Claims

91 - Water Not Added

No added water

Your skin receives its moisture from within, through the fluids you drink. Water applied to the outside cannot reach the living layers of your skin. At most, it can temporarily soften the outer layer of dead skin cells before evaporating again. That is why we do not use water as a base or filler. We do not add it to dilute our ingredients or simply to make a product easier to spread.

However, our balms may still contain a very small amount of water. Some ingredients naturally contain water, while others are supplied in a water-based carrier. In our Face Balm, this residual water accounts for approximately 0.60 to 1.49 per cent. In the Cleansing Balm, it ranges from around 1.8 to 4 per cent.

These small amounts do not affect how the balms work. There is too little available water for microorganisms to grow readily, so no preservative system is needed.

Skincare with little or no water is becoming increasingly popular. More people are choosing balms, oils and solid sticks over products made largely from water.

At the same time, many brands continue to use water, but describe it as ‘botanical water’, ‘hydrolat’ or ‘plant juice’ rather than listing it simply as ‘aqua’. It sounds wonderfully natural, but it is still largely water. Such products generally need preservatives, while the water itself does relatively little for your skin.

92 - No Added Preservatives

No added preservatives

Preservatives do not distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria. They are designed to prevent the growth of microorganisms and may also affect those living naturally on your skin, potentially disturbing the balance of its microbiome. That is why we do not add preservatives to Balmsense products. Our balms do not need them, because microorganisms require available water to grow, and our balms contain too little of it to support their growth.

More brands are now turning to concentrated products without added water. Not only can this reduce the need for unnecessary additives, but people are also becoming more interested in understanding why particular ingredients are included in their skincare.

93 - Biome Friendly

Kind to your skin's microbiome

Your skin is your largest organ and a living system. It depends on beneficial microorganisms, including bacteria, as well as a protective barrier that remains intact after cleansing. That is why we avoid cleansing methods that repeatedly leave the skin stripped and tight. This can weaken its natural defences and create more favourable conditions for unwanted microorganisms. Instead, we cleanse gently with oils that mix with dirt and make-up and can then be rinsed away with lukewarm water. This helps avoid stripping away all the valuable microorganisms and the natural skin oils they partly depend on.

Cleansing can also leave the skin temporarily less acidic than it needs to be to protect itself and retain moisture. That is why, at Balmsense, cleansing is always followed by our Face Balm. It helps bring the skin's pH back towards its natural level, allowing the skin barrier to return to its protective role more quickly.

More and more skincare brands claim that their products are good for the skin microbiome. All the more reason to explain clearly which ingredients and product choices genuinely contribute to keeping it in balance.

94 - Refill or Recycle

Refillable and 100% recyclable

Stainless steel

At Balmsense, we believe packaging should not be something you simply throw away. Our stainless steel tin is therefore refillable and designed to last for years. This means less need for new packaging materials. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and is widely recovered for reuse. Because metal has value, it is actively separated from waste rather than simply discarded.

Aluminium

We chose aluminium for our tubes for much the same reason. Better still, we use recycled aluminium, both PCR (post-consumer recycled) and PIR (post-industrial recycled). Aluminium is 100% recyclable and remains a valuable raw material even after recycling. Many plastics, by contrast, lose quality each time they are recycled. This limits how often they can be reused, and they frequently end up in products of lower quality.

Recycled aluminium has another important advantage. Recycling uses far less energy and produces considerably less CO₂ than making new aluminium. Recent figures suggest that producing recycled aluminium requires around 95 per cent less energy than primary production, with a corresponding reduction in climate impact. In the Netherlands, aluminium is a valuable material in the recycling system. Specialised sorting equipment separates it from waste, and metals can even be recovered after incineration. Nevertheless, placing aluminium packaging in the PMD recycling stream, for plastic and metal packaging and drinks cartons, remains the best option. Aluminium is harder to recover from general waste than steel, so sorting it correctly gives it the greatest chance of being recycled. Unlike steel, aluminium is not magnetic. Modern recycling facilities therefore use a technique called eddy current separation, which is designed specifically to recover non-ferrous metals such as aluminium.

