We do not use what is commonly called ‘alcohol’ in any of our formulations. Isopropanol, butanol, ethanol, glycerol, methanol are examples of the alcohols which are used extensively in cosmetics, cleansers, aftershaves, bubble baths, shaving creams and mouth washes. These solvents strip the natural oils which protect our skin, causing drying out of the skin and can lead to skin problems and skin imbalance.

The reference to “alcohol” on our labels refers to the cetearyl wheat straw glycosides and cetearyl alcohol, and this is different to the harmful alcohols mentioned above. Cetearyl alcohol is made from vegetable oil and joined to the wheat glycoside from the wheat straw, to make a very gentle and nourishing binder for the water and oil parts of our formulations. We also love that it includes the pentose sugars essential for transporting active ingredients into our cells. It is a waxy substance resembling our own human sebum (oil on the skin), absorbs readily and is extremely nourishing and protecting on the skin, leaving that soft, smooth feeling (naturally). Another important fact is it contains NO gluten and is grown locally in New Zealand and is GE free. It has no known toxicity.

Living Nature products do not contain synthetic ingredients or fragrances. Our fragrances are derived only from natural essential oil components. The percentage of these components within each product is extremely small. We do, however, list any potential allergens on our packaging to assist customers who may have a particular sensitivity.

We always advise you to carry out patch testing prior to use of any new products. The way to do this, is to apply a small amount on your inner arm (close to the elbow). You can cover this with a dry plaster to keep it in place. Apply the product twice a day for 2 - 3 days. If no reaction is present, we then recommend applying a small amount behind the ear (or under the chin) in the same way for approximately 2-3 days, prior to introducing it onto your face.

Living Nature is committed to bringing our customers the most natural, pure and safe products on the market. Due to the naturally occurring components of our products however, it is impossible to entirely avoid certain residues in natural mineral ingredients that are found in all water sources and food on a daily basis.

This is the case with aluminium which can occur as a trace residue in talc. Cosmetic products are intended solely for topical application and formulated with large non-absorbing molecules to ‘sit’ on-top of the skin, thereby creating the visible make-up layer on the skin while performing a dual function of skin protection.

The amount of aluminium present in a single ingredient within an entire makeup formulation, is in an absolute minute quantity (trace amount). The amount that is actually applied to the skin, coupled with the skin’s bioavailability, namely the fraction that is actually taken up into the blood stream, would be infinitesimal.

There is no deliberate inclusion / addition of any known or suspected risk ingredient and all of our cosmetic powder products are in a bound form to prevent inhalation. We can also provide the added reassurance of independent safety ratings across our mineral cosmetic range, demonstrated on the EWG’s Skin Deep database.

* Ref: PMC: US National Library of Medicine: National Institute of Health Journal: J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2007; 10 (Suppl 1): 1-269. (Published paper).

Not only do we NOT agree with the ethical side of animal testing, we believe the science is also flawed as the DNA and make-up of animal skin is completely different to that of humans. So how do we test our products? - on ourselves of course! We’re not joking here; before scientific analyses are carried out, we first skin test on our wonderful willing team of staff! All formulations are sent to a registered external assessment company, where they are fully assessed for safety prior to release.

Living Nature products contain only natural ingredients, fragrances and preservatives, so they have a shorter shelf life than products containing synthetic preservatives.

All Living Nature products clearly display either the Best Before date OR the number of months a product can be used after opening (indicated by the open jar symbol below).

While our products are naturally preserved, they are well preserved. A Best Before date is different to “expiry, ie they may still be suitable for use provided they have been stored correctly.

Most of the Living Nature lipsticks do not contain Carmine, offering our vegetarian customers a good selection to choose from. These include Wild Fire, Pure Passion, Morning Sun, Sandstone and Warm Wood.

Carmine is completely natural and accepted for use by 'Choose Cruelty Free'. It is commonly used in the cosmetic and food industry, is BDIH approved, and offers a safer alternative to the synthetic red colours which are derived from coal tar (and banned in some countries). With new research and innovation, we have been able to make our red lipsticks, Wild Fire & Pure Passion, carmine free. Utilising an extract from the Melia Azadirachta and Coccinia Indica plants, we have produced a vibrant red lipstick, which is suitable for all our customers.

We are committed to bringing our customers the most natural, safe and effective products and continually pursuing alternative natural plant based options that conform to our natural standards.

