ROOTED IN COMPASSION
Our Formulation Standard
From the very beginning, our formula development philosophy was deeply connected to a compassion for people and planet. We wanted to create a brand that inspires trust in a category that is often opaque and highly complicated to navigate.
No animal testing
Always Cruelty-Free
Aurelian does not test on animals. As much as possible, we also validate that our ingredient suppliers do not test on animals.
Testing of cosmetic products on animals is banned in 10 states in the U.S., including New York State (where Aurelian calls home).
States that currently ban animal testing on cosmetic products: New York, California, Nevada, Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, Virginia and Louisiana
The Humane Cosmetics Act, or H.R. 5399, introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in September of 2023 would ban animal testing on cosmetic products in all 50 states. Contact your representative or fill out the form here to help support this critical change.
BOTANICALLY INSPIRED
Plant-Centric & Naturally Derived
The word 'natural' is one of the most abused words in the cosmetic and personal care category. Without unified government oversight and definition, it is a wild west of interpretation that usually reflects a brand's agenda.
We choose to use to two terms to describe our cosmetic formulas:
- Plant-Centric: our formulas are built with plant-derived ingredients and they form the core of our philosophy. Many of our formulas also integrate non-botanical ingredients (for example beeswax) but plants remain at the core everything we create.
- Naturally Derived: Naturally derived means we prioritize ingredients of natural origin. It is notable that Naturally Derived does not necessarily equal fully Natural. Naturally derived ingredients fall into one of two categories: Naturally Derived with Minimal Processing (i.e. Natural) and Naturally Derived with Synthetic Processing. The latter category cannot be referred to as fully natural. Naturally derived ingredients with synthetic processing are used for their performance contributions and cannot be replaced with more natural alternatives.
It is notable that 'natural' and 'gentle' are not synonymous please see below for information regarding are commitment to gentle formulations.
protecting biodiversity
Sustainable Palm
Aurelian has made the commitment to use either non-palm, palm alternatives, or RSPO/Mass Balance Palm as much as possible. The farming of palm oil and its derivatives is often the source of deforestation, critical threats to biodiversity, and human rights abuses.
Our efforts to ensure our formulas are either palm-free or sourced from sustainable Palm (via RSPO/MB certification) reflect our commitment to mitigating the impact of these critical issues and bringing much needed compassion to our world partners that make these products possible. Learn more about RSPO here.
Made for the sensitive types
Gentle by Design
All of our formulas are the result of extensive ingredient research to understand risk of irritation. These standards are in addition to our processes around efficacy and safety described in a separate section below.
We review the following standards to ensure mildness.
- EWG risk/caution ratings with particular focus on risks of irritation or allergies*
- Comedogenic rating, particularly for oils. We acknowledge that this system is problematic, but do believe it provides helpful indicators for formulating purposes
- IFRA Fragrance Standards are used to guide all formulas that contain fragrance ingredints. Additionally, we take a low fragrance approach to all of our scent formulations allowing for significant headroom between our fragrance percentages in formulas and overall IFRA dictated maximums.
*EWG is a non-profit organization that offers directional information on overall risk factors. Learn more about EWG here.
people and planet
Fair Trade & Sustainable
Plant-centric formulation often involves sourcing material from African, South American, and South East Asian communities and regions. In addition to our commitment to sustainable Palm, we are also committed to fair trade and equitable sourcing practices. This ensures fair wages and mitigation of the potential social and environmental impacts of growing and harvesting these precious materials.
Our Fair Trade Ingredient List:
- Shea Butter (via th Global Shea Alliance)
- Marula Oil
- Baobab Oil
- Prickly Pear Oil
- Palm and Palm Derivatives
- Carnauba Wax
ingredients with integrity
Organic Ingredient Focus
Aurelian prioritizes Certified Organic, COSMOS Organic, and organically farmed (uncertified, but supplier verified) ingredients as much as possible. If these options are unavailable for a given material, we look for ethically wild-harvested or "cultivated without chemicals" options.
