FAQ

• Why don’t Arval products have a best by date on the package?

  Arval products (like most cosmetic products on the market) have no best by date because (as required by the standard in force), if appropriately stored, they can last for over 30 months from the date of manufacture.

• Why is the INCI for Arval products only on the package and not also on the website?

  Among other things, the law on cosmetics requires the list of ingredients to be printed on the packages in descending INCI order, which is what all cosmetics companies do.
  As time passes, the formulas of cosmetic products may, for various reasons, undergo changes, which obviously lead to variations in the composition printed on the label.
  Some companies have made the choice to put this information on their website as well, specifying, however, that the exact correspondence between the composition and the INCI formula is only what is on the packages.
  This is why Arval would rather not put the INCI formula on the website, but has decided to put the exact list of the contained ingredients on the package.

• What is an allergen?

  An allergen is a substance (harmless for normal subjects) that is capable of stimulating an allergic reaction in individuals who are sensitive to it.

• Are there allergens in cosmetic products?

  Substances recognised as allergens, mainly contained in perfumes, must be indicated as such on labels if they exceed a specific quantity in the cosmetic product.

• Are these allergens found only in cosmetics?

  No. For example, eugenol is found in basil, geraniol is found in some grapes and contributes to the fruity aroma in wines, anisyl alcohol is found in apples and tomatoes, benzyl alcohol is found in some species of fruit and vegetables and is used in the food industry and to give tobacco aroma.
  People who don’t have allergies can continue to use their usual cosmetics with no problem even if some of the above allergens are printed on the label. It is people with allergies who must pay special attention and carefully read the list of ingredients.

• Do Arval products contain nickel?

  Nickel is a very common metal; in fact, it can be found in many types of objects.
  Nickel also tends to accumulate in the body even through water, not only because of groundwater pollution but also due to the metal leaching into water from pipes and conduits. Nickel is among the substances that are prohibited from being used in cosmetic products but there may be technically inevitable traces in some raw materials.
  Arval carefully checks its products to guarantee that any nickel present is kept at the lowest possible levels so as not to be a risk to consumer health. In fact, all Arval products are assessed by an expert who confirms that they are safe for use before they are put on the market, giving due consideration to the features of the ingredients and their intended use. As such, despite the fact that Arval uses accurate, select raw materials to manufacture its products, we cannot exclude the presence of traces of nickel in some products.

• There are parabens among the ingredients in Arval products. What are they? Are they harmful to the skin?

  Parabens are safe preservatives that European Regulation 1223/2009 allows to be used in cosmetics within certain concentrations.
  Therefore, they are substances that are essential for the safety of many everyday products.
  They’ve been used for decades to preserve food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other consumables from being contaminated by potentially dangerous microorganisms.
  Scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated that they are safe for use in cosmetic products.
  How their safety is assessed is constantly being updated based on the results of scientific studies.
  As such, we believe that the campaigns launched against these ingredients do not properly reflect the assessments currently being done in Europe, which are accurately based on available scientific evidence.

•   What are free radicals?

  Humans need oxygen to live. Our bodies use oxygen to obtain energy from food and sustain our internal metabolic processes, including giving nutrients to the individual cells making up our bodies. The process of converting oxygen into energy is called oxidation. This oxidation process creates free radicals.
  The production of free radicals is attributed both to the oxidation process inside our bodies as well as to external agents like pollution and today’s modern diet. Although our bodies require a certain quantity of free radicals, an excess of free radicals quickly causes health problems, as free radicals are molecules with one less electron and, to obtain that missing electron, they have no qualms about taking one from another molecule. Doing so creates instable molecules with one less electron in our bodies. This chain reaction inside our bodies damages cells.
  Too many free radicals (oxidative stress) cause a variety of diseases in our bodies and, in the skin, oxidative changes to collagen and elastin, leading to a loss of their physiological functions and general ageing of the skin.

• What causes increase the formation of free radicals and what damage do they cause to the skin?

  The causes are pollution, smoking, alcohol, an unhealthy diet (too much fat), and excessive sun exposure.
  UVA and UVB rays are ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun.
  UVA rays make up 80% of the ultraviolet rays that we are exposed to on a daily basis.
  They not only impact the superficial part of our skin but also reach the underlying layer, the derma. They damage the collagen and fibres that give our skin elasticity, increasing the production of free radicals. They cause our skin to age prematurely.
  UVB rays make up the remaining 20% of the rays to which we are exposed. They impact the upper layer of the epidermis and stimulate the production of melanin (tan). An excessive amount of these rays causes increased free radical production and can lead to skin cancer (i.e. melanoma).

• How can we prevent the formation of free radicals that harm our skin?

  By using protective sun care products before going out into the sun and cosmetic products that contain specific antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10.

•  ARE THE ARVAL PRODUCTS TESTED ON ANIMALS?

  The law, Italian and European, prohibits animal testing both on cosmetic products and on the ingredients used in cosmetics. It is also forbidden to market cosmetic products in the EU territory that have been tested on animals in non-EU countries. All Arval products comply with the requirements of Italian and European law and are not tested on animals.