There is another point worth considering. Many people instinctively regard glass and bioplastics as more environmentally responsible choices. Yet glass is heavy, making transport more energy-intensive, and melting it down for recycling also requires considerable energy. Bioplastics may sound environmentally friendly, but in practice they are not always correctly identified or processed by recycling facilities. That is why we favour refillable packaging wherever possible. When refilling is not an option, we choose materials that can be recycled effectively and already have an established recycling system.

95 - Mostly Organic

Made with predominantly organic ingredients

We choose organic ingredients wherever possible. Not every cosmetic ingredient is available in organic quality, and even when it is, supplies are not always guaranteed. We therefore make our choices carefully. Whenever an ingredient can be sourced organically, that is our preference. After all, we want the products you use on your skin every day to be as pure and responsibly made as possible. We work with certified ingredients and keep the relevant certificates and specifications on record, so we can demonstrate the reasons behind our choices.

As a result, our organic content reaches around 80 per cent, putting us in a position to apply for COSMOS Organic certification. We intend to pursue this when our budget allows.

We deliberately prefer to say ‘mostly organic’ rather than focus on an impressive percentage. Accuracy matters more to us than making a claim sound better than it is. As environmental claims become increasingly common, brands are also being asked to show what words such as ‘organic’ and ‘responsibly sourced’ actually mean.

96 - 100% Plant Based

Entirely of natural origin

Every ingredient we use comes from plants or is made from plant-derived materials. We use no animal-derived ingredients. This fits naturally with the Balmsense approach, which focuses on replenishing the skin's natural oils with similar types of fats. Plant oils and butters are particularly well suited to this. We carefully choose a plant-based source for every ingredient and verify its origin through the relevant specifications. Because we add no water, the composition remains straightforward. What you get is primarily nourishing oils, butters and ingredients that give the balm its structure, without water added as a filler.

There is growing interest in what ‘natural origin’ really means. Brands are therefore expected to explain more clearly how they define the term and what evidence supports their claims.

97 - Vegan

Free from animal-derived ingredients

Being vegan is quite straightforward at Balmsense. We use no ingredients or by-products of animal origin. Nor is there any need to. Excellent skincare can be made entirely with plant-based fats. That is why we create the texture and benefits of our products using plant oils, butters and waxes. We carefully investigate where each ingredient comes from and keep the supporting documents on record. We deliberately avoid animal fats and waxes, even though they are still widely used in other cosmetics.

Vegan claims are increasingly expected to be supported by evidence throughout the supply chain. This means brands need to provide more than simply a label.

Registered with Vegan Friendly

Balmsense® is registered with Vegan Friendly as 100% vegan. Our products contain no animal-derived ingredients and are developed using plant oils, butters and waxes.

98 - Animal Friendly

No animal testing

For Balmsense, being animal friendly means taking a clear position on animal testing. Alongside our commitment to vegan skincare, it goes without saying that we do not have our products tested on animals. Nor do we commission animal testing for our ingredients. Instead, we select raw materials with established safety records and give priority to testing methods that do not involve animals.

Animal testing for cosmetic products has been banned in the European Union for years. Unfortunately, that does not mean animal testing involving cosmetic ingredients has disappeared entirely. Under certain chemical safety regulations, animal tests may still be required for substances that are also used in cosmetics. Our position is clear. We do not commission such tests, and we develop our products with the aim of avoiding any need for them.

Recent legal cases and discussions surrounding cosmetic regulations have led to closer scrutiny of what brands mean by ‘animal friendly’ and the evidence they use to support such claims.

99 - Palm Free

Free from palm oil and palm-derived ingredients

For us, palm free means exactly that. No palm oil and no ingredients derived from it, including those covered by certification schemes. This is not a criticism of palm growers. In producing countries, many people depend on palm cultivation for their livelihoods. Our concern is that palm oil in cosmetics is rarely a simple, clearly identifiable ingredient. It is often present in the form of derivatives, making its origin unnecessarily difficult to trace and verify.

We prefer to make a claim that is easy to understand and that we can fully stand behind. We therefore select plant oils and ingredients that give our balms their structure from sources other than palm, checking the origin of each one throughout the supply chain. It takes extra research, but it keeps our ingredients clearly defined and our choice straightforward and verifiable.

Pressure on raw material supply chains and the continuing threat of deforestation remain serious concerns. For many people, choosing products without palm oil or its derivatives is therefore a particularly clear and relevant decision.