OUR PRODUCTS
LASTICS BODY products feel as good to use psychologically as they do physically because they are filled with high-quality, non-toxic ingredients that will give your body the love it deserves.
Each product is inspired by nutrition and made with simple, straightforward ingredients for people who move, are on-the-go and want avoid putting harmful chemicals on their bodies in the process.
Gorgeous scents, great application and heavy-hitting results make it easy to enjoy these products as a healthier alternative to your average, everyday personal care products.
We are very picky about our claims. So, below is a guide to help you understand the ins and outs of how we create our products.
SYNTHETIC VERSUS NATURAL
Vitamins C, E, and A are commonly displayed on cosmetic and toiletry packaging leading consumers to believe a product is natural, and by extension, good for you. Well of course, they are vitamins. Vitamins are supposed to be good for you, right? Not necessarily.
If these vitamins are in the form of Ascorbic Acid as Vitamin C, DL-Tocopheryl as Vitamin E, or Retinol as Vitamin A, it means they are synthetic ingredients, made in a lab to copy the real thing. Natural, they actually are not.
That said, most vitamins/supplements on the market are synthetically made. People have been taking things like Vitamin C as ascorbic acid for years without having to worry about it having a toxic effect. We consider this distinction between synthetic and natural a pivotal one when we make our products. We draw a hard line between ingredients that are questionable and safe, or that are toxic and innocuous.
As a good example, take natural Vitamin E, which is predominantly derived from either soy or palm. First, the soy is a problem because the vast majority of it is conventional, which means it has been genetically modified. We do not believe that GMOS have been proven safe, nor do we think they should be classified as natural by any stretch. There is little-to-no research on GMO safety that has been conducted for their long-term effects and that has not been paid for by the companies who make and sell them. And when it comes to topical use of GMOS, we know even less. So for us, it’s not worth the risk. The uncertainty is enough of a reason to steer clear.
The bigger issue for us, though, is that we will not support the industry that insists their products are safe without evidence to show that such a statement is true, or companies that have refused to disclose GMO information on labels for customers to see, denying them the right to know, and choose, what they put in/on their bodies.
Second, palm products also concern us because the deforestation that results from palm production commits gross assaults to the lands, animals and rights of indigenous people, not to mention the toll it takes on climate stability, biodiversity and the complex ecosystems on which all forms of life rely. The palm oil used in our products is sourced ethically, responsibly and sustainably either certified by RSPO.org, or provided by an independent farm in West Africa where no new deforestation is occurring.
OUR PROCESS
So, at Lastics Body it goes like this: We would use ascorbic acid even though it’s not “natural,” but it is safe. However, we would not claim it was natural either, because in truth, saying so would not be accurate or true. We would also have to know where it came from befoire using it because ascorbic acid usually comes from corn and then we are back to dealing with genetically modified ingredients, which is not an option. And even though it is technically natural, we would not use palm oil that was not sourced sustainably, ethically and responsibly.
What this all means in terms of how we make our products is that our Vitamin E comes from sunflower or certified organic, non-gmo soy. Glycerin, which also faces the same issues as Vitamin E (it’s usually either from conventional soy or petroleum), in which case we will only use a glycerin that is derived from certified organic/non-gmo soy, coconut or palm oil, but again, only if it is responsibly and humanely sourced. Xyltiol is another one. It typically comes from corn, likely genetically modified, so we make sure it's non-gmo.
Organic skincare/toiletries is a nebulous, unregulated concept in close step with the “natural” movement. It's misleading and often flat-out false. So, when it comes to sourcing organic and/or non-gmo, we are committed when it involves soy, corn, canola, etc... Otherwise, when GMOs are not an issue, we source organic first, but those ingredients can be up to 3 times more expensive than conventional. So it's a balancing act. Since we use a lot of food-based and food-grade ingredients we opt for organic if something is known for heavy pesticide use (like ginger) but then we might save by using conventional with something like avocado oil because conventional avocados rank low in pesticide levels. This is important because we don't dilute our product with any fillers, not even water. You get products filled to the rim with real ingredients. We'd rather do that, than put some organic ingredients in and chemical fillers for the rest.
Finally, we use BPA and BPS free recyclable plastic and none of our products are tested on animals or contain animal by products.
FRAGRANCES
The fragrances in our deodorants, muscle rub and foot spray are plant-derived, either pure essential oils or natural fragrances. The natural fragrances we use are defined as oils that are a blend of essential oils, natural resins, isolates and other aromatic materials. A natural isolate is defined by the Natural Perfumer's Guild as:
"A molecule removed/isolated from a natural fragrance material, as defined by the Guild, which contains the isolate. Processes that are acceptable for removing/isolation are: fractional distillations, rectifications and molecular distillations of natural fragrance materials as defined by the Guild." For more information visit, http://naturalperfumers.com/definition.php
The fragrances in our soaps are a blend of essential oils, natural and synthetic fragrances, all of which are phthalate-free, vegan, GMO-free and soy-free.