Ingredients matter
Working with nature
biome-care focus
Our skin has a big role in protecting our health. What we put on it matters as some ingredients persist on the skin for several weeks, affecting its long term function. We use the best microbiome science to select ingredients which are:
- better for the protective microscopic army living on our skin,
- safer for our overall health,
- and safer for the environment when they are washed off.
Our 100% natural-origin products are pH balanced (weakly acidic for microbiome health). We use a blend of plant oils/butters to condition the skin, including our star proprietary ingredient, fermented coconut oil. Our oil helps replenish the skin microbiome & provides 'super-ferments' for improved skin appearance & health.
super-ferments unique to Ethos
bio-ferment beauty
Because our coconut oil is fermented, it contains naturally arising live Lactobacillus probiotics.* These live bacteria produce skin-regenerative bio-ferments - potent 'super-ferments' including acids, peptides & saccharides.
Lactobacillus is associated with youthful skin, and significantly decreases with age, sometimes disappearing from mature skin. To gently replenish it massage our coconut oil into damp skin.
*Scientifically validated to contain 4.2 x 10⁴ CFU LIVE lactobacilli bacteria per 2ml of coconut oil.
Bio-ferment skin benefits:
- improve hydration,
- gently exfoliate,
- reduce inflammation,
- increase ceramides & improve barrier function
- delay skin photoaging caused by UVA irradiation,
- improve skin pH & inhibit harmful bacteria,
- protect against oxidative damage.
No 'Free-From' lists
100% Natural-origin
Our approach to ingredients is uncompromising – every single ingredient is either:
- plant material in its natural form,
- of plant origin and processed without harsh chemicals like sulphur dioxide,
- or purified water.
The skin ecosystem, health, & sustainability are our starting point. What’s best for our skin microbes is also best for our health, and waterways ecology. At the product design stage, we look at the long-term impact of every single ingredient.
We only use the safest naturally derived ingredients graded by the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) ingredient rating scale for health & ecological impact.
Plant-Derived preservation
A star ingredient
We use a high quality gentle 100% natural-origin preservative system from Germany which is derived from star anise. Multifunctional, it also has skin-conditioning properties.
Our preservation ingredients are microbiome friendly (with the highest survival rate of a probiotic Lactobacillus strain compared to other preservation).
Synthetic skin preservatives are one of the most common causes of skin irritation. Yet petroleum-based preservatives (sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate or methylisothiazolinone) are still the norm in "natural" products.
