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Pourquoi pas de produits solides pour les enfants ?

Why no solid products for children?

Why no solid products for children?

Anhydrous products (without water) are the darling of cosmetics. They are everywhere, with beautiful colors, good smells and this feeling of saving the planet which seduces many consumers ... Indeed, more and more people are convinced by the "zero waste" claims of solid products. In this article, we explain why we do not surf this fashion trend by offering solid hygiene products for children.

First of all, the ‘zero waste‘ does not exist. 

Yes, sorry to spoil the fairy tale from the first paragraph ... 

The "zero waste" claim is a marketing manipulation, we can say greenwashing, it is not because a product does not have plastic packaging that it is "zero waste".

So indeed, at the end of the chain, when you buy your cut soap, your bulk shampoo: no visible waste ...

But it had to be produced this soap? 

And alas, the whole production chain from raw materials to transport in your shop necessarily produces waste ... 

The DGCCRF (repression of fraud) already prohibits the claim "zero carbon", we soon hope that it will also prohibit the mention "zero waste" ...

In reality, who are solid lavish products?

So let's make the presentations, for a solid washing product, there are two solutions: 

Soap

Old as the world 

The manufacture of Aleppo soap would be a know-how that dates back over 2000 years! 

The first known trace of our French version of the famous Marseille soap dates from 1371, and is attributed to a certain Crescas Davin. 

To tell you the truth, Marseille soap is made up of vegetable oils, which are saponified via cooking in a cauldron, without adding preservatives or chemicals. (To give you a short version;))

So yes, soap is a product of natural origin, and it is excellent for the maintenance of the house.

No soap for our children? 

But this is not the ideal product for children's hygiene. From the 1960s, scientists concluded that soap posed a lot of problems to wash children. 

Because of two main reasons: 

1. Anionic surfactants from saponification are very striking for children's skin. The ‘Surgras soap‘ precisely contain more glycerin to hide the stripping misdeeds. 

2. Their very alkaline pH (more than 8), because the skin of children is around 5.5. They therefore unbalance the acidic coat which protects the skin from our little stingy. 

Because of these problems, scientists now offer softer and neutral products for the skin in liquid or solid form. 

Dermatological bread 

What is this ? 

The solid version of this "soft soap" is also called dermatological bread in French. 

In reality, most solid products sold are dermatological breads. 

They are solid, therefore without packaging, with a neutral pH for the skin: it's good jeans stop looking we have the perfect solution! 

Well yes, but no. 

Imagine that this dermatological bread also has some significant defects: 

Mainly, his problem is that he is solid. Yes Jean-Mi, we know that when it is solid, no packaging and we have the impression that it is good for the planet, we explain to you: 

For a product to be solid, the surfactant (the washed thing) must be in solid form. 

So far ok. 

Only that is a problem for children's skin, but also for the planet. 

For a surfactant to be in solid form, it must be in the form of salt. Most of the time on the ingredient lists, they are called "sodium" thing.

There could be 3 possibilities: 

1. Sulfate salts, the most used. We even find them for organic products, we save you the rehearsal of their misdeeds: Here is the article

2. The SCI (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) We think that buying the solid is a pleasure to the planet, but think again! The SCI manufacturing process is ultra polluting and energy -consuming. It is also potentially toxic to aquatic organizations, do not trust the beautiful images of the packaging, you do not save the oceans: it is a nightmare for small fish ... 

 

3. Cocoyl glutamate sodium is a surfactant especially 100 % of natural and biodegradable origin. Jean-Mi cries victory, but alas, we will still have to disappoint it ... This product has a very floury texture, very sticky compared to the others. Therefore, it requires many texture to make it solid (and that it remains). And you see us coming: the textors are fatty alcohols, often obtained from palm oil and which go around the planet three times before arriving in the laboratory where your pretty dermatological bread will be shaped. Another disappointment for your dream of "zero waste". In addition, due to the pandemic, Indonesia refuses to export palm oil: good news for orangutans, bad news for "solids".

Anecdote:

We have also seen some brands offer super pvc suction cup doors ...

New false good idea: recycling very complicated by the different combined materials, and the manufacturing process inevitably includes VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

So dangerous for health and the environment, these are often marks that say they are committed and campaign for the protection of the planet, but alas, their products only sell you "the impression" of protecting the planet. . 

 

The products to be dissolved

The new star of cosmetic products (and I am sure that Jean-Mi was going to tell us about it) are the products to be dissolved. 

On paper, the idea is good: we carry less, so less carbon emission since we do not walk water "for nothing". 

Only, from a scientific point of view, this idea seems rather dangerous to the health of our children, we explain why. 

Conservation

Water is life, and life is not always ideal in shower gel (hello bacteria) so it is necessary to add conservatives to these pretty pellets to be diluted. 

Very often we find our favorite combo: sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, we do not redo you the verse on the risks of this infernal duo in case of overdose: Here is the article. 

In addition, another problem, yes Jean-Mi still a problem ... 

When you add water to your powder, with an acid pH the benzoate sodium will turn into benzoic acid. This benzoic acid dissolves very badly in water.

In the laboratory, we use high-performance ultra turn, but at the Jean-Mi house will he be able to reach 3,000 laps/minutes? He's going to have a sore arm. 

However, if the benzoic acid is not well dissolved, the conservation will not be optimal. 

We are going to be honest: after testing and monitoring microbiological studies of certain products to be dissolved, we have not kept them ... 

The precipitation of the surfactants

In the water of your house, there are a lot of calcium ions, do you know white traces in your kettle or on glasses after too much dishwasher? 

Here, it makes me think: Jean-Mi, did you describe the coffee maker? 

In short, by using your tap water, the salts of the surfactants contained in your pastille will exchange with the calcium ions. And paf! It makes calcium salts, and suddenly the product becomes insoluble in water. 

However, the principle of the surfactants is to disappear from our skin with rinsing water, but in this specific case, the calcium salts will remain glued to the surface of your skin ...

A little hope for powdered or solid products 

The future seems promising to us for glutamate powder products. 

Only, it is imperative that this product remains dry, unless it turns into a youth hostel for bacteria ...

However, it represents an ideal solution for an adult face cleaner, with a well -hermetic bottle. 

 

In case of questions, comments, desire to say hello, our team awaits you on cowcou@lilikiwi.fr

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