Read below about the equivalent of plastic grass in cosmetics...
Trade name (brand name): Zemea
INCI name (on cosmetics label): Propanediol
Chemical name: 1,3 Propanediol
Profession: elegant humectant and preservative booster
Year of launch: 2008
Made from: GMO corn using biotechnology
Ecocert and NPA status: approved
Soil Association and ICEA status: not approved because of GMO origin
Cosmos status: we shall see...
Let's have a look at its twin ID, ie Propylene Glycol
Trade name: Propylene Glycol
INCI name: Propylene Glycol
Chemical name: 1,2 propanediol
Year invented: 1907
Profession: elegant humectant and preservative booster
Made from: petroleum
Organic and natural status: not approved by any organic certification body
By comparing the 2 IDs you can see how many controveries Propanediol can generate:
Controversy 1- because Propanediol is from corn it is claimed to be natural. Chemically speaking this molecule is not natural and human technology manipulated bacteria and genetically modified corn to make a synthetic structure. To me this is like plastic grass, it looks natural but its essence is not.
2- because propanediol is from a renewable source it is claimed to be sustainable. How can an ingredient made from genetically modified corn be sustainable? The concept behind sustainability is to work with nature without depleting and respecting it. GMO is a dangerous game and in my opinion it does not respect nature because it can cause a lot of environmental damage. It is a time bomb.
3-because Ecocert and NPA approve propanediol you can find natural and organic products on the market with a "natural" propylene glycol without consumers realising they are actually applying a Proplylene Glycol on their skin
Implications:
1- consumers are confused. (And I am confused myself on top of feeling shocked).
2- Can consumers simply rely on organic certifications for their peace of mind?
3- What is natural?
4- how did Zemea INCI name come about? Was it intended to mislead the consumers?
Personally I am not against Propanediol or Zemea as such, what I m worried about is its misleading name and contradictive claims. Besides it has the potential to promote and boost the GMO industry. My passion is for natural, safe and effective beauty products respecting the environment and working with it authentically, by putting my ethos into action (and in fact Forest Secrets Skincare is the embodiment of my passion). GMO is scary and it will present a huge environmental bill, I personally do not want to support or feed that... I am a chemist and I know propanediol is from GMO and so on therefore I can avoid it. But what about the most of the people who want to use truly natural beauty products and who care about the planet? Do they know propanediol is propylene glycol and do they know it is GMO? Do they have a real choice?
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