Product Ingredients

Ingredients Policy

Arran Aromatics Limited, share our customers, and indeed the public’s, concern over ingredients used in cosmetic and toiletry products. Arran Aromatics Limited's policy is to ensure that all ingredients used in our products are of the highest quality, and are safe for their intended purpose. To ensure that we continue to meet this policy objective, all of the ingredients we use are subject to a regular review of their usage.

All our formulations are free from animal ingredients with the exception of bee products (honey, beeswax etc.) and are suitable for use by vegetarians.

None of our formulations have been tested on animals.

We endeavour to use natural or naturally derived ingredients where possible without compromising safety and effectiveness of the product.

Where required to maintain product safety and integrity, low levels of preservatives are used. These are kept to a minimum and are well below the maximum legislative limits set.

All products currently manufactured are paraben free.

We continually appraise the marketplace for safe, high quality, innovative and functional, ingredients for inclusion in our new formulations.

The use of palm oil in cosmetic products

Arran Aromatics Limited share the public concerns over the supply of Palm oil and its impact on loss of habitats.

Traditional Bath & Body Vegetable Soaps

The Palm Oil used in our traditional vegetable derived bath & body soaps is currently derived from an RSPO (round table on sustainable palm oil) approved sustainable supply.

Shave Soaps

The Palm Oil used in our shave soaps is currently derived from sources that may contain a mixture of sustainable and non-sustainable sourced palm oils. However, we are working with our suppliers, who are members of the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil, in order to secure a continuous supply of sustainable palm oil that meets our future requirements.

Use of plastic microbeads in cosmetic products

Arran Aromatics Limited is aware of customer concern over the use of polyethylene or alternative plastic microbeads, used as scrub agents in personal care products and their adverse impact on our marine environment and marine wildlife.

Therefore Arran Aromatics Limited would like to advise our customers that we do not use plastic microbeads as scrub agents in any of our products.

Currently we use natural based scrub agents as listed;

Oatmeal, bran and wheat grain in our vegetable soaps
Grain or husk of grains used as gentle scrub agents

Sea salt in our salt and oil scrub

Sea salt crystals from the evaporation of sea water.

A variety of natural based scrub agents have been utilised in the past and may be utilised again in the future.
Fruit Peel – Lemon, grapefruit, orange Ground Nut shell – Walnut, Almond Seeds – Strawberry, Kiwi, Raspberry Hydrogenated Jojoba beads

The use of sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl saulfate (SLS) in cosmetic products

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate are anionic surfactants that exert an emulsifying action removing oil and soil from the hair and skin, and are recognised for their superior foaming characteristics and detergency. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is recognised as being the milder of the two ingredients and is used by Arran Aromatics Limited as the primary detergent in Bath Products such as Shampoo, Shower Gel and Foam Bath.

At Arran Aromatics Limited we are aware that press and internet articles have questioned the safety profile of Sodium Laureth Sulfate and SLS when used as a primary ingredient in rinse-off cosmetic products. Some of these articles have gone as far as claiming that these products may be carcinogenic.

In response, the American Cancer Society has reported affirmatively that SLS “does not cause cancer” whilst the International Agency for Research on Cancer rates the ingredients as non-carcinogenic.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a widely used ingredient in the cosmetics industry and its safety of use is fully assessed by the Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR), an advisory panel to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA). It’s continual approval for use in cosmetics is based upon the volume of safety information available on this ingredient. The CTFA’s response concluded, “On the basis of available information.Sodium Laureth Sulfate is safe as presently used in cosmetics products.”

It is recognised that Sodium Laureth Sulfate can be mildly irritating to the skin and eyes in high concentrations, however it is safe when used in cosmetic products where it only comes into brief contact with the skin and is diluted.

We have taken into account information from the scientific and medical community as well as external experts. Furthermore all of our products, prior to being sold, are subject to external assessments on their safety to human health. Based on our review and of the opinions received we continue to believe that Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a safe and effective ingredient as currently used in our products.