None at all! At Max Biocare/Little Etoile, we pride ourselves on going above and beyond the requirements for research into an ingredient. For this reason, each of the ingredients that goes into our formulae are rigorously checked for safety elements such as skin toxicity, allergenicity and irritation, along with general ingestible toxicity and eye safety. Further into our FAQ, we also dispel any myths that might be surrounding certain chemicals popularly seen in formulae.​

There is controversy surrounding Glyceryl Distearate and its ability to induce epidermal hyperplasia (the technical term for making skin cells grow faster, and in greater numbers, compared to standard skin processes). This is an obvious concern and cosmetic authorities note that if Glyceryl Stearate were to be used, extensive testing would need to be undertaken upon the formulation to ensure that it is not inducing hyperplasia in the epidermis.​

Given that there are safer options (such as Glycol Distearate), it is therefore responsible to use the higher-quality ingredient, to ensure a a safer product for all our little stars!​

The label term “hypoallergenic” refers to the concept that a shampoo contains very few or no quantifiable potential allergens within it. So, basically, when a shampoo is formulated, if a company is careful to avoid including known allergens, along with filtering out any allergens that it thinks may be a problem, then it could be considered “hypoallergenic”.​

The label claim “hypoallergenic”, however, is not standardized through testing. That is to say, there is no standard test to conduct to then be able to make this claim.​

As such, when using the label term “hypoallergenic”, it is at the discretion of the company making the cosmetic product. In the case of Little Etoile, our formulation and research teams have undertaken significant research into this concept and insisted on using only the gentlest ingredients for our range of shampoo and conditioners. As such, in Little Etoile products, hypoallergenic labels have been scientifically-determined, rather than estimated.​

In a study in the early 2000’s, it was discovered that sodium benzoate in canned soft drinks can degrade to form benzene, which has some serious effects to the health of consumers if ingested for a long time. In the years following, testing has determined that ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate can react in some environmental conditions to cause benzene formation in products, though this can be nullified with specific plastic packaging that decreases such formation. Critically, ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) and citric acid are not the same chemical, and no evidence is observed in peer-reviewed journals or in the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Database of any association between citric acid, sodium benzoate and benzene formation.​