The Truth About Chemicals

 Good morning everyone. I'm in the mood for some truth today. I appreciate truth and honesty. I like genuine experiences with people. I think I have a very good ability to read people and I'm always very aware of my surroundings. My alter ego is a high school teacher. Superman was a reporter. Batman a wealthy industrial magnate. When I'm not making awesome hand soaps and skin care products, I work with young people. Whatever success I have enjoyed as a teacher comes from me being genuine and telling the truth. Kids can sniff out insincerity a mile away (that's the nice word, you know actual word I'm using here). I think consumers are learning to sniff out nonsense as well (another polite word). More and more consumers are reading labels and learning what those complicated terms mean. I read the labels when I go grocery shopping. Parents are learning how to make healthier choices for their kids. This is a terrific trend. In fact, I shouldn't call it just a trend. This is the future. The educated consumer is the way forward and that is a good thing. So let's reveal some truth here today about the cosmetics industry.

  I know the cultural trend for us here in North America is all-natural, organic and eco friendly. From our food to our clothing to the cars we drive, our society seems determined to be healthier and friendlier to the planet. These are honourable goals and I am fully on board with anything that is healthier for our bodies and nicer to our environment. But are these bogus claims? Are electric vehicles really better for the environment? Are organics foods really better for us? Are the organic and eco-friendly products we buy actually what they claim to be? Let's take a closer look at health and beauty care products and explore some of these ideas.

  A moment ago I mentioned my preference for the truth. So here it is: Legit Raw products have chemicals in them. All hand soaps on the market have chemicals in them. All shampoos, hair gels, skin lotions, body butters and creams contain chemicals. There is no denying it and there is no way around it. Legit Raw could make a completely natural hand soap made only out of 100% natural fruits and plants. It would have a shelf life of about 90 minutes though. And it wouldn't necessarily be gentle on your skin. In fact, it would be a rather unpleasant product to use and you wouldn't smell very good after using it. There is not a single skin care product on the market today that is 100% natural and only natural. 

  Here is another truth: chemicals are not necessarily bad. You want more truth? Here it is: even dangerous chemicals, when used correctly, are not necessarily bad. Formaldehyde is a dangerous chemical. It's used in embalming fluid as a preservative. Hospitals may use it as sterilizer and disinfectant. It is also used in the making of constructions materials. Think of concrete blocks and pressboard, insulation etc. Formaldehyde is excellent at preventing bacterial growth. It's a preservative. It is used in skin and hair care products as well. If you see the word Formalin on a label, that is formaldehyde in liquid form. But formaldehyde is a very dangerous chemical that is very harmful to human health. Direct exposure is deadly. Prolonged exposure to lower levels can lead to cancer. 

  I have worked with Formalin. Many years ago we used to use it as a preservative in all of our skin and hair care formulas. I used to work with drums of it and pump out the small quantities I needed with a hand pump. I wore gloves and a mask and face shield when working with it. We also used a diluted mixture as a sanitizer for tank washing. After every batch of product we made, we had to sanitize the tank so as not to contaminate the next batch. We sprayed this mixture into the tank, let it sit for a period of time, and washed it out. I didn't enjoy working with it and quite frankly, it scared me. You can watch the video here to learn about some specific experiences I had with the chemical. 

   Happily, Legit Raw does not use Formalin. Our preservative system is food-grade. This means it is not harmful to humans. In my very first blog post I referenced poet Maya Angelou's words "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." These are words to live by. None of us are perfect and Maya Angelou's words recognize this reality. At Legit Raw we are constantly learning. We learned that we do not need to use Formalin. We have a better solution. One that is healthier for our skin and safer to use in the actual manufacturing process when the raw materials are being combined. But I do feel better in knowing that walls of my home won't suffer from bacterial growth because of formaldehyde. If I am ever in need of surgery then I take comfort in the knowledge that the surgical instruments used are absolutely sterilized and safe, thanks to formaldehyde. 

Sulfates and Parabens

  These are also used as preservatives and have been used in skin and hair care products for decades. Parabens are xenoestrogens, which means they have similar qualities to the hormone estrogen. Excessive estrogenic activity has been linked to breast cancer. Methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ethylparaben are the most commonly used parabens in skin and hair care products. Look for them on the label and avoid them if you can. 

  Sulfates are also used as a preservative. They provide the foaming qualities that we are used to in soap products. Look for Sodium lauryl sulfate and Sodium laureth sulfate on the label. Avoid them if you can. Here are the concerns with sulfates:

1. Health-sulfates can be skin irritants, especially to eyes and lungs. There is some evidence of cancer in long-term exposure in laboratory animals.

2. Environmental-Palm oil is also used to make sulfates. However, tropical rainforests are being destroyed so that palm tree plantations can be built.

3. Animal testing-sulfates are usually tested on animals to measure skin and eye irritation. 

At Legit Raw, we do not use sulfates or parabens in our formulas. 

Let's Do Better

  I always say at Legit Raw we are constantly learning. This is very true. And when we learn something new, we incorporate that new idea or fact into our future actions. We do the best we can. When we know better, we do better. 

  Let me share with you a small example of how this works at Legit Raw. 

  We are currently developing new products for you. In our discussions around components-ie. the bottle you see on the shelf-our concern is always can this bottle be recycled or will it end up in landfill? The difficult challenge for Legit Raw is to find this kind of packaging. We chose glass bottles for our launch of hand soaps because they are both re-useable and recyclable. Glass bottles are hard to find though. Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on global supply. Glass bottles just aren't out there. Shipping costs have also tripled. This is true of every industry. A container of goods costing a few thousand dollars has easily tripled, often to the point of the shipping costing more than the goods in the container. Imagine paying $99 for a pair of new running shoes but $300 to have them shipped to your home. This is what we are up against. This is what all manufacturers are up against. 

  I encourage everyone to educate themselves. Read and be informed. Make the right choices for you and your loved ones. Legit Raw is a family business. We create products that we are proud of. What you see in the bottle is the result of many months or years of development. We also use our products. I can truthfully tell you that my hands have never felt better since we developed our line of hand soaps. We feel good about the ingredients in our bottle and the packaging we use. Thanks for reading this week. See you soon.

 I'm Carlo Santin, co-founder of Legit Raw. I'm also an educator by day, a husband and a father of two sons and now a daughter-in-law. Welcome.