All Living Nature lipsticks, including the ones containing Carmine, have been safety tested by an independent overseas certifying body and comply with the EU Cosmetics Directive.

We always advise you to carry out patch testing prior to use of any new products. The way to do this, is to apply a small amount on your inner arm (close to the elbow). You can cover this with a dry plaster to keep it in place. Apply the product twice a day for 2 - 3 days. If no reaction is present, we then recommend applying a small amount behind the ear (or under the chin) in the same way for approximately 2-3 days, prior to introducing it onto your face.

Living Nature products are produced from natural and plant derived ingredients. These ingredients have a very fine molecular structure, which enables excellent product penetration into the skin and do not clog the pores. Synthetic and petroleum derived ingredients are often the cause of blockages resulting in black-heads.

Living Nature was unable to find an experienced cosmetic company in New Zealand which could meet our strict high standards for producing our ‘dry’ cosmetic bulk formulations. Cosmetic manufacture, particularly natural cosmetics, is particularly specialised and does require specialised processes. While the blending of some of our cosmetic bulk formulations are now carried out in Thailand, this does not compromise any of the stringent quality standards that have been put in place by Living Nature. In fact, this was one of the few companies which could produce the bulk to our stringent standards. All our cosmetics carry BDIH or COSMOS certification, and are still subject to an annual audit.

Vitality Body Oil, Tranquility Body Oil and Purifying Hand Wash have been deleted. Living Nature continues to work on improving our range by periodically re-formulating, updating and improving products to keep pace with research and market requirements. Regrettably these products has become uneconomical to produce. We have therefore decided to discontinue.

Living Nature liquid mineral foundations are created from certified natural pigments and other ingredients, and are subject to minute natural variations in the components. Occasionally this means the liquid product can appear slightly different in colour to previous batches, however each batch is meticulously colour matched to ensure it is within specification for the required shade – these checks are done to match the dried appearance of the product, as this is how foundations are worn. The appearance of the product in the bottle can also alter slightly over time and usage, so it is not unusual for a new bottle to look slightly different to the remnants of an older one. This is normal and does not indicate a colour-matching discrepancy for the shade.

The majority of Living Nature products are gluten-free. The products listed below do contain small amounts of Wheat Germ Oil in the formulation. Living Nature’s ‘pure’ Wheat Germ Oil is derived from the seed heads however, the refining process of the oil removes all gluten proteins in theory but some refining methods can lead to small traces of gluten remaining in the Wheat Germ Oil. All Living Nature ingredients are sourced from reputable suppliers and must meet our vigorous certifying body BDIH standards, all Living Nature ingredients are manufactured at the highest quality.

Balancing Day Lotion, Nourishing Day Cream, Rich Day Cream, Firming Flax Serum, Nourishing Night Cream, Balancing Night Gel, Deep Cleansing Mask, Hydrating Gel Mask, Ultra Nourishing Mask, Pure Spirit Face Oil (promotional item), Refreshing Body Lotion, Soothing Moisturiser.

It is important to note, that reputable research indicates that the topical application of a minuscule amount of ‘possible’ gluten residue, will have no negative effect on Celiac sufferers. As each individual’s condition presents differently, and we cannot rule out the small possibility of gluten residue being found in the Wheat Germ Oil, we recommend patch testing the above products, as with all Living Nature products, prior to use if you are gluten intolerant or Celiac.

No - Cetearyl Wheat Straw Glycoside is extracted from the wheat stalks only, after the seed heads have been removed. Gluten is only contained in the seeds heads and the wheat stalks do not contain any gluten.

We use a milk derived enzyme ingredient in many of our products due to the excellent product and skin benefits. The current alternative, in terms of its function in the product, is synthetic and potentially harmful to humans - an option we would not even consider.

We are committed to ongoing research into natural and sustainable plant sources and alternatives, offering our customers the most natural, safe and effective products.

Mica is used in the Living Nature mineral make-up formulations to offer their amazing light reflecting properties, including giving the make-up sparkle and shine.

Living Nature is committed to partner only with suppliers that can guarantee ethical sourcing that ensures no child or undeclared labour is employed. Our suppliers regularly conduct strict audits, by internationally accredited auditing firms to verify only ethical mining extraction practices are used.

The microbeads in our Skin Revive Exfoliant are Jojoba and Candelilla wax beads that are eco-friendly, guaranteed free from polyethylene and other microplastics, so they are bio-degradable and harmless to ocean life.

