What happens when you cut up an apple and leave it out? It turns brown, right? That’s because the inside of the apple (which was previously protected by skin) comes in contact with light, air, and bacteria and quickly loses its best qualities. The apple’s skin naturally preserves the fruit by keeping all the bad stuff out and the good stuff in.

What exactly does this have to do with skincare jars? Bad skincare packaging is like an apple without its protective skin. Those wide-mouth luxury jars are seen so often on beauty shelves, but they don’t make an sense to us. As soon as you remove the lid, the entire product is exposed to light and air, which can break down the effectiveness of active ingredients. And if you remember our last newsletter about probiotics, you already know that your skin is teeming with bacteria, so as soon as you use your fingers to scoop out some product, you’re sure to leave some bacteria behind. Replace the lid, and you have just created a cool, dark, damp environment for bacteria to thrive. EEK!

What is their solution to this problem?Preservatives, preservatives, preservatives. While some preservatives are okay (as long as they’re safe for your skin), most preservatives used in skincare are full of parabens and other nasty ingredients. The other problem with creating a product that is chock-full of preservatives is that it contains less of the active ingredients, which is ultimately what you want and are paying for.

What is GR8/SKN’s solution to this problem? That’s easy! Airless pumps. We package our delicate, vitamin-filled serums in opaque, airless bottles that have unique chambers to push the product out when you need it. That way, the product never comes into contact with light, air, or bacteria until you’re ready to use it. This allows us to use an extremely minimal amount of natural, safe preservatives and deliver the highest concentrations of active ingredients in your skincare products. That sounds much better than spending money on mostly preservatives right? We think so.