Natural & Organic

BestIndian™ : Certified Organic & Natural

All BestIndian beauty care luxuries are certified organic, in addition to being natural. All herbs used in BestIndian™ products are grown organically by our trusted farmers, which helps uplift the local economy. Other farmers of the region have been inspired by our ‘Grow Organic’ campaign, and have started boycotting synthetic fertilizers. This has helped in organic rejuvenation of vast areas of farmlands spanning across several villages.

The efficiency of natural ingredients based cosmetics products depends on the freshness of the ingredients used. BestIndian™ products’ potency is the highest in the cosmetics industry which is a result of using the freshest ingredients. All are farms are located close to our manufacturing facility to ensure that our products are made with the freshest possible ingredients. Herbs are harvested early in the morning, and are transported with care and efficiency to ensure that the herbs reach our state of the art manufacturing facility, within three hours of harvesting. It’s almost like using ingredients from your own kitchen garden.

The world is fast realizing the dangers of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow agricultural and herbal produce. Plants act like a sieve and absorb every chemical, good or bad, provided to it during its growing phase. Resultantly, carcinogens are introduced in the human body when human beings use products and food made from plants which have been grown using synthetic fertilizers. Harmful chemicals are absorbed by the skin, which is the largest organ of the human body. Therefore it is not enough for a cosmetic brand to be natural, without also being 100% organic. Cosmetics which are prepared from natural ingredients which have not been grown organically end up doing as much harm as artificial chemical based cosmetics.

Numerous in-depth scientific studies published in the National Library of Medicine, by the government of the United States of America's National Center for Biotechnology Information, have highlighted the dangers of using chemical based Cosmetics. The associated health risks include increased prevalence of breast and testicular cancer, and greater occurrence of reproductive and developmental problems. Extracts from some of them are as follows:

(1) Chemical Exposures: The Ugly Side of Beauty Products 

In recent decades reproductive and developmental problems have become more prevalent—for example, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that male reproductive problems, including undescended testicles and hypospadias, doubled between 1970 and 1993. Environmental chemicals are strongly suspected to be contributing factors. Several recent reports highlight the presence of low-level concentrations of potential reproductive or developmental toxicants, particularly phthalates, in cosmetics and personal care products.

(2) Skin safety and health prevention: an overview of chemicals in cosmetic products 

Our skin is the largest surface of the body interacting with external environment, and is both involuntarily exposed to abiotic and biotic factors, and voluntarily, due to personal care and cosmetic products use. Many of these are used or applied on a daily basis and in different ways, in the good faith assumption that these products are harmless for our body’s health. In the light of the frequent and intimate nature of the contact on skin and mucosa with these products, it is important that they do not contain potentially dangerous substances. 

The use of many substances as ingredients in cosmetics is allowed strictly within certain limits, due to their toxicity at higher concentrations. However, even in small concentration, these substances may induce several acute adverse side-effects, including contact dermatitis. Moreover, the everyday use and continuous exposition of humans to a wide range of personal care products and to different kinds of chemicals, derived from several sources, may cause the so-called “cocktail effect” due to the synergistic interaction of different substances and, also, the “additive effect” because of the presence of the same ingredient in many products. Other important aspects should be considered as, for instance, the possibility of long-term effects.

As the world is progressively becoming aware of the dangers of chemical products, India can become a hub of natural products which would help create jobs, and also Help the farmers of India. Farming sector is responsible for 70 % of jobs in India and if we want to create a developed India then we would need to adapt fertilizer free and organic farming methods. Our ground water is getting depleted due to over farming of sugarcane etc., we need to educate farmers that they can earn more profit if they switch to herbs and Ayurvedic plants grown organically.

DANGERS OF CHEMICAL BASED COSMETICS

In June 2004, Environment California issued a report called Growing Up Toxic: Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Diseases, which details chemicals found in consumer products and their potential health impacts. Other reports released around the same time by the Environmental Working Group (Skin Deep: A Safety Assessment of Ingredients in Personal Care Products) and Friends of the Earth (Shop Till You Drop? Survey of High Street Retailers on Risky Chemicals in Products 2003–2004) support Environment California’s publication.

According to these reports, makeup, shampoo, skin lotion, nail polish, and other personal care products contain chemical ingredients that lack safety data. Moreover, some of these chemicals (primarily phthalates) have been linked in studies to male genital birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and altered pregnancy outcomes. Phthalates, as key components in plastics, appear in many consumer products. The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. Often, their presence is not noted on labels.

For example, a population study conducted by the CDC and published in the March 2004 issue of EHP demonstrated that 97% of 2,540 individuals tested had been exposed to one or more phthalates. Another preliminary study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the July 2003 issue of EHP showed a correlation between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and DNA damage in human sperm.

Cocktail effect:
The current legislations all over the world subject many substances to a threshold concentration, but there is a potential “cocktail effect” due to the utilization of combined products during the course of the day. In addition, the same substance can be found in more than one product and can derive from different sources (“additive effect”), in this way, the safety threshold established could be overcome. For example, we can think about formaldehyde which is found in a variety of consumer products: clothing, plastics, dry cleaning agents, paper, glue, drywall board, resins, wood panelling, etc. It is necessary to improve the legislative approach, since there are chemicals whose use is not completely safe, but is still allowed.

Some harmful Ingredients used by Cosmetics Brands:
‌Some of the chemical ingredients listed on product labels are known to be harmful. Knowing which ones to watch out for can help you reduce or limit your exposure to these harmful chemicals:

  • Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). BHA and BHT are chemical compounds used as antioxidants and preservatives in cosmetic preparations.
  • Diethanolamine, or DEA. DEA is used as a foaming agent and emulsifier. It was linked to cancer in animal tests from a 1998 study, but the same study did not establish a link between DEA and the risk of cancer in humans.
  • Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Formaldehyde, also known as formalin and methylene glycol, can be found in hair smoothing products.
    Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are used to prevent the formation of bacteria. You'll also see them under the names DMDM hydantoin, polyoxymethylene urea, diazolidinyl urea, bromopol, imidazolidinyl urea, glyoxal, methenamine, quaternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. Reported reactions to formaldehyde and related ingredients include eye irritations, wheezing, headaches, sore throat, nausea, skin rashes, and irritation. At higher levels or with prolonged exposure, the products have been linked to cancer.
  • Parabens. Parabens, used as a preservative in cosmetics, have been linked to skin irritations, endocrine disruption, and harm to the reproductive system.
  • ‌Fragrance ingredients. Companies do not need to disclose fragrance ingredients by law, as these are seen as "trade secrets." But as with all other ingredients, companies do need to ensure the safety of the ingredients before they are released to the market.
  • Polyethylene glycols, or PEG compounds. Polyethylene glycols have a variety of uses in cosmetic care preparations, but have been linked to various types of cancer.
  • Petrolatum or petroleum jelly. Petrolatum in unrefined form can contain toxic chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
  • Siloxanes or silicones. Some siloxane compounds are considered toxic and can harm hormone function.
  • ‌Sodium laureth sulfate, or SLS. SLS can cause irritations to the skin and eyes and is known to contain toxic ingredients.
  • Triclosan. Triclosan is an ingredient that helps prevent or reduce bacterial contamination. Short-term animal studies show links to a decrease in thyroid hormones, but the effect in humans has not been established. The FDA has declared that triclosan in certain over-the-counter health care antiseptic products is not generally recognized as safe and effective due to insufficient data, but they recommend that health care personnel continue to use the currently available products, consistent with infection control guidelines.