When the Jouvé was launched, consumers were promised the products would be clean and toxic-free. A list of harmful ingredients known to contribute to health and reproductive concerns was published, called the Never Ever List. This list is the written promise from ARIIX that Jouvé users will never have to worry about sacrificing their health for their beauty.
Because so many terms, such as natural, organic, chemical-free, hypoallergenic, and toxic-free, are thrown around so casually in the cosmetic industry, we are taking a moment to clarify exactly what the Jouvé products are, as well was what they’re not.
First, what the Jouvé products are:
Clean. Our Clean Commitment means that our products do not contain any synthetic preservatives or artificial colors, dyes, fragrances, or genetically modified ingredients.
Toxic-Free. Our products are formulated without ingredients that have been linked to health concerns or have been shown to have a long-term toxic effect on the body or on the environment. This means that the Jouvé products are free from parabens, phthalates, PEGs, silicones, nanoparticles, sulfates, or other ingredients that have been associated with cancer, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, allergenicity, reproductive damage, or a host of other health hazards.
Second, what the Jouvé products are not:
Hypoallergenic. This is a term that has no medical or industry-standard definition. Cosmetic companies are not required to meet any regulations or do any testing to validate this claim, and so it has become virtually meaningless. The Jouvé products are rigorously tested for skin irritation and sensitization, and were dermatologist tested to assure they are safe for all skin types without the use of the hypoallergenic term.
Natural. The only thing that the term natural means is that the ingredient was produced from a living organism—meaning it was found in nature. It’s important to remember, however, that “natural” does not always equal “good.” There are a host of harmful ingredients that are natural in origin; substances that should never be used in consumer products. Formaldehyde, arsenic, lead, botulinum toxin, anthrax, ricin and snake venom are all natural substances. As with some other claims, there are no industry standards or regulations for this term, and even some of the products on the market with this claim contain potentially toxic ingredients.
Organic. There is a pervasive misconception that all synthetic ingredients are automatically bad and that all organic ingredients are automatically good. As with the above terms, organic still has no industry-standard, with differing definitions applied globally, and is one of the most misused terms in the cosmetic industry. We applaud the production of plant-based ingredients that are cultivated without the use of chemicals, irradiation, or pesticides. However, there is nothing inherent about organic ingredients that reflect the quality of a cosmetic product.
Chemical-Free. Simply put, there is no such thing as a chemical-free cosmetic. This would actually defy the laws of chemistry. In reality, seeing this claim just means that the marketing department of a cosmetic company doesn’t understand the fundamentals of science. Basically, anything one can taste, smell, or hold is made up of chemicals. Every single cosmetic product ever created contains chemicals. The bottles and jars they come in contain chemicals. The packages they’re shipped in contain chemicals. Every single one of us is made up of many different chemicals.
We want our Representatives to have a thorough understanding of these concepts so that you can help educate your contacts about the dangers that are commonplace to the cosmetic industry. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way to helping people understand better what’s in their products in order to make the best decision for their own health and wellbeing.
—Tom Jackson, Executive Director-Product Development and Regulatory Affairs with ARIIX
