In July 2020, megastar Rihanna announced she was launching a skin care brand called Fenty Skin under the Fenty Beauty brand. Her line which consists of a serum, cleanser and moisturizer was released in August 2020.
Who is Rihanna?
Rihanna gained global recognition following the release of her first two studio albums, ‘Music of the Sun’ (2005) and ‘A Girl Like Me’ (2006) which peaked within the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart. Since then, she has sold over 250 million records, making her one of the world’s best selling artists. Her accolades are vast, including 9 Grammy Awards.
What is Fenty Skin?
Inspired by her global lifestyle, Fenty Skin is a skin care line driven by Rihanna after having bad encounters with products in the past. The line prioritizes clean formulas that are vegan and gluten free, with an Earth-conscious approach to their packaging.
The line recommends a simple 3 step plan for skin care starters.
Step 1: Remove and Cleanse
Step 2: Tone and Treat
Step 3: Hydrate and Protect
Fenty Skin Deceptive Marketing?
Use together to brighten skin, reduce the look of pores and target dark spots. Clean, vegan, Earth-conscious.
According the 1Source system, there are a number of ‘use sparingly’ ingredients in the Fenty Skin products. An example of one of the harsh ingredients is Benzyl Salicylate, which can cause allergic skin reaction, serious eye irritation and has potential health concerns for dermatitis users.
Though there is one ingredient that stands out that makes Fenty Skin deceptive in their marketing campaign, Phenoxyethanol.
Phenoxyethanol – Not Earth-Conscious
Phenoxyethanol is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor. It is a glycol ether used as a perfume fixative, insect repellent, antiseptic, solvent, preservative, and also as an anesthetic in fish aquaculture.
Phenoxyethanol is rapidly absorbed through the skin within 24 hours. It can cause a localized toxic sensation of burning and itching through the exposure of dermal tissues. Phenoxyethanol showed the lowest cytotoxicity out of most parabens and triclosans, though human patch tests showed it to have a higher skin irritation potential compared to methylparaben and triclosan.
The EU SCCS has classified phenoxyethanol as safe for use as a preservative with a maximum concentration of 1.0%. However, care should still be taken when using products with phenoxyethanol, given its potential as a skin irritant.
Safety and Hazards
- Harmful if swallowed
- Causes skin irritation
- Causes serious eye irritation
- May cause drowsiness or dizziness
Potential Health Concerns For:
- Dermatitis, Atopic
Palau Sunscreen Ban
Since January 2020, the Republic of Palau issued a new law that banned skincare products containing Phenoxyethanol as it is a known environmental pollutant chemical that can be incredibly toxic to juvenile stages of many wildlife species in the ocean.
Fenty Beauty Harmful?
Fenty Beauty also has harmful ingredients according to the 1Source.com system. Fenty Beauty boasts it is suitable for all skin types. Lets take a closer at some of the products that have the highest Potential Risk Index.
The two Fenty Beauty lip balms have an ingredient that scores a 10. Red 30 Lake is a colorant that is added in order to change or enhance the color. According to the regulatory references, it is a substance prohibited for cosmetic products in the EU. It also is highly toxic for aquatic life with long lasting effects.
The three piece lipstick set by Fenty Beauty has a number of alarming ingredients. An alarming ingredient called polyethylene is the one that stands out as it has a number of safety hazards.
Polyethylene may cause respiratory irritation, drowsiness or dizziness. It can cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated use.
Polytheylene is in a number of Fenty Beauty products and we recommend you use our 1Source system to analyse the ingredients in a product. To view the most highest potential risk Fenty Beuaty products, click the link here.