Palm oil comes from the fruit, kernel or seed of palm trees, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis. It is a highly efficient crop and is able to produce more oil per acre than any other equivalent vegetable.

Palm oil is native to Africa, but Southeast Asia is the primary producer of the global supply. That said, more than 40 other countries also produce this needed oil.

A variety of cosmetic ingredients include palm oil and its derivatives. The list consists of everything from lipstick to shampoos and soaps. The use of palm oil adds texture as well as important moisturizing and foaming properties to your products.

Palm oil is incredibly efficient. It requires less land than other comparable crops for the same amount of oil. Palm oil has innate properties that cannot be replicated, thusa impacting the product aesthetics of cosmetics. Additionally, millions of farmers work in the palm oil industry. It plays a vital role in the reduction of poverty in the areas where it is grown. Ceasing to use palm oil would play a tragic role for these people and their families working within the industry.

As a company, we are striving to source our palm oil in a sustainable manner. We are aware of the deforestation concerns and as members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) are striving to ensure that all of the palm oil derived ingredients used in our products are responsibly and sustainably sourced.  

Parabens are a widespread group of organically synthesized preservatives used in cosmetics, as well as many drugs and foods. As a group of multiple compounds, they include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, and butylparaben. Like most preservatives, they are antimicrobial, meaning they prevent the growth and reproduction of bacteria, mold, and fungi. This attribute allows parabens to keep products safe for repeated consumption.

Parabens occur in nature, but those used in personal care are synthetically derived, meaning they are created from organic compounds.

All daily use, personal care products formulated with water must contain some form of preservation and parabens are a common form used in these products. Parabens maintain product freshness and provide beneficial safety qualities that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi.

Nu Skin historically used parabens at extremely low levels (usually between 0.1% to 0.8%) to maintain product freshness because of their proven safety record and low irritation profile. However, though the leading regulatory bodies continue to confirm the safety of parabens, Nu Skin is aware of the environment that is surrounding this issue. Thus since 2010, all newly formulated products were paraben-free when possible. We are also strategically evolving the different Nu Skin products to be paraben-free based on brand and only have a few products that use this preservative system.

Triclosan is an effective wide-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Triclosan is synthetically derived, meaning it is created from organic compounds.

Triclosan is used within formulas to help kill bacteria and/or mitigate its growth.

The US FDA concluded that over-the-counter antiseptic products used with water (like antibacterial hand soaps and body washes) that contain triclosan can no longer be marketed to make antibacterial claims. This is based on an inadequate demonstration of products containing triclosan to be both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water to prevent the illness and the spread of infections.

It is used in products to reduce bacteria, including those that may lead to odors.

Alcohols are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups (an oxygen and hydrogen atom) bound to carbon atoms. On ingredient labels, an alcohol usually ends with "ol" (ethanol, methanol, panthenol). Alcohols are characterized by their ability to dissolve in both water and oil, which is determined by the length of the molecule's carbon chain. Short carbon chain alcohols are typically associated with drying characteristics while long-chain carbon alcohols hold water. However, under specific circumstances, some short-chain alcohols display moisturizing properties.

Alcohols are synthetically derived, meaning they are created from organic compounds.

Most alcohols that deliver benefits to the skin are known as fatty alcohols and range in function. Some alcohols, like panthenol and propylene glycol, enhance a product's moisturizing qualities by binding water to the skin. Stearyl alcohol softens and soothes skin. Tocopherol (also known as vitamin E) is well known for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Several vitamins, including vitamin A and vitamin B5, are alcohols.

Nu Skin utilizes fatty alcohols such as panthenol, propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, butylene glycol, and Cetearyl alcohol that have proven beneficial moisturizing properties. Although Nu Skin does use ethanol in a few product formulations, such as Epoch Hand Sanitizer because it serves as an FDA-required active ingredient to instantly kill germs and bacteria, there are other hydrating and conditioning ingredients in the formulations that counteract the drying effects. We only use alcohols that benefit your skin and enhance product effectiveness and consumer experience.