Aloha.
At AuAu Hawaii, we manufacture and sell skincare products that are free of synthetic surfactants, but many people may be wondering what surfactants are in the first place.
It is common knowledge that oil and water do not mix.
A surfactant is a substance that activates the boundary/interface between water and oil, which do not normally mix.
Surfactants have the ability to break down the boundary between water and oil, keeping them mixed together.
The functions of surfactants can be broadly divided into three: cleaning, emulsifying, and dispersing.
There are both natural and synthetic surfactants.
Natural surfactants: soap, egg yolk, beeswax, etc.
Synthetic surfactants: Found in many everyday products and processed foods, such as synthetic detergents, shampoos, lotions, creams, dressings, and margarine.
There are thousands of types, including synthetically made oils from petroleum and natural oils, and it would be unrealistic to list them all. Hydrogenated oil is one of them.
When using cosmetics containing synthetic surfactants, their characteristic boundary-breaking properties destroy the skin's barrier, making it more susceptible to external stimuli.
Using synthetic surfactants makes it very easy to create a variety of textures, but applying synthetic surfactants to the skin does not provide any benefit to the skin.
I don't want to use anything that doesn't benefit my skin.
In this age of abundance, it can be very difficult to choose the right product for you.
I myself suffered greatly from rough skin in my late teens and early twenties, and tried a variety of products, from drugstores to department store cosmetics, but nothing seemed to improve my skin condition, and I was at a loss as to what to do.
I borrowed and read books on skin care and cosmetic ingredients from the library, and while researching, I came across a book on aromatherapy and it clicked.
After looking at a page about homemade cosmetics using natural essential oils, I made lotions and creams, and when I started using them, the skin problems that had been bothering me for years gradually subsided.
The same book also had instructions on how to make soap, but it was difficult to get started because there were so many tools I needed to prepare.
My interest in it won out, so I finally started making soap, washing my face with it, and using my own skin care products.
Once I started living this lifestyle, I even forgot that I had ever had trouble with my skin.
My acne started to heal quickly and my skin felt stronger.
By using only cosmetics that I make myself, I naturally ended up not using any synthetic surfactants at all.
This led to the launch of AuAu Hawaii, but we'll talk about that another time.
If you have any skin problems you'd like to improve, try reducing the amount of chemicals you put on your skin before trying any new products.
Find out what's in the things you use every day and why it's there - for you or for the manufacturer?
Mahalo nui for reading, Chihiro.