Living Nature continues to work on improving our range by periodically re-formulating, updating and improving products to keep pace with research and market requirements. Regrettably these products have become uneconomical to produce and we have therefore decided to discontinue this range.

Living Nature’s two red lipsticks, Pure Passion & Wild Fire, are certified organic. We have chosen COSMOS Organic, who conduct one of the world’s strictest certification processes. It is founded at international level by BDIH (Germany), COSMEBIO & ECOCERT (France), ICEA (Italy) and SOIL ASSOCIATION (UK). The COSMOS Standard is not easy to achieve. Each ingredient and its nominated supplier must be approved - a challenging process that few companies are willing to make the effort and commitment to undergo.

Across the whole Living Nature range, we have used organic ingredients where possible. As many of our ingredients are wild harvested, they cannot, at this stage, be certified organic. Wild harvesting is however a process the certifying bodies are now recognising, which may result in a form of certification in the future.

Living Nature is proud to offer one of the most natural skincare and cosmetic ranges in the world and will continue to develop our organic policy and subsequent product offering over time.

The natural ingredients in our products, and the lack of synthetic preservatives such as parabens, has meant we have had to take extra precautions to protect our products from exposure to the air. Our solution was a positively charged dispensing system (cap on the bottom of the product) which limits the amount of air that the product is exposed to, eliminates the need for complex pumps that can't be recycled, and ensures that the last drops of product are easily available to our customers.

A number of our products do contain Palm Oil ingredients / derivatives sourced from a supplier who is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. The RSPO is committed to sustainable practices and supports the initiative by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and champions the cause of ecologically sound cultivation for Palm. To add to the rigour of our processes, our BDIH Certification also requires strict standards in terms of the integrity and authenticity of our ingredient sourcing. To ensure purity of our ingredients, all suppliers are required to submit a Certificate of Analysis (COA) with every batch of ingredients supplied.

Producing and manufacturing ethically natural products is a continual challenge especially in regards to sourcing natural ingredients that are both sustainable and certified natural, as well as producing a superior product that is safe as well as offering great skin efficacy. While we source our Palm Oil from a reputable source, and one that carries the highest standards of sustainability and ecological practices, Living Nature is also committed to considering natural plant alternatives to Palm Oil. This challenge is compounded by sustainability issues inherent with many of the Palm Oil alternatives. In the meantime we are advocates for sustainable Palm Oil / derivatives, as are our suppliers.

No, Living Nature uses only natural plant derived essential oils to create our unique fragrance, which has been specifically blended for Living Nature, by a French perfumer. ‘Parfum’ is the standard terminology required by INCI labelling regulations, to include all fragrance components of a product.

Living Nature's products are considered safe for use during pregnancy, however you should always consult your doctor before use or if you have a specific medical condition and if you have a known allergy to certain ingredients, we would always advise you to carry out patch testing prior to use of any new products.

Day time use is not recommended for the Radiance Night Oil as the oils degenerate more in the light and be inclined to create additional photo-sensitivity. This is the reason why we recommend the Radiance Night Oil be used as an evening treatment for the skin or only applied as a leave on product as the final step in a facial if it is later in the day or evening.

Talc is naturally occurring magnesium silicate. Living Nature uses the purest and certified asbestos free. Further to this we sterilize it to ensure a high level of hygiene and that there are no pathogens. Talc, as with all powders (rice and corn included) creates a problem only if inhaled into the lungs in their dry form. Once a powder is ‘bound’ with oils, this is no longer an issue. Living Nature powders do contain oils and emulsifiers that provide this binding.

Mineral make-up and mineral powders contain large molecules that do not penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, but sit on-top of the skin, creating a barrier, offering colour, camouflage and protection to the skin, until it is removed at the end of the day. Talc also offers the best application, colour and product stability.

Living Nature’s skincare products contain milk enzyme ingredients. While these no longer resemble milk, that is their original source. Similar to the honey and bees wax, also found in many of our products, this is an animal by-product, and therefore is not vegan friendly. Carmine is used to offer colour to a select few lip colours.

Vegan friendly products:

Luminous Pressed Powder, 'Pure Shades' Foundations, Eyeshadows, Lip Pencils, Summer Bronze Pressed Powder, Blush, Eye Pencils, Radiance Night Oil, Manuka Oil, Limited Edition Pure Spirit Face Oil.