THE CREAM

Yes, all products are free of allergens. The fragrances used in some of our products are not on the list of 26 fragrances that must be declared in the EU, nor are they on the list of 56 other substances identified by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety that have been classified as "recognized contact allergens" for humans. All 82 known allergenic perfume substances (54 chemical fragrances and 28 natural extracts) and thus also the fragrance allergens of the Fragrance Mix I & II of the German Contact Allergy Group are not contained in any of Shénoc's products.

THE CREAM, BODY, BOOSTER, CLEAN, INTENSE C and LIP contain fragrances. REPAIR, EYE and SUN do not contain any fragrances. The fragrances used are not on the list of 26 fragrances that must be declared in the EU, nor are they on the list of 56 other substances identified by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety that have been classified as "recognized contact allergens" for humans. All 82 known allergenic perfume substances (54 chemical fragrances and 28 natural extracts) and thus also the fragrance allergens of the German Contact Allergy Group's Fragrance Mix I & II are not contained in any of Shénoc's products.

Of course, we do not conduct any animal testing. Since animal testing for cosmetics has been banned by law in Europe since 2004 and for cosmetic ingredients since 2009, no other European manufacturer conducts animal testing. Therefore, in this respect, we are no different from any other cosmetics manufacturer in Europe. Selling products in China does not imply that animal testing was carried out for market entry there, as there are loopholes in the Chinese market that prevent animal testing from being carried out. We do not advertise freedom from animal testing, as this implies that competitors conduct animal testing. It is important to us that it is generally known that cosmetics available in Europe are generally developed without animal testing.

The ingredients in all Shénoc products have been specifically selected to ensure that they neither cause nor worsen these two conditions. They do not contain any comedogenic substances, as these are suspected to be the main triggers for these two conditions. Nevertheless, we recommend using the individual products in the regions intended for them in accordance with their name and do not rule out the possibility that intolerances may occur in individual cases.

The term "clean beauty" is not a protected term that makes a statement about certain basic properties of a product. This term is actually intended to describe cosmetics that are particularly skin- and environmentally friendly. During our research, we were able to find many products that wrongly bear this name. Out of ignorance or intentionally, false information is given about the ingredients (for example, the definition of microplastics can be interpreted very differently. Many well-known manufacturers only count visible plastic particles such as peeling beads as microplastics, only a few manufacturers define the term as broadly as Ökotest and Greenpeace, and also include silicone and other liquid plastic components such as carbomer). The ingredients (INCI) are like a foreign language full of difficult vocabulary. And very few can or want to really understand the complex Latin names of the ingredients. Then they would see that developing real clean beauty, as it is generally understood, is extremely difficult. The formulators, the people who mix the various ingredients in the laboratory and have to ensure stability, work with the aim of developing products that are stable for a long time. We always use strong preservatives, emulsifiers and, if possible, synthetic ingredients (because they are more stable than natural ones). With Shénoc, it took four years and individual products were sent back to the laboratory up to 40 times before they met our high standards of true clean beauty.

We deliberately did not want to have seals printed on the packaging, as an organic seal would have meant that we would have had to forego many effective substances. There are organic seals that are not very demanding, but that would have been too dishonest for us. Every ingredient that is available in organic quality is also used in Shénoc in this quality. For the few ingredients that are not available in organic quality, we have paid attention to absolute environmental compatibility. Unfortunately, organic cosmetics does not mean that there is high skin compatibility. As dermatologists, we see most problems with cosmetics with organic cosmetics. This is because essential oils in particular often cause contact allergies and skin irritations. However, this is not a plea for non-organic cosmetics. Because as we have shown with Shénoc, you can combine the best of both worlds.

Anyone looking for fragrance-free organic cosmetics by looking for products without "perfume/fragrance" should know the following: Some fragrances are so highly allergenic that they cannot be hidden under the term perfume, but must be listed separately. Fragrance allergens are still allergens even in organic quality (for example linalool*, geraniol*, citral*, citronellol* *from controlled organic cultivation).

Sunscreens are divided into organic and inorganic sun protection filters. The distinction between chemical and physical is nonsense, since the so-called physical filters are also chemical, reactive substances. What this actually means is that physical filters potentially only reflect sunlight, whereas "chemical" filters convert UV light into heat. Unfortunately, the physical filters react in UV light and become toxic, so that all organic sunscreens available are harmless when they leave the factory, but unfortunately become toxic when used for their intended purpose as sunscreen. In 2020, Oregon State University was able to prove that sunscreen containing zinc oxide becomes fatally toxic to zebrafish (our closest marine creatures) after just two hours in the sun. We have therefore chosen our organic filters based on their skin-friendliness and environmental compatibility. We have only processed fish-, coral- and environmentally-friendly filters with no hormonal effects, all of which are rated "green" by Ökotest.

This recommendation can be made for people with sun allergies or rosacea that is strongly triggered by the sun. We cannot recommend it for everyone! If you are not planning to spend a long time outdoors (20 minutes or more), you should avoid creams with sun protection filters. Sun creams with an SPF of 20 or more consist of more than 30% of their volume of filter substances. In many cases, these are neither skin-friendly nor environmentally friendly, and they have no nourishing properties. Even if the filters in Shenóc SUN are both skin-friendly and environmentally friendly, we recommend giving preference to textile sun protection (clothing, parasols, hats). All Shénoc products contain photolyase, which can repair damage to the genetic material of our cells caused by UV light, which can lead to white skin cancer. If you then use our Shénoc INTENSE C serum in the morning, the vitamin C it contains can neutralize the free radicals that are responsible for the cell damage. Then it is sufficient to apply sunscreen if you stay for more than 20 minutes.

Not to be completely neglected is the protection provided by sunscreen against UVA light, which is let through by glass panes and is also responsible for sun damage and skin aging, albeit to a lesser extent than UVB. Therefore, a cream with SPF is also useful if you spend a long time close to a window (in the car, on the train or at the office window) during the day in summer when the sky is clear.

The use of airless packaging allows us to reduce the use of preservatives to a minimum, as this type of packaging significantly reduces contamination of the product by air or germs. This allows us to use phenoxyethanol in a particularly low concentration, well below the legal limits, while still ensuring the required preservative effect.
Phenoxyethanol has been shown to be effective in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in cosmetic products and ensuring their shelf life. At the same time, it has been proven to be well tolerated by the skin and has only a low allergy potential. It also has the most minimal impact on the natural skin flora, which means that it disturbs the skin's natural balance less than other preservatives.
We understand that ingredient selection is of great importance to our customers, so we carefully considered all the options and decided on phenoxyethanol as the most suitable preservative for our sunscreen. Your safety and satisfaction are our top priority, and using phenoxyethanol in our sunscreen provides you with a high quality, yet safe product.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your well-being is important to us and we will continue to do our best to provide you with top-quality products.
This review provides a good overview of the efficacy and safety of phenoxyethanol.