All the Nasty Stuff We Don’t Use. At Cassie Kids we say we are 100% non-toxic, but what does that mean? All of our products are paraben free, phthalate free, nanoparticle-free, gluten free, talc free, non-GMO, and contain no synthetic fragrances and no artificial colouring. Oh, and we are PEG-free, too…

That’s quite a list! Though, what do each of these represent in simple terms and why have we chosen to avoid them in all of our products? Let’s dig deeper into each individual toxin or potentially toxic component, to understand them better. 

Firstly, we start with Parabens. What are parabens and what is wrong with them? Simply put, parabens are preservatives. Preservatives are needed to ensure that a topical product has a longer shelf life once it has been opened. Any product that contains water (or aqua) is susceptible to bacterial growth and mold and that is why preservatives are needed.
However, parabens can act like the hormone estrogen in the body and disrupt the normal function of hormone systems affecting both male and female reproductive organ functions, development, fertility and even birth outcomes. Parabens can also interfere with the endocrine system which means that the daily production of general hormones may be compromised.
Parabens can also cause skin irritation.

So, what do we use instead? We use broad-spectrum preservatives that are effective in a wide variety of formulations and pH environments, such as Liquid Germall Plus and Geoguard.

Next on the list is phthalates. What a tongue-twister, if most people can’t even pronounce it properly, how can we know what it is?
In non-scientific terms, phthalates are chemical components that make plastic soft and flexible. In cosmetics, you will often find phthalates in nail polish and fragrances.

Here’s why we don’t use these chemicals in our products. Phthalates have been linked to endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and serious illnesses like cancer. The use of Pthalates in cosmetics have been banned in the European Union, but still remain prevalent in American products. Thus, it was a no-brainer to exclude phthalates from our products.
We definitely don’t include any phthalates in our nail polish, and our fragrances and scents are all 100% natural!

Let’s talk about talc. This item is easier on the tongue, and it is just as easy to identify the main concerns here.
Talc is a white powder, also known as Talcum powder, that is often used for its ability to absorb oil and reduce shine. However, asbestos often ends up in makeup because of poor regulations involving cosmetic-grade talc. Talc and asbestos are minerals that form together. That means that talc  mined for commercial uses can frequently be contaminated with asbestos — a known cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma.

This is why it was an easy decision for us to make – no talc will ever be used in our products.
What do we use instead? We use organic foodgrade arrowroot powder or cornstarch; thankfully both of these are very similar in cosmetic applications as talc, while remaining entirely non-toxic.

What is Non-GMO and how on earth is it linked to makeup?
Well, GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. It is general knowledge by now, that a vast number of vegetable crops have been genetically altered/engineered to be resistant to herbicides or to make the plants themselves into insecticides. Other foods may be genetically engineered to resist disease or drought, or even to contain added nutrients.

At Cassie Kids, many of our ingredients come from plants. Thus, we keep our plant-based ingredients as pure and organic as we conscientiously can. 
Leading to the term non-GMO which quite obviously implies that none of our ingredients have been genetically tampered with. 

Our policies and quality promises also state that all of our products are gluten-free.
What this means is that none of our products contain any wheat, barley, rye and other wholegrains.

We prefer to use arrowroot in our eyeshadows, blushes and several other items because arrowroot is naturally gluten-free.
In our Splish Splash Set we use cornstarch which is technically not a wholegrain but also gluten-free. Even though the majority of people don’t need to be concerned about gluten intolerance, there are those who experience severe reactions to gluten. And it is those little customers that we thought of when we decided that we’d rather stay away from gluten just in case.

One of the biggest culprits that cause skin reactions and can aggravate eczema is synthetic fragrances. Many synthetic chemicals in fragrances are petroleum-based. In other words, artificial scents contain numerous synthetic chemicals which are derived from petroleum. This means that these products can include gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, heating oil, jet fuel, waxes, lubricating oils, and petrochemical feedstocks.
The next time you see “fragrance” listed as an ingredient, know that this synthetic scent is a mixture of many different unidentified ingredients which include carcinogens, allergens, and hormone disruptors. The toxins can increase the risk of cancer, autoimmune disorders, asthma, infertility, certain neurological disorders, weakening of the immune system, allergies, and much more. Sensitive individuals can also experience common side effects of these ingredients such as rashes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, hyper-pigmentation, and skin irritation.
These are risks that we definitely won’t subject our children to.

Hence, at Cassie Kids we rather use clean sources of essential oils in most of our body products; still steering clear from adding any essential oils into products that go near the eyes or cheeks! We also use natural fragrance oils in our perfumes which are plant-based and derived solely from natural raw botanical pure essential oils and aromatic isolates.

When it comes to artificial flavouring, we take a similar stance as we do with synthetic fragrances – they are chemically created and we don’t really know what’s in them. Although it may be a tempting allure for a little kid to imagine a lip balm that tastes like cherries, if we suspect that it is probably full of chemicals then that’s not something we want to expose our little customers to. Not for internal or topical use.

Now, what exactly is PEG-free!? Polyethylene glycol (that’s an intimidating amount of syllables, so let’s just call it PEG) is found in many skin creams, lotions, soaps, shower gels, and hair products. PEGs are petroleum-based compounds that are often used as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. PEGs can cause skin irritation and severe hypersensitivity.
PEGs often come with impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, both of which pose some serious health risks. Both of these impurities have been classified a potential carcinogens. Our Frosted Mermaid Mousse Body Butter is made using shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and arrowroot – so there is no need to even consider using PEGs!

Finally, let’s discuss what nano-particle free refers to.
By making sure our ingredients are all “non-nano”, we’ve ensured that the particles contained therein aren’t small enough to penetrate all the layers of the skin, and can’t make it’s way into the bloodstream. This is considered safer, especially for small, developing bodies. The particles of our zinc oxide are large enough so that they cannot be absorbed through the skin. Any regular nano particles do have the potential to enter the bloodstream, so that’s why it’s an important distinction for kids’ products to be labeled “non-nan”. 

At Cassie Kids we also understand that new information, case studies, research and results is becoming available faster than we can all keep up with. Even though we have created as complete a list of potentially toxic and harmful ingredients as we could, we also promise to always keep learning and thoroughly researching all of the components we plan to introduce into our products. 

On that note, why are we not labeled as 100% allergen free? 
Did you know that a very small handful of little and large people are allergic to one of the gentlest essential oils derived from lavender? 
We were so surprised to find out that one of our trusted go-to natural, therapeutic scents could even be considered as an allergen. 
Yet, it is possible for anybody to experience an allergic reaction to any components (and combinations of components for that matter) of which there is such a massive variety. 

Always test out any new or strange edible and topical products and discontinue use if you believe it has caused you discomfort or a severe reaction.