The Prokeratin® philosophy - purity and naturalness of cosmetics

Prokeratin® is developed respecting the strictest BDIH guidelines for cosmetic products.
Our philosophy is that people should enjoy nature in its purest form. This is why we created the Prokeratin® line to embody the naturalness of the autumn dusk, field flowers and the fresh exotic fruits.
Experience yourself the most natural and purest hair care you can possibly enjoy.
Because most of us have questions regarding natural and organic cosmetics, we set-up this page that contains additional information regarding synthetic ingredients used in cosmetics that you should avoid with a detailed explanation why.

The whole Prokeratin® line is a truly 100% all-natural cosmetic line, DEA, MEA & TEA-free, without Sodium Laureth Sulfate and with no synthetic emulsifiers or stabilizers. its state-of-the-art composition incorporates the most valuable natural, skin-friendly, high dermatological tolerance ingredients.
This makes it unique and recommendable for people with dermatological problems or with sensitive skin, including sensibility to the usual hair care products containing synthetic ingredients, as well as customers that appreciate natural products. Our products respect the nature, society and the environment.


> How natural is actually natural? BDIH-conform products

> BDIH truly skin-friendly cosmetics

> Synthetic ingredients you should avoid



How natural is actually natural?
Often we see products labeled as being 'natural'. The difference between a truly natural product and a natural one is to be found in the ingredients used in that specific product. A product that claims to be natural contains some natural ingredients while it maintains a certain synthetic base.
This is the case of most shampoos on the market. The vast majority are having as base an aggressive surfactant (degreasing agent) known as Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or in some versions Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), or short SLS.
SLS is a cheap, non-organic, aggressive fat solvent, with high foaming power, obtained from synthetic materials. Virtually the largest majority of shampoos, face wash and shower gels on the market contain SLS because its foams abundantly.
Tests performed on animals with highly concentrated 29% SLS-based cleansing lotions led to blindness, respiratory shock, dilution of the keratinous proteins of the skin up to the level of deep skin ulcers and central nervous system depression.
Although today SLS is used in low concentrations in cosmetics, its small synthetic molecule penetrates the skin easily and mediates skin irritation in the form of residual rash, even hours after using the product. This is the reason why Prokeratin® contains truly natural cosmetic ingredients and the SLS was replaced by its natural skin-friendly version Coco Glucoside and Decyl Glucoside, obtained from Coco nut.
Both ingredients are used in high-end quality products. This is one of the many reasons why the Prokeratin® have such a high dermatological tolerance and can be used even by people with problematic skin.

From this point of view modern cosmetics face the challenge of 'do no harm' but many big names in the cosmetic industry choose deliberately to ignore the health aspects of their own products.

Choosing a natural version of your favorite cosmetics proves to be beneficial in all cases.
From 100% natural shampoos, like Prokeratin® Autumn Dusk, to truly natural skin cosmetics, more and more evidence supports the idea that using natural cosmetics is healthy, wise and effective.
All the Prokeratin® products offer you top quality natural hair care and a great dermatological tolerance.

BDIH-conform products are truly skin-friendly cosmetics
BDIH is the the Association of German Industries and Trading Firms for pharmaceuticals, health care products, food supplements and personal hygiene products. BDIH sets the norms for the ingredients that are allowed in cosmetic products claiming to be 100% natural.
As you will discover, many cosmetic products claim to be either 100% natural but these claims are not founded even if one single ingredient does not conform with the guidelines specified by BDIH.
Being a completely natural BDIH-conform product means that no synthetic ingredients are included in that specific product. Read more about such synthetic ingredients that you should avoid, further down on this page.  For complete details on synthetic cosmetic ingredients you should avoid, you can visit the BDIH site



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Synthetic ingredients you should avoid
Here you can find a list with the most used chemicals in cosmetic products. For your health and for a healthy skin, you should avoid these synthetic ingredients.

Diethanolamine (marked on the product label as DEA), Triethanolamine (marked on the product label as TEA) and monoethanolamine (marked on the product label as MEA) are used in cosmetics as emulsifiers agents to mix different components such as oils and water or they are used as foaming agents, depending on their end purpose. They can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation and dryness of hair and skin. DEA and TEA belong to the "amines" group, which are derived from ammonia compounds and can cause skin irritation. None of the Prokeratin® products contain DEA, TEA or MEA.

Dimethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol and Cyclomethicone belong to synthetic silicone emollients and,  especially in hair products such as conditioners, hair treatments, hair styling cremes and shampoos, they are used to give hair that shiny look and smooth, silky touch and to 'make hair easy to manage/style, curly frizz' and so on.
The problem is that all silicone derived ingredients are very efficient occlusives, even much better than paraffin itself. This means they coat the skin, trapping anything beneath it, such as dead skin cells, sebum, and do not allow the skin to breathe.
This is why industrial silicone, which is similar to the cosmetic ones, is very effective at sealing and waterproof insulating.
Recent studies have indicated that prolonged exposure of the skin to sweat, by occlusion, causes skin irritation. Some synthetic emollients are known tumor promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing negative environmental impact.
None of the Prokeratin® products contain Dimethicone.

