Natural ingredients at the back of the label and their actual truth.
Have you ever taken a moment to read the ingredients list on the back of your skincare products and found yourself wondering what exactly “blah blah extract” or “naturally derived” means? Are these ingredients truly natural? Do they genuinely benefit our skin? And most importantly, are they kind to our planet? So many labels include mysterious terms that leave us puzzled, with words that sound impressive but lack clear meaning. In this journal, we would love to guide you through the process of understanding these ingredients better and unravel the stories behind these fancy words, helping you make more mindful, informed choices for your skin and the Earth.
As a standard within the skincare industry, we, as manufacturers, are required to provide a clear and transparent label on all our products. This label allows customers to easily access detailed information about the ingredients contained within the product and feel confident in their decision to use it. Typically, ingredients listed on a skincare label are organized starting with the largest quantity present, down to the smallest amount. However, when ingredients are listed after fragrance, essential oils, and perfumes, their actual concentration tends to be very minimal. This is because most skincare products generally contain around 1% or less of these fragrant components. Consequently, any ingredient that appears after these will likely be present at less than 1%, which means it may not have any significant impact on your skin at all.
In Australia, the government does not mandate skincare businesses to use strictly scientific names for ingredients, giving us the freedom to choose how to display them. For example, we can label an ingredient as “Macadamia oil” or use the scientific term “Macadamia integrifolia oil.” At ROBelle Farm, we prefer to keep our labels straightforward and easy to read by using the common names, such as macadamia oil. The reason many skincare companies opt for scientific names is to create a more professional appearance and to reduce confusion since common plant names can sometimes be shared by multiple different plants worldwide. Scientific names provide clarity and precision in these cases.
However, here at ROBelle Farm, we fully understand that not everyone is a botanist or chemist. For this reason, we have chosen to design our labels to be simple, approachable, and transparent. This allows all our customers to comfortably understand what they are applying to their skin, reflecting our commitment to honesty and respect for both people and nature.
Another important point that we would love to share and discuss is the use of naturally derived ingredients in skincare. Naturally derived ingredients are often components extracted from a whole source, whether that be fruits, leaves, herbs, spices, or other parts of native plants. The entire natural material is carefully harvested and then transported to a specialized lab where the desired components are extracted through various processes. While these ingredients are indeed derived from natural sources and retain their inherent goodness, the extraction process itself can be quite resource-intensive. It often requires significant amounts of energy, water, and other materials, which can make the production less sustainable than it appears at first glance. We deeply appreciate that concentration of active ingredients is a vital factor in creating effective skincare, but we believe that there is great value in embracing the whole material. By using the entire fruit, leaf, or herb, we can harness a generous amount of natural nutrients in a more eco-friendly and harmonious way with nature.
In nature, everything is beautifully and symbiotically connected, working harmoniously as a unified whole. This intricate balance is what makes nature truly amazing and endlessly inspiring. The same principle applies to the ingredients used in skincare. While the beauty industry often highlights a high concentration of a single extract as a marketing focus, suggesting that it will work wonders on your skin, the reality is much more complex. The effectiveness of a product depends on many factors: how long it has been manufactured, how frequently it is exposed to air, the possibility of contamination when taking the content from the jar, the actual concentration of active ingredients, and even how well your skin can absorb those ingredients.
Some ingredients have particles that are too large to penetrate the skin directly, while others might only be absorbed into the very top layer, where they often act merely as moisturizers rather than deeply active compounds. Therefore, a super high concentration of active ingredients does not necessarily guarantee the product's effectiveness — sometimes it can simply be wasteful. At ROBelle Farm, we honor a more holistic approach by using whole raw ingredients such as fruits, leaves, and spices, crafted in the time-honored way of ancient traditions. Within each whole natural ingredient lies a complex blend of compounds that work together synergistically, enhancing each other's potency and delivering their full benefits.
We believe these raw, whole ingredients act as nourishment for your skin, much like the food we give our bodies. This nourishes the skin, helping it become healthier and activating its natural repair mechanisms. As your skin’s health improves, it gains the natural ability to heal itself and rebuild its protective barrier. A strong, healthy skin barrier will be more resilient and better equipped to withstand environmental stresses and external factors that could otherwise cause damage. This is the essence of our philosophy — skincare that supports the skin’s natural balance, vitality, and enduring strength.
So not only is using the raw form of ingredients in their whole, natural state wonderful for overall skin health, but it is also kind and gentle to our planet. This is because raw ingredients do not require large amounts of energy or extensive processing to transform them, making them much more eco-friendly. Their simplicity is a true key to maintaining healthy skin, as the more complex and artificial ingredients you apply, the greater the risk that your skin may develop complicated issues over time. Embracing nature’s pure, uncomplicated gifts helps nurture both your skin and the earth in harmonious balance.
