It is a question we are often asked: why we at Less dispense so many products that are standard for every other skin care brand. Why is there no toner, no eye cream, no product with built-in sun protection, no separate lines for day and night care, no specific men’s care? We are convinced that the skin does not need any of these products and that much of it is even harmful. At regular intervals, we now want to explain why we do without particular products and we start with the most popular of them all: the cream.
Cream=Water+Fat+Additives.
A cream is an emulsion of water and fat. In high-quality creams the fat content consists of cold-pressed plant oils. The combination of water and pure plant oils is ideal for the skin. The water cushions the skin while the oils supply it with nutrients and vitamins and repair the skin barrier, which in turn prevents the water from evaporating from the skin. A cream would therefore be perfect if there were not two decisive obstacles:
1. Water and fat molecules do not mix.
Water is polar charged and oils are non-polar, so water and oil repel each other. Every cream would separate into a water and an oil phase within a few hours.
2. Water-based products germinate very quickly.
A cream would therefore only last a few days.
To prevent this, manufacturers add several additives to a cream:
Emulsifiers (also called surfactants or tensides) which ensure that water and oil, which are actually not mixable, dissolve into each other and keep this state stable. Emulsifiers are also the main components of detergents and cleaning agents.
Preservatives, e.g. parabens or alcohol, which considerably prolong the shelf life of the cream, often by more than 50 times.
Texturizers which ensure that the cream remains white and does not yellow.
Perfume or essential oils which cover the rather musty smell of an oil-water mixture with the scent of roses or lavender.
You don't want any of these additives on your skin. Additives have no beneficial effect and unnecessarily irritate and damage the skin.
A cream is an emulsion of water and fat. In high-quality creams the fat content consists of cold-pressed plant oils. The combination of water and pure plant oils is ideal for the skin. The water cushions the skin while the oils supply it with nutrients and vitamins and repair the skin barrier, which in turn prevents the water from evaporating from the skin. A cream would therefore be perfect if there were not two decisive obstacles:
1. Water and fat molecules do not mix.
Water is polar charged and oils are non-polar, so water and oil repel each other. Every cream would separate into a water and an oil phase within a few hours.
2. Water-based products germinate very quickly.
A cream would therefore only last a few days.
To prevent this, manufacturers add several additives to a cream:
Emulsifiers (also called surfactants or tensides) which ensure that water and oil, which are actually not mixable, dissolve into each other and keep this state stable. Emulsifiers are also the main components of detergents and cleaning agents.
Preservatives, e.g. parabens or alcohol, which considerably prolong the shelf life of the cream, often by more than 50 times.
Texturizers which ensure that the cream remains white and does not yellow.
Perfume or essential oils which cover the rather musty smell of an oil-water mixture with the scent of roses or lavender.
You don't want any of these additives on your skin. Additives have no beneficial effect and unnecessarily irritate and damage the skin.
The solution: Adding the water just for application.
Our goal at Less has always been to create skin care products that are highly effective but completely free of additives. Creams are by far the most popular skincare products, but they can't be made without irritating additives. Our solution: water and oils are not mixed in the product, but when applied. Less Face Oils consist exclusively of high-quality, pure plant oils—so they are practically the concentrated version of a cream. For application, the face is moistened with water and then the face oil is massaged into the wet face. The water mixes with the oils to form an "ad hoc emulsion" and is quickly absorbed by the skin. Wetting the face also provides more moisture to the skin than possible with a cream. The result is pure skin care with 100 percent active ingredients, plenty of hydration and no skin irritation. Less Face Oils are therefore not a complementary product to a skin care routine, but skin care in its most essential and purest form.
Our goal at Less has always been to create skin care products that are highly effective but completely free of additives. Creams are by far the most popular skincare products, but they can't be made without irritating additives. Our solution: water and oils are not mixed in the product, but when applied. Less Face Oils consist exclusively of high-quality, pure plant oils—so they are practically the concentrated version of a cream. For application, the face is moistened with water and then the face oil is massaged into the wet face. The water mixes with the oils to form an "ad hoc emulsion" and is quickly absorbed by the skin. Wetting the face also provides more moisture to the skin than possible with a cream. The result is pure skin care with 100 percent active ingredients, plenty of hydration and no skin irritation. Less Face Oils are therefore not a complementary product to a skin care routine, but skin care in its most essential and purest form.
