What do we mean by 'Clean. Green. Science'?
We create effective products by using SCIENCE as our foundation, and NATURE as our solution.
100% Natural & Toxin-Free Skincare. Backed by SCIENCE.
But what does this mean?
Let us present one example...
Science maps the powerful effects of RETINOL on the skin proving; it improves collagen production, aids against hyperpigmentation, reduces scarring, and has anti-ageing properties.
A natural alternative to retinol is BAKUCHIOL, found in the leaves and seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has been proven to have the same effects as retinol on the skin, but is more 'tolerable' - meaning it does not exhibit the same irritative side effects that are associated with retinol.
Science is our brain, nature is our heart. 🧪🌱
Here at Kokoa there are three terms that we believe embody our values, our products, and what we strive to deliver to you; our customers. Those terms are: Clean. Green. Science. We know many people fear generalised terms as they are often used without much foundation. But to us, each word of our strapline has a specific and significant definition: so let us show you what they means to us!
CLEAN
All of our products are free from toxins and dangerous and artificial chemicals.
Why?
* The average person applies 85 - 168 different chemicals each day via their beauty regime.
* The skin absorbs up to 60% of the chemicals applied to the skin into the bloodstream.
We believe it is important to make sure anything we put onto our skin should be clean and toxin free! (It is our bodies largest organ after all!)
How do we make sure our products are clean?
By creating formulations using only toxin free ingredients that do not mix oil and water, we avoid the need for ingredients that do not provide a benefit to skin such as certain emulsifiers and preservatives.
Because for every percentage of product taken up by ingredients that do not serve a skincare benefit, you are taking away a percentage of an ingredient that serves a skincare purpose!
All oil and butter based products are self-preserving (meaning a separate preservative does not have to be added), with tested shelf lives of a minimum of 12 months.
All water based products are preserved with natural polylysine, scientifically proven to be an effective preservative. Plus studies have indicated that it may have anti-aging properties as well, due to its protein and amino acid content. According to the Cosmetics Database, Polylysine is a low hazard ingredient and is considered safe. It has received the FDA's GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rating for inclusion in food products. No studies were found that reported negative side effects for Polylysine as an ingredient in cosmetic products.
Green is the colour of life, of nature, of energy. People tend to associate the colour green with growth, sustainability, freshness, and the environment. For us, the term Green encompasses all those things. Let us break it down for you.
* We pride ourselves on being a zero waste company. Zero waste is defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance as “The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
All of our ingredients are sustainable and ethically sourced. And our packaging? All recyclable! We work hard to reduce our packaging as much as possible by avoiding outer packaging and boxes for individual products, and what’s more, all glass & plastic packaging can be sent back to be refilled & reused!
* Science may be our brain, but nature is most definitely our heart. Every Kokoa product is 100% Cruelty-Free. Why? It is estimated that 100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die for cosmetics every year around the world. (Humane Society International). We believe that animal testing is unacceptable and that quality and safety of products can be completely assured without the use of animals. All of our products are also 100% Vegan. This means the complete absence of animal and animal byproduct ingredients. Not only is buying vegan kinder to animals, but its kinder to our planet too! It is estimated that if the entire population switched to a vegan lifestyle, the use of agricultural land could be reduced by 75% on a global scale; significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and wildlife extinction. (The Independent)
* Our products are also 100% palm oil free. Palm Oil continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the worlds most biodiverse areas. The loss of such areas not only contributes to climate change by releasing millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, but also destroys the habitats of already endangered species like the Orang-utan, Pygmy Elephant, and Sumatran Rhino. (WWF).
* The world generates at least 3.5 million tons of plastic and other solid waste a day (National Geographic), with the cosmetics industry contributing 120 billion units of packaging annually (Forbes). The Ellen Macarthur Foundation estimates that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 if we do not reduce our current plastic consumption. Plastics in the ocean can lead to the suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species and wildlife. Floating plastics can also contribute to the spread of invasive marine organisms and bacteria, which disrupt ecosystems (IUCN). We therefore make sure that every Kokoa product has a plastic free option.
* Thousands of people are exploited everyday through slave labour in the beauty industry. We work directly with our ingredient suppliers to ensure a fair price, ethical treatment and sustainable production. We work with our farmers in Ghana directly to ensure that not only a fair wage is paid, but a good wage is always paid. Kokoa donates 5% of all profits to charity We are currently supporting the charity HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. https://www.habitat.org/emea
Science is our brain. Nature is our heart. All products are formulated by our head scientist and founder Akosua "Kokoa" Akobeng, who studied at Kings College London. This means every ingredient has been selected for a specific scientific purpose, ensuring the effectiveness of all our products. Find out more by looking at our ingredient directory.