FAQ
Are Osmosis products natural and organic?
We have organic masks and a few organic ingredients elsewhere. We are 99% natural in the broad sense that ingredients like L-ascorbic acid are considered "natural" because they are bio-identical... even though everyone uses L-ascorbic acid made in a lab, not harvested from a fruit. We use a PEG in couple of products that does not cause harm to the skin or body, and there are a couple of ingredients that people object to like dimethicone. What we can definitively tell you is that we are non-toxic and that is the message we emphasize the most. In other words, when we use an artificial ingredient, it is only being considered if it adds a significant benefit to the performance of the product AND it is not creating any harm whatsoever.
Are your products gluten-free and vegan?
Our skincare products are gluten-free and mostly vegan. The skincare products that are not vegan include Shade, StemFactor and Immerse. Our Wellness Supplements are both gluten-free and vegan. Our Colour mineral makeup is gluten-free but not all products
Do you test your products on animals?
We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practice
Can you use Osmosis while pregnant?
Elevate and Restore Internal should be avoided during pregnancy, but all other Osmosis skincare products may be used while pregnant or breastfeeding. The acceptable range of Vitamin A while pregnant is 2,500 - 10,000 IU (international units) per/day and 4,000 - 15,000 IU while breastfeeding. When using Osmosis Active A Serums, depending on the % of Retinaldehyde your specific serum contains, you will not exceed 300 IU per/day even if using the strongest serum available at 2 pumps 2 times per day. Our Facial Infusion non-acid peel is also safe to receive while pregnant or breastfeeding as it does not exceed 1,500 IU of Vitamin A. Of course it is always recommended to consult with your physician while pregnant or breastfeeding before the use of any active products or supplements.
How soon can I use Osmosis after a peel or microdermabrasion?
If you have received a peel, microdermabrasion or any other form of professional exfoliation, it is recommended to stop use of your Osmosis products containing Vitamin A which include all Active A Serums for 5-7 days, or until your skin has normalized. You may continue to use all other products while your skin is re-normalizing including cleansers, clear, antioxidant serums and moisturizers/sun protection. Our Repair healing balm is especially helpful to aid in the repair of your skin following those treatments.
What is your position on using a Clarisonic brush?
We acknowledge the benefits that it can bring when used conservatively as it is gentle enough to not strip the skin or cause unneeded inflammation! We recommend once every other day or so…
The ingredient decks are so much longer, have you added a bunch of ingredients?
We have added a few key ingredients to our products like Synthe-6 (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38) to help in maintaining our mission of providing the most corrective ingredients possible. The main reason why the ingredient decks look so much longer though is that we are now providing both the common name and the scientific name so that you have both names to reference in your pursuit of knowledge.
Do you use benzyl alcohol in your products?
Benzyl alcohol is used in small amounts as part of a preservative that meets Ecocert standards and is NaTrue certified. This ingredient is often used to dissolve other ingredients to get them into formulation and evaporates during that process. Due to the source, method and amounts used, we are not concerned that this ingredient poses any harm.
What is the source of your Hyaluronic Acid?
Glucose is the source of our Hyaluronic Acid and is gluten free, vegan and is not tested on animals.
Is your Titanium Dioxide safe? Are you CA Prop 65 compliant?
On September 2, 2011, the California government added Titanium Dioxide (airborne, unbound particles of respirable size) to the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (formerly known as Proposition 65) list. The information below has been provided by our lab to confirm the safety of our formulations and to solidify that the raw material of Titanium Dioxide found in our formulations is in fact a different raw material than that which is claimed unsafe in Proposition 65.
PRESSED and LOOSE POWDERS, BB and CC CREAMS, SHADE: The Titanium Dioxide as a raw material in cosmetics is a free flowing ingredient. The manufacturing process requires us to infuse and incorporate oils & different cosmetic liquids. As a result the Titanium Dioxide is no longer free flowing or an unbound particle of respirable size.
The benefits of our Titanium Dioxide include: UV protection, flawless coverage, natural and healthy beauty care for your skin.
Can I use Melt Away Gelee with eyelash extensions?
No. The oils in the Melt Away Gelee will break down the glue of the extensions.
