Empowering Without Compromise : Fiercely Independent Humans Rising!
At SAPPHO, we're on a mission to create a clean makeup line that tests Non Detect<10 ppm, (the smallest amount testable at this time) for harmful PFAS ( forever chemicals). We believe beauty should never come at the cost of health and we believe in transparency. For us clean beauty was imagined to save lives - if a product tests Detect for organic fluorine then it has PFAS in it and the odds are it's not clean. Clean beauty was imagined to be ahead of the curve of safety - to reach beyond the mass produced paradigm - but instead we ended up with hoards of cosmetics in plastics with ingredients known to be easily contaminated... it is a slippery slope.
At one point we did use an FD&C dye in a limited edition lip gloss - we so wanted a red - but even though it was vegan - the guilt ( cause when you know you know) made us decide to not use FD&C dyes ever again no matter how small the run.
We are fiercely independent - we want this planet and all who inhabit it to live safely, including us and to be empowered with the knowledge needed to make the best choices for ourselves.
There is little transparency and much damage has been done to smaller companies - even now, many founders still have not heard about organic fluorine testing or even know that their products/packaging might not be as clean or safe as they assume.
Small female led companies, including founders, manufacturers and retailers have spent thousands and thousands on products that are not tested or testing high for organic fluorine. If it were not for the amazing work of mamavation.com, we would still be in the dark. It is a shame it has taken so long for this information to be made public, so much money and effort could have been spent developing safer products. But the system in place did not allow that.
And here we are - 80 years later
2023 and essentially clean beauty has been co-opted by men, large conglomerates, venture capitalists and patriarchy. It's not the women at the helm making the critical business decisions. Hundreds of small women businesses have been devastated by these large patriarchal companies - many of the small clean retailers that built clean beauty have now been abandoned by brands that have sought to gain market share over loyalty.
And yes they have millions, billions for PR
Now is not the time to give up or give in - there are thousands of scientists (and even a handful of small brands) working out there to help find transparent solutions - PFAS use can be and must be mitigated .
We have taken ourselves out of the rat race for now, we are taking out the minimum in ads and zilch in PR instead we are focusing on Non Detect Beauty and leaving the 'clean' moniker behind.
We have been and will continue putting as much as our finances as possible, our time and our efforts into testing for Organic fluorine PFAS.
We have not re-ordered any products made that have tested over 17 ppm. We are actively searching for alternative ingredients/formulas that test Non-detect <10 ppm.
As a result, even though (gratefully), the sales for our PFAS non-detect products are rising, it is still not enough to make up for the loss of all the products we have had to let go - as well as the cost of the testing.
We are close to a new product to take up a bit of the slack but we are a team of 2 and everything takes time .
As a small team, we don't have the resources to keep conducting all the necessary organic fluorine testing on our own. We have for the last couple of years, been doing all we can, but for the near future we just can't afford to do all the work we need to. We are applying for grants and working with BCIT but it all takes time and we are looking to at least September 2024 to hear and until then, time is ticking.
With Your Support
With your support, we can continue to scientifically evaluate raw materials, packaging and formulations in a timely manner, to ensure they meet your high standards for safety and efficacy.
Beauty that answers to no one but you.
At SAPPHO, we believe that independence is essential to our mission of creating a clean makeup line that is free from harmful PFAS chemicals. We have seen that taking investment from outside sources can often compromise a company's values and ethics. We have see clean beauty be co-opted by the same patriarchal systems that created the mess that clean beauty was supposed to be the answer to.
This is why we are committed to staying true to our vision and retaining our independence. With your support, we can continue to research and develop innovative, PFAS-free products that are good for you and the environment - without compromise. We don't have the team or bandwidth to do a go-fund me and so we have chosen to do this. Please share if you're feeling it.
Support Our Clean Beauty Revolution
By contributing to our PFAS-Free Beauty Research Fund, you'll be contributing to a project that has the potential to have significant impact on your life and for our environment.
All donators will be placed on our VIP list automatically and if already a VIP - an extra little love and gift with your next purchase .
**Please note - donations are NOT tax deductible. ( for either of us) We do all our testing in the US as there are no Canadian labs available to test for organic fluorine.)
Below is an example of some of the testing we have done.
|
Ingredient/Formula |
Testing Status |
Result |
Action |
| Foundation | PFAS tested | Nondetect<10 ppm | Good |
|
Foundation |
Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect<10 ppm | Good |
| Foundation | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect<10 ppm | Good |
| Concealer light | Organic fluorine tested | Nonndetect<10 ppm | Good |
| Concealer caramel | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <17 ppm | Test minerals |
| CC cream medium | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect< 10 ppm | Good |
| CC cream caramel | Organic fluorine tested | Detect 35 ppm | Test minerals |
| CC tube and cap | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <10ppm | Good |
| Mascara tube | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <10 ppm | Good |
| Mascara wand #1 | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <12 ppm | Re made |
| Mascara wand #2 | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <17 ppm | Re made |
| Mascara wand #3 | Organic fluorine tested | Nondetect <10 ppm | good |
| Mascara tip #1 | silicone untested too dense | Not testable | Not used |
| Mascara tip #2 | tested | Nondetect 10ppm | Good |
| New Lip and cheek balm without mica | Total fluorine tested | Nondetect <10 ppm | Good - but need further raw materials tested for shine for final product - see below |
| New Lip and cheek balm with mica | Total fluorine tested | Detect 400 ppm | Unacceptable |
| Silky setting powder | Total fluorine tested | Detect 220 ppm | Unacceptable |
Each test for each ingredient or formula runs from up to about 500-700, depending if grinding is required, what time frame is requested and shipping rates. Beyond that is there are multiple costs for manufacturing if need be i.e., having to make and ship 3 mascara wands before finding one that tested <10ppm Non-detect organic fluorine. There is also the cost of procuring and shipping the raw materials that we are now having to test ourselves.
We have been carrying all these costs but we need help. We are not your regular makeup company - we work hard and we don't live lavishly - the point of this company is to make products for everyone who wishes to use them to know exactly what they are purchasing and to know they are buying products that incorporates both elegant sustainable ingredients and packaging .
We're dedicated to transparency.
All donations will go to testing ingredients and packaging components and this information will be eventually be made public via the work we are doing with BCIT. In the meantime all donators will be sent a quarterly email with the breakdown of testing that they have helped make happen.
We want to create new and exciting PFAS free formulas for foundations, lips and skin and with your help we can do just that - but it starts with raw ingredients and there are many that need to be tested.
Clean beauty was imagined to save lives, but without transparency, it's just beauty.
Your support will help us create a cleaner, safer world.
Thank you for considering supporting our cause.
* please note donations are NOT tax deductible.