Most skincare brands talk about what they put in. We think what's left out is just as important.
When we started formulating Foile, we made a commitment to keep things simple and intentional. Every ingredient earns its place. And anything that doesn't? It doesn't make the cut — no matter how common it is in the industry.
Here's what you won't find in our products, and why we made that call.
Fragrance & essential oils
This one surprises people. Fragrance — even natural fragrance — is one of the leading causes of skin sensitisation and allergic reactions. Essential oils like lavender, citrus, and eucalyptus might smell beautiful, but on skin they can disrupt the barrier and trigger irritation, particularly for sensitive types. Our products are completely unscented. Any subtle scent you notice comes purely from the botanical extracts themselves.
Parabens
Parabens are synthetic preservatives that have been used in cosmetics for decades. While the science is still evolving, concerns around their potential hormone-disrupting properties were enough for us to look elsewhere. We preserve our formulas with gentler, naturally-derived alternatives — glyceryl caprylate and p-anisic acid — that keep products stable without the question marks.
Sulphates (SLS & SLES)
Sodium lauryl sulphate and its cousin SLES are the foaming agents responsible for that intense lather in most cleansers and shampoos. They're effective at removing dirt, but they're also effective at stripping away your skin's natural oils and disrupting its moisture barrier. Our Milky Emulsion Cleanser cleans without any of that — no foam, no stripping.
Drying alcohols
You'll find no denatured alcohol or ethanol in our formulas. These are the alcohols that give products a quick-dry, weightless finish — at the cost of dehydrating the skin and compromising the barrier over time, especially with daily use.
A note on transparency: you'll see propanediol listed in a couple of our products. This is a different kind of alcohol — a gentle glycol derived from corn sugar that acts as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin. We include it because it works and it's well tolerated. We think it's important you know the difference.
PEGs
Polyethylene glycols are synthetic compounds used as emulsifiers and penetration enhancers. Beyond their potential to increase skin permeability to other ingredients, they're petroleum-derived and not something we want in a formula we've designed to be clean and considered.
Silicones
Silicones create a smooth, blurred finish that looks great on camera but can occlude pores and build up on skin over time. We'd rather your skin look good because it's healthy — not because it's coated.
Mineral oil & petroleum derivatives
Petrolatum and mineral oil are occlusive, cheap, and petroleum-sourced. They sit on top of skin rather than working with it. We use plant-based oils — jojoba, prickly pear, meadowfoam — that genuinely nourish.
Synthetic dyes & palm oil
No artificial colourants. No palm oil. What you see is what it is.
Leaving things out takes more work, not less. It means finding better alternatives, testing more, and being willing to simplify when the simpler thing is the right thing. That's what Foile is built on.