Sustainable Palm Oil & Plant Surfactant

There is a significant "glossing over" going on with natural and organic skin care brands as most are using palm oil-derived ingredients, despite saying they are not, many without realising, and almost all without any idea of where the palm oil was grown.

Many natural brands are happy to claim that they are Cruelty Free and tell us everything they do not contain, but they are hiding their palm oil use behind names such as Plant Surfactant, Stearic Acid and Caprylic Triglyceride, because their suppliers can not guarantee what plant oil they will use to manufacture an ingredient. The point is, they need to know what is being used in their products, and unless they fully disclose everything that is contained in their products, consumers can not make a choice. 

» What we believe about palm oil.

Bamboo Fabric, Such as Sheets, Marketed as "Bamboo"

We believe it is misleading to label these fabrics as "bamboo sheets" and US companies such as Norstrom and J.C. Penny have paid large fines for doing so. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled in 2010, it can not be called "bamboo sheets" or "bamboo socks", because it is actually a synthetic fabric made from rayon/viscose fibres that came from cellulose found in bamboo. To be 100% honest with consumers these products need to be called "Viscose sheets" or "rayon/viscose made from bamboo cellulose".

The process of turning hard bamboo into a soft fabric requires extensive processing with hazardous chemicals, including sulfuric acid, potentially endangering factory workers and polluting the environment. The US FTC states "the soft textiles you see labeled ‘bamboo’ don’t contain any part of the bamboo plant. They are made from bamboo that has been processed into rayon using toxic chemicals. When bamboo is processed into rayon, no trace of the original plant is left." 

» Learn more about whether bamboo is eco friendly

Synthetic Preservatives are Needed for Product Safety

We offer many natural skin care and makeup ranges that use natural preservative systems rather than synthetic preservatives such as Phenoxyethanol. We believe manufacturers claim this because they wish to extend the shelf life of their product and the synthetic versions are cheaper. With effort there are natural solutions, such as brands like Mokosh who use no water in their range to elminate the need for preservatives.

Silicone Marketed as "Plastic Free"

Biome stocks some products made from silicone where they are useful for eliminating single-use plastics. However, we consider silicone to be a type of synthetic plastic. Some people attempt to pass it off as a "natural' material derived from sand, but hydrocarbons from fossil fuels are used in its manufacture.

There is also limited research on its health effects, so we follow the precautionary principle. Silicone can leach chemicals when heated, particularly when in contact with oils. There is no official classfication for 'silicone' so you can not be sure if it is high quality food grade silicone that does not contain synthetic fillers. Silicone also has an end of life issue because it does not biodegrade and is not able to be recycled through most Council recycling schemes. 

» See our extensive plastic free range here

BPA Free but not Free of PVC

BPA became world-renowned for its toxicity, but manufacturers are now using it to justify the safety of plastic while ignoring the other toxins in plastics! "BPA free" is not enough. The plastic must must also be free from other toxins such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Many soft plastic lunch boxes and plastic bath toys are made from PVC and it is often not disclosed on the label.

PVC is the most environmentally damaging of all plastics and is a proven toxin to humans, as demonstrated by bans on its use and disposal in many countries, cities, and hospitals around the world. Yet, Australia falls behind the regulations of other developed nations needlessly exposing our children to its persistent toxic effects.