Oh My Cream’s mission? To carefully select the cleanest, most effective and most desirable brands while offering expert, supportive and transparent advice. Because we believe in transparency, and that a formula built around effective active ingredients without unnecessary fillers is (always) much more effective, we select brands and products with great care, sharing only our favourites.
At Oh My Cream, we champion Clean Beauty. Unfortunately, there is no official definition of the concept. In France, however, we are fortunate to be well protected by European legislation (the strictest in the world), which regulates which ingredients are permitted. Because we believe expert advice should make the path to beautiful, healthy skin accessible to everyone, we are committed to guiding you independently and giving you the information you need with complete transparency. We have therefore established our selection policy according to our vision of “Clean Beauty”.
“Clean Beauty” according to Oh My Cream is…
Spot formulas with little to offer
We do not ban inactive ingredients (which pose no risk to the skin but offer no particular benefit: mineral oils, silicones, fragrances, SLS, etc.), but we check that they do not make up most of the formula and are not the subject of health-related controversy. What’s more, when an ingredient may cause a skin reaction in certain skin types, we check that the product is not intended specifically for those skin types. For example, a mineral oil that is safe for dry, mature skin will not be suitable for blemish-prone skin, because the film it forms can lead to small blemishes.
Assess a formula as a whole
When we select a product containing an ingredient that may raise questions, we check that most of the rest of the formula consists of active ingredients.
Avoid cumulative exposure and examine the concentration of ingredients that raise questions
When a product contains an ingredient that raises questions, we make sure its concentration is as low as possible and, in most cases, well below the limit permitted by European legislation. We also consider the product’s intended use, how often it is used and any potential combined effect. In all cases, we refuse to accept multiple controversial ingredients in a single formula.
Evolve with the market
Our position is not set in stone: we evolve with the market. We adapt to changes in regulations (which require brands to reformulate), advances in cosmetics (which encourage brands to innovate… and reformulate) and scientific research that identifies credible alternatives to controversial ingredients.
“Clean Beauty” according to Oh My Cream is not…
Insist on 100% natural or exclusively organic products
We are convinced that science has as much to offer as nature, and we do not think 100% natural and organic products are necessarily ideal for everyone. For example, very sensitive skin can react to products containing essential oils or certain natural extracts, causing allergies or other tolerance issues.
Claiming there is a risk to health
European legislation remains the strictest in the world and, while everyone has the right to take a precautionary approach or simply choose products according to their own standards, we do not believe that permitted ingredients are dangerous to health.
Giving in to controversy
Some controversial ingredients are being replaced by other molecules about which science still knows very little… To help us make informed choices, we work with Clear, a regulatory consultancy that monitors controversies internationally.
Demonise certain ingredients
No ingredient is entirely good or bad, so we choose to assess a formula as a whole when judging its quality.
To meet everyone’s needs and tolerance levels as closely as possible, we have chosen to offer cosmeceutical brands (combining the best of science and nature), natural brands and others that are certified organic. This allows everyone to decide where to draw their own line and, if they wish, take a precautionary approach.
