Regulations

Before you invest in a beauty company, it's important to understand the following critical factors.
    • You do not require a license to start manufacturing cosmetics in Australia.
    • Good Manufacturing Practice is not a mandatory accreditation in Australia.
    • You are not required to submit your products to any government agency in Australia for safety assessments or approval before releasing them onto the market.
    • Australia does not have its pharmacopoeia, most Australian companies refer to the British pharmacopoeia instead, nor are there any government-mandated guidelines on testing cosmetics for safety and stability.
  • There is no checklist covering all of the elements, such as toxins or safe application advice you're required to include on a cosmetic product label.
The expectations from the Australian government are that your manufacturing facility and equipment are appropriately sanitised, your air quality and water are carefully monitored, and your facility is well ventilated, temperature controlled and dust free. Legally, if you're going to produce cosmetics in Australia, you need to ensure the chemicals you plan to include are physically permitted in this country, check if they're subject to poisons scheduling and understand your labelling obligations. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a vast number of regulations to ensure Australians are using the safest products possible. Without a lot of laws in place to guarantee cosmetic safety, how can you guarantee you're making the right decision when shopping? Above all, look for a brand that goes above and beyond to ensure customer safety.

How Botani Tests Their Products

While we don't legally need to test our products as rigorously as we do, every single Botani product goes through a strong safety and quality checking process because of our ethos centres around integrity. We strive to create honest beauty products, delivering our safe, effective, natural skin care formulas so we can forge ongoing relationships with our customers based on trust. "Quality in products is not something you can take for granted," says Botani's Microbiologist Derio Comar. "It must be designed into the product and requires a real commitment and a focused research and development policy." Derio, the founder of Microtech Laboratories Pty Ltd (Silliker Microtech Pty Ltd), guarantees Botani's product integrity and has made a significant contribution to Botani's quality control and research and development procedures. "Botani has always shown a commitment to product innovation," he says, "To ensuring product quality by undertaking a range of laboratory tests as part of their product development program. Proving effectiveness requires the application of good science."

Product Stability

So what do these tests entail? First of all, it is about product stability, establishing the use by date of each product, the safety of the product and guarantee the product will remain effective throughout the product's shelf life. While the next test is called microbiological efficacy testing, a series of tests designed to determine the quality of organisms killed in a given time and allowing for the comparison of products to identify the most effective product. The next, preservative efficacy testing, determines the suitability of the preservative for the formulation, while quality control testing guarantees that each product complies with the standards of Good Manufacturing Practises. When you purchase and use a Botani product, you can rest assured that you're using the correct blend of ingredients to treat the specific skin type or conditions. Botani uses ingredients which work well together. The formula is in the correct environment (pH) for optimum effectiveness and only the very best ingredients are used for the ultimate benefit of your skin. Therefore, with so few rules and regulations in place in Australia, ensure you're using a brand that puts the health and safety of its consumers first.

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