Can I cocktail all of my serums together? EX: (Stemfactor, Replenish, Treatment serum, and Catalyst)?
We suggest applying Stem Factor onto cleansed skin, massaging in until absorbed and following with the application of Catalyst combined with an Active A Serum and massaging in until absorbed. Replenish may also be combined with your Active A Serum or applied individually. It is truly up to what works best with your skin and your schedule. We encourage you to try cocktailing your products until you find the right fit! If incorporating Restore, we suggest application of Catalyst and StemFactor first.
My product looks/smells different than before?
Osmosis skincare products are made using a variety of natural, organic and botanical ingredients. Variations in color, fragrance and consistency are simply a result of natural variations in the materials used to make our products and in no way impacts their efficacy.
Do your bottles contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) or the replacement for it, BPS?
BPA is sometimes found in polycarbonate plastics with the identification code of 3 or 7. Most of our bottles are made from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Resin which is plastic code #1 and is BPA and BPS free. A small number of our bottles are made from plastic code #6, also BPA and BPS free. Click here to learn more about PET resin bottles.
Are your bottles recyclable?
Yes, they are recyclable under category 7
Are there any precautions to take when traveling with Osmosis products?
If you travel, you may have experienced your beauty products leaking or exploding inside your luggage, getting all over your clothes and other items. Certainly the last thing you want to deal with after a long day of travel. Air trapped in bottles can cause containers to explode when pressure changes. Make sure you remove any shrink wrap and open/close your product prior to travel. Placing any of your beauty products in ziploc bags is also a great back-up - just to be safe.
Why are you using other preservatives instead of just Harmonized water?
We found that Harmonized water is a great 1st line of defense preservative but once exposed to microbes the energy or frequencies in the water molecules get used up and are unable to fight off any further exposure so we needed a second line of defense. The other two preservatives that you will find in Osmosis products include Dehydroacetic Acid and Honeysuckle extract. Honeysuckle is an all natural preservative derived from the flower bud. Dehydroacetic Acid has been through rigorous testing and has received approval for use by both the European Union and Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare (one of the strictest review boards). It is 85% Organic, Eco Certified, and used as a food preservative. Since we are using these as a second line of defense we only need to use a small amount and are present at less than 1% in Osmosis Products.
I have heard that Wormwood is in Restore. Isn't that bad for you?
We use Extract of Sweet Wormwood. We do NOT use pure Wormwood. Yes, it does indeed have amazing properties to it, and is now used as the #1 GLOBAL anti-malarial ingredient. It is HIGHLY effective in that application, and other short term clinical applications, as it shows no resistance. However, used long term it can become toxic to the body. In the initial research in the early 80's by the physician who actually created what is now Restore, they were looking at the Wormwood molecule in more depth. What was shown was that there was a specific component of the molecule (known as an endoperoxide bridge) that provided all the benefits to the body that we wanted, especially it's deeply therapeutic immuno-modulating effect, but without the toxic side effects of pure Wormwood. The process of extracting this section of the molecule is called Ozonolysis (literally exposing Wormwood to Ozone, hence the smell/taste), in effect producing a semi-synthetic ozonide. It is THAT extract, which we use in Restore. This is the molecule that has all the research behind it. So take comfort that we are NOT using plain old Wormwood.
Are the brushes in your Colour collection sustainable and are any animals harmed?
We use the same manufacturer that makes top quality brushes for Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Nars and many of the larger retail cosmetic companies. They are hand sewn and crimped. The handle is made out of wood and the brush ferrel is nickel. They use suppliers whose handles come from managed wood reforestation programs. Most of our brushes use goat or pony hair or a combination of both. Usually the mane or tail is shaved from the animals to acquire the hair quality. The animals are maintained with good nutritional diets to get better hair quality from them and no animal is ever killed for it. It would be an expensive process to acquire new animals all the time interfering with the sustainability of our brushes. We also use some squirrel hair with the same integrity for the squirrels. The only synthetic brush in our line is the Eyeliner/Brow brush.
What products are Oncology Esthetics approved?
Purify, Quench, Refresh PM, Organic Apple Mask, Tropical Mango Mask, Brow Gels, and Eye Pencils.
