CLEAN BEAUTY
SUSTAINABLE COSMETICS ON A NATURAL BASIS
Since its foundation, A4 COSMETICS has had a clear intention: to produce sustainable, responsible luxury cosmetics. The A4 Clean Beauty concept builds a solid foundation for this with goals that we are still successfully implementing today. We would like to show you what we do to keep our green footprint and why we deliberately focus on cosmetics without microplastics and sustainable face care!
WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND TO THE A4 CLEAN BEAUTY CONCEPT?
THE A4 CLEAN BEAUTY GUIDE
From the very beginning, it was clear for A4 COSMETICS that we had to pay special attention to what we use in cosmetics - and the idea of sustainability should not be neglected. In this sense our Clean Beauty concept defines clear values:
Charity
Social responsibility for our producers
A4 COSMETICS is committed to one thing above all: taking social responsibility! We purchase some of our raw materials from various women's cooperatives. For example, with the Shea Butter Cooperative in Ghana we help women in remote villages to find a source of income. In addition, we advocate fair payment in the cooperatives, strengthen the long-term, advisory cooperation and provide medicines as well as computers and toys for the children of the local staff.
LOCAL: MADE IN GERMANY
Munich company - we develop and produce in Germany
The location in Munich has several advantages. The development and manufacturing of the products in Germany results in an improved CO2 balance. Furthermore, A4 COSMETICS is a local employer and is also subject to German law.
EeCO: COSMETICS WITH SUSTAINABLE RAW MATERIALS
ecological responsibility for raw materials, formulations and packaging
A key objective of our Clean Beauty concept is to act responsibly towards the environment. For a company, this means that every decision must be thoroughly considered: Where should raw materials be sourced? Which packaging materials should be used? A4 COSMETICS would like to make a contribution here too, which is why many eco- and bio-certified raw materials are used in the products. We also pay attention to sustainability in the packaging of cosmetics. That is why we use FSC-certified paper and cardboard, use climate-neutral printing and avoid cellophaning.
AVOIDED: COSMETICS WITHOUT MICROPLASTICS AND CO
Microplastic-free cosmetics with no questionable ingredients and top ratings from cosmetic analysis
Your skin is close to our hearts. For this reason, we do not process any potentially harmful substances such as:
sulphates
Phthalates
Microplastic
Paraffins
Vaseline
Parabens
Silicones
hormonally active substances
Lilial
In addition, the sustainable, microplastic-free cosmetics shine with top ratings from leading manufacturer-neutral skin experts such as Kosmetikanalyse or TOX FOX. And by the way: The well-being of our four-legged friends is also important to us, which is why we use ingredients that have not been tested on animals.
NATURAL: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND PURCHASING POLICY FOR OUR COSMETICS
Natural and sustainable production of luxury cosmetics without microplastics
Many of the raw materials used in A4 COSMETICS cosmetics are ecocertified and bio-certified, active ingredients or come from controlled organic cultivation. We pay particular attention to sustainable and resource-saving manufacturing processes. Thus we take into account the natural limitations of the precious resource "argan oil" and rely on genuine manual labour in the production processes. But above all, a fair trade purchasing policy also plays an important role for us. We attach great importance to fair wages, access to education for the members of the cooperatives and the equality of women in marriage.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THESE PROJECTS
You too can make a contribution and support our charity projects:
With every purchase of the A4 RED CARPET EYE CREAM we donate 1 Euro to the women's cooperative in Ghana.
If you order the A4 SOS CONTOUR & LIFTING COMPLEX, 2 Euros of the sales price will go to the SOS Children's Village at Ammersee.
If you choose the A4 KISS & HELP LIPBALM, A4 COSMETICS will contribute 50 cents of the sales price to the women's cooperative in Morocco.
You can read in detail what we do for the women's cooperatives and other charity projects in our overview.
WHAT ACTUALLY IS MICROPLASTIC?
Scientists understand microplastics to mean insoluble, solid synthetic plastic particles (polymers) that are smaller than five millimetres [1] Microplastics attract toxic substances and are particularly fatal for our marine inhabitants: they confuse it with food and usually die as a result of the indigestible poison.
Many cosmetics companies use microplastics in the form of peeling beads. A look at the ingredients is therefore always advisable - for the sake of the environment and for your own sake! Pay attention to signal words such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, or nylon-12 [2].
[1] Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND) – Friends of the Earth Germany: Mikroplastik – kleine Gifttransporter aus dem Abflussrohr. URL: https://www.bund.net/themen/meere/mikroplastik/hintergrund/ (30.03.2020).
[2] Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND) – Friends of the Earth Germany: MIKROPLASTIK und andere Kunststoffe in Kosmetika. URL: https://www.bund.net/fileadmin/user_upload_bund/publikationen/meere/meere_mikroplastik_einkaufsfuehrer.pdf (01.04.2020).