We’ve been longtime supporters and enthusiasts of Ingredients®, and this month we are excited to take a deeper dive to shine a spotlight on the trailblazing work of Myriam Malka, Co-Founder and the formulator of Ingredients® Wellness. Myriam’s unique approach to formulating skincare products is nothing short of exceptional, positioning her as a true leader in sustainable skincare. With over 25 years of experience as a green formulator, Myriam has dedicated her career to developing products that are pure, effective, and environmentally conscious. Ingredients® stands out with a commitment to transparency and minimalism, using only 8 ingredients or fewer in each product. This meticulous curation ensures each ingredient serves a specific purpose, delivering maximum benefits without harmful additives. Join us as we delve into the inspiring journey of Myriam Malka and discover how Ingredients® is setting new standards for the efficacy, and purity of skin, body and wellness products.
Beauty Heroes: Ingredients® is the only brand where every product contains 8 ingredients or less. How did you accomplish this?
Myriam: It was a challenge but I’m proud to say we made it happen. First, I’d like to share how the idea was sparked. Despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle and adhering to a vegetarian and vegan diet for decades, I encountered health issues linked to environmental toxins. This led me to undergo a rigorous detoxification process in my diet, home, and personal care routines. I found that conventional products fell short of my standards for “clean,” as they often contained over 40 ingredients laden with toxins, harmful substances, petrochemicals, fillers, additives and micro-plastics. Motivated by this experience, as a green formulator for over 25 years, I was inspired to develop the purest skincare formulations possible for myself, my family, and consumers. I aimed to set new standards for the safety, effectiveness, and purity of personal care products. Thus, with my husband Eric Malka, we created Ingredients® and listed my formulas on the front of the bottle down to the exact percentages, believing that everyone has the right to know what they are applying to their skin.
My vision was to use only plant based active ingredients to create each formula. I wanted to ensure that each and every ingredient provided a specific benefit and that it was used in a high concentration. I initially envisioned 5 ingredients per formula but found it difficult to achieve for more intricate formulations. Therefore, this resulted in some formulas containing as few as 2 ingredients and others up to 8. In order to achieve our formulas it took having very detailed knowledge of the individual ingredients, understanding each one’s specific properties such as its function, texture, solubility, PH, level usage and more. This knowledge came from the expertise I developed over my career as a green formulator.
Consumers are accustomed to products that combine oil and water-based ingredients, such as creams and moisturizers. These formulas require many unnecessary non-active chemicals called functional ingredients and they are used to bind the water and oil and create specific textures and feels. Functional ingredients include binders, emulsifiers, stabilizers, texture enhancers, fillers, and solubilizers. These chemicals wreak havoc on the skin, leading to clogged pores, irritations, premature aging, and other skin conditions.
I call our formulas “de-constructed.” I use minimally processed, 100% plant-based ingredients to create water-based and oil-based formulas. Because I formulate differently and without chemicals or binding agents, the texture, feel, and smell of our formulas are pure and unique. This makes them very concentrated and 100% active, also ideal for better skin absorption and penetration. By focusing on high-quality, rich ingredients, I avoid the need for synthetic additives, ensuring our products provide real benefits without compromising skin health.
One of the most challenging aspects of formulating our products was finding suitable preservatives. Traditional preservatives are usually synthetic or derived from petrochemicals and can harm the skin’s microbiome the immune system of your skin. When this balance is disturbed, it can lead to skin diseases like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and acne. I use lactobacillus ferment as a safe and mild alternative, which helps maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria on the skin, supports the skin’s microbiome, and provides effective moisturizing and protection against harmful bacteria.
Maintaining the integrity of the protective barrier is crucial for healthy, radiant skin. Our formulas respect your skin’s microbiome and do not contain traditional preservatives that kill beneficial bacteria and fungi. Instead, we use natural alternatives like lactobacillus ferment, which is grown and harvested in a biotech lab which not only preserves the product but also enhances skin health and density.
Myriam: What is most unique about our sourcing is that we do the work ourselves and don’t rely on a manufacturing partner, who works through a distributor, to buy the ingredients found in the formulas. Most brands don’t have an inhouse formulator, they need to rely heavily on their partners for souring and development. As Chief Science Officer for Ingredients®, I personally develop the formulas and identify and source all the ingredients. In fact, our method is so unique that when developing Ingredients® I came across manufacturing labs that preferred not to work with us because we just don’t fit within their business model and internal processes given we are so different in our approach.
I’ve been formulating and sourcing ingredients for 25 years, building strong relationships with trusted suppliers in the industry. Visiting many farms and fields throughout my career has been a passion of mine. Initially, when I started, there were only a handful of suppliers offering plant-based ingredients. However, since the clean movement began around ten years ago, I’ve seen a significant increase in plant-based ingredient suppliers year after year.
I find suppliers through trade shows, databases, and referrals, but I prefer working with those who own their fields or farms and are also the ingredient processors. This approach allows for full transparency and better cost management. Our process is one of the strictest in the industry, as we audit and select our ingredients meticulously, from harