What do the symbols on product pages mean?
Here you’ll find detailed explanations of all the icons you might see displayed next to a product.
Vegan
Does not contain any ingredients of animal origin.
A vegan product has certification to state that all of its ingredients are purely plant-based. Animal ingredients include beeswax (cera alba), tallow, collagen, caviar extract, snail extract and honey. Some ingredients, such as squalene and placenta, exist in both animal-derived and vegan versions.
Organic
The product is certified organic.
A product labelled organic has one of the European certifications that it only contains ingredients that have been grown in accordance with organic farming standards.
Each country has slightly different criteria, but in general we can say that organic cosmetics do not contain synthetic perfumes, dyes or genetically modified raw materials (GMO), petroleum products (petroleum jelly or mineral oils) or chemical UV filters.
Natural
Contains at least 85% natural ingredients.
Natural beauty products are those that contain at least 85% ingredients of natural origin. Natural ingredients include, for example, vegetable oils, fats, waxes and extracts, essential oils or beeswax.
Sustainable
The product is environment-friendly.
Products with a sustainability label means they have considered the environment in some way. For example, they contain ethically sourced ingredients, their packaging is made from recycled or recyclable materials, their overall carbon footprint is taken into account when they are shipped, or they do not contribute to marine and ocean pollution.
The term is quite wide-ranging, and we only grant this label to carefully selected products.
Dermocosmetics
Recommended by dermatologists.
Dermocosmetics is a special category of cosmetics that are based on scientific research and fulfils the most rigorous pharmaceutical requirements.
Dermocosmetic products are hypoallergenic, suitable for sensitive and children’s skin. They help improve the appearance of the skin while treating dermatitis, acne, rosacea, and they can also prevent skin problems.
Leading dermatologists, who also supervise the high efficiency and safety of the products, are involved in their development.
SPF
The product provides protection against UV rays.
Cosmetics containing SPF can protect your skin against ultraviolet rays. There are two types of rays: UVA and UVB.
UVA penetrates the skin more deeply and is responsible for premature wrinkles and pigment spots. UVB penetrates the outer layers of the skin and is responsible for sunburn. Not every product with an SPF label protects against both UVA and UVB.
The SPF (sun protection factor) number indicates the protection time against sunburn.
Travel size
Practical size suitable for travel.
You don’t always want to be lugging around a full-size perfume or shower gel on holiday. That’s why we offer handy miniature versions of your favourite products that don’t take up as much space. The travel sizes range from 10–40 ml for perfumes, 5–20 ml for lotions and 1–5 ml for foundations.
Fragrance-free
The product is completely fragrance-free.
Unscented beauty products contain no fragrance, essential oils or synthetic perfumes. They are suitable for people with sensitive skin, children and simply those who do not like perfumed beauty products.
Silicone-free
Contains no silicones at all.
As the name suggests, silicone-free beauty products do not contain any silicones. The reason why some beauty brands have abandoned silicones is because of their bioaccumulation in the natural environment and their unsuitability for certain skin and hair types.
You will typically find them In the ingredients list with the endings -cone, -ane and -onol.
Alcohol-free
The ingredients are free of alcohol.
You won’t find alcohol or alcohol denat. in the ingredients lists for alcohol-free beauty products. Alcohol dries out the skin and should not be included in eye creams or products for dry and sensitive skin. Prolonged application onto oily skin interferes with the natural production of sebum and, paradoxically, can make the skin worse.
On the other hand, it is great for its disinfecting properties in products such as hand sanitisers.
Aluminium-free
Contains no aluminium derivatives.
Aluminium, which you can find in the ingredients list as aluminium or alum, is a metal commonly found in nature. It is used in antiperspirants, as part of the pigment in cosmetics and as an abrasive in toothpaste.
Studies both confirm and refute its link to breast cancer, so everyone can make up their own mind.
Sulphate-free
Does not contain sulphates.
Sulphates are usually extracted from petroleum and are commonly used as foaming agents in beauty products. They are known as surfactants and also as tensides.
You can find them in shampoo, shower gel, soap and bubble bath, most often under the abbreviations SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate), SLES (sodium laureth sulphate) and ALS (ammonium lauryl sulphate).
They can remove impurities perfectly but also, unfortunately, they can damage our protective microflora. They dry out the skin and can also cause irritation.