Paraben is a synthetic antibacterial and it comes in various forms known as butyl, ethyl, isobutyl, methyl and propyl paraben. These ingredients are used to inhibit bacterial growth, especially in face creams due to the fact that many consumers do not wash their hands before dipping their fingers into the cream pot.
They are also used extend shelf life of products. Paraben was marked as possible hormone disrupter and as allergic mediator; it has been shown to produce skin rashes. Also their estrogenic-like structure makes them easily absorbed by the skin. It is also suspected to disturb the hormonal balance at the skin level.
All the Prokeratin products do not contain any form of paraben.

Petrolatum is known as petroleum jelly and is a mineral oil derivative used for its emollient properties in cosmetics. It has zero nutrient value for the skin and may interfere, in much the same way Paraffin does, with the body's natural moisturizing mechanism by blocking the pores and leading to dryness. None of the Prokeratin® products contain Petrolatum.

PVP/VA Copolymer is a petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, styling aids and other cosmetics. It can be considered toxic, since inhaled particles can damage the lungs of sensitive persons. None of the Prokeratin® products contain PVP/VA.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate is a cheap and aggressive surfactant (detergent) used in shampoos and shower gels. It has great cleansing and foam-building properties but it has a small molecule and is entirely synthetic. It causes eye irritation, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, skin rashes and other allergic reactions. None of the Prokeratin® products contain SLS.

Stearalkonium Chloride (SAC) is ammonium compound used in hair conditioners and creams. Developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, it is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which are beneficial to the hair. Causes allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin. None of the Prokeratin® products contain SAC.

Synthetic, petroleum-derived humectants such as Propylene Glycol. This is labeled as PEG (polyethylene glycol) or PPG (polypropylene glycol). In contact with the skin for a longer period of time, it has been known to cause allergic reactions, hives and eczema. The natural form of PG is a vegetable glycerin mixed with grain alcohol which does not cause the problems described above. None of the Prokeratin® products contain PEG or PPG.

Synthetic colors along with synthetic hair dyes are labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Many synthetic colors can be carcinogenic and can mediate aggressive allergies. None of the Prokeratin® products contain synthetic colors.

Urea-based preservatives such as Diazolidinyl Urea and Imidazolidinyl Urea are, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, the primary cause of contact dermatitis.  The commercial names of these two  highly skin-unfriendly synthetic components are Germall II and Germall 115. None of the Prokeratin® products contain Germall II or Germall 115.

Synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have a very complex formulation, containing more than one component. Due to the fact that these components are not labeled it is very difficult, if not impossible, to see which may act as allergen. Some problems caused by these chemicals include mild headaches, dizziness, choking, coughing, vomiting, skin irritation. None of the Prokeratin® products contain synthetic fragrances.


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Other synthetic ingredients that are known to mediate skin problems and other symptoms:

Known skin irritants and strong allergens:
Methylisothiazolinone & Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Crystalline Silica and Coal Tar Dyes are used in cosmetics, lipsticks;
Para-Phenylendiamine (PPD) (used for temporary tattoos);

Preservatives used instead of parabens known to be highly skin-unfriendly:
Dioxane in the following combinations: PEG, Polysorbates, Laureth, ethoxylated alcohols;
A wide range of personal care products including shampoos, hair conditioners, cleansers, lotions, and creams, besides household products such as soaps and cleaning products, contain surfactants or detergents such as ethoxylated alcohols, polysorbates, and laureths. These ingredients are generally of synthetic origin, derived from various synthetic compounds.
 
Known carcinogenic:
Artificial colors labeled as impure and possible carcinogenic in combination with other compounds are Blue 1 and Green 3.
Impurities found in commercial batches of other cosmetic colors such as D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5, and FD&C yellow 6 have been shown to cause cancer not only when ingested, but also when applied to the skin. Some artificial coal tar colors contain heavy metal impurities, including arsenic and lead, which are carcinogenic.
 
Hair dyes
The use of permanent or semi permanent hair color products, particularly black and dark brown colors, is associated with increased incidence of human cancer including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin's disease. There are several natural hair-coloring products which are relatively effective and safe.

Some silica used in cosmetics, especially amorphous hydrated silica, may be contaminated with small amounts of crystalline quartz. Crystalline silica is carcinogenic.
 
Hormone Disrupters:
 
Phthalates Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP or BzBP). These are found in products such as : hair sprays, perfume, nail polishes. Used to soften plastic, skin moisturizers and skin penetration enhancers in cosmetics. Research indicates that the act as strong hormone disrupters and they are linked to various hormonal problems.
 
Parabens (described above): a group of artificial preservatives also known as alkyl parahydroxy benzoates (mentioned above  buthyl, ethyl, methyl, propyl, isobutyl paraben).
 
Sodiumhydroxymethylglycinate is potent allergen, even in very small concentrations.
 
Toluene is another hormone disrupter and is found in lacquers and nail polish; may cause spontaneous abortion in women exposed to it and is know to be a heavy skin irritant and may cause liver damage. Above all this toluene is narcotic in high concentrations and attacks the central nervous system, eyes, blood, liver, kidneys and skin.
 
Xylene acts similar to toluene and can be found as well in lacquers and nail polish. The product labels carry it as 'xylol' or 'dimethylbenzene'. It is known to be a mild skin and respiratory tract irritant and may cause liver damage. In addition, in high concentrations it has narcotic effects.

 
E321 BHT or butylated hydroxytoluene is used as a synthetic antioxidant. It is known to be a mild irritant and may interfere with human hormones.