Conventional natural raw materials are used on a limited basis and we are always actively looking for replacements that meet the Organic standard.
protecting our waterways
Biodegradable
Our responsibility as formulators goes beyond the bottle. Mitigating the impact of our formulas on local waterways is a critical part of our philosophy. This is particularly important for daily-use wash off products.
The high degree of naturality in our formulas naturally lends itself to a readily biodegradable profile. That said, we review each and every ingredient and select only ingredients considered readily biodegradable within a 28 day window.
limiting non-renewables
Petro-Chemical Limited
Petro-chemicals are a diverse, common, and often hidden force in cosmetic formulations. They are also highly effective and can represent best-in-class performance that is difficult to replace with natural alternatives.
Aurelian approaches petro-chemical ingredients with a great deal of caution and respect. As non-renewable materials, they are considered precious. However, we also take into account their negative impact on the environment, particularly in their manufacturing bi-products. The degree of this impact varies greatly by material, a factor that is taken into account in our evaluations.
Our Criteria:
- Cannot be replaced with another non-petrochemical ingredient of equal or better function
- PEG ingredients must have 40 or fewer moles of ethylene oxide added in processing (making PEG-40 most ethoxylated grade we work with) - this impacts degree of toxic bi-products produced in manufacture that could potentially enter the environment as industrial waste.
- Supplier documentation must provide a certificate of analysis or certification that 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide levels are below levels generally regarded as safe.
a strict standard
Safety & Efficacy
Aurelian formulates to the EU standard referencing guidelines for safe use as dictated by EU SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) with additional reference to the FDA CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). EU standards are more restrictive, but rigorous in their banning or restriction of ingredients available in the market. To date, the EU has banned over 1,700 cosmetic materials compared to only 11 in the U.S.
We also utilize IFRA and IOFI Standards for fragrance and flavor materials respectively. Our use of fragrance is conservative and generally provides for ample headroom before reaching maximum allowable values. This helps us mitigate sensitization potential and ensure mild formulations.
Efficacy Data
Effectiveness claims, for example a notable % change in appearance must be backed by in vivo studies with at least 10 participants.
Dirty Lists & Free From Claims
We do not believe in 'Dirty' lists and find free-from claims to be misleading and confusing for the consumer. Many free-from claims include ingredients that are already banned and illegal for use (and surreptitiously imply they may be found in competitor products) or they imply ingredients are unsafe despite proven levels of safety when formulating using EU SCCS and CIR guidelines.
Some free-from claims are unecessarily broad and demonize entire categories of ingredients when only specific entries are banned or restricted. We believe in wariness, not fear when discussing which ingredients we choose not to formulate with.
We do not formulate with the following ingredients:
Parabens
We do not use any parabens in our products including those approved for use in the EU. This is a personal choice and is not meant to demonize Parabens as a category. Some key facts:
- As of January 2022, the European Union (EU) has banned the use of five parabens in cosmetic products: Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phenylparaben, Benzylparaben, Pentylparaben.
- Isopropylparaben is been banned in California (Prop65)
- Butylparaben or Propylparaben are still allowed, but restricted in the EU.
- Parabens are long studied, highly effective, and gentle preservatives that are particularly good at providing fungicidal action. Our choice to not use them is largely due to consumer reaction and not a supposed safety risk.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate:
We do not formulate with either of these sulfate materials. We favor alternative surfactants with lower irritancy profiles.
- These ingredients are approved for use in both US and EU and are not restricted.
Formaldehyde Releasers:
We do not formulate with this class of preservative due to its risks as a carcinogen even at low levels.
- Formaldehyde is not permitted in cosmetic products in either the U.S. or EU
- Formaldehyde a bi-product of formaldehyde releasing preservatives is restricted to 0.001% in the EU - a threshold that was recently reduced from 0.05% in 2022 (a reduction of 50x)
- These represent a very long studied and long used category of preservatives, they are approved for restricted use in cosmetics but we have chosen not to use them given the shifting, emerging information regarding their restriction (particularly in the EU). This is not intended to imply they are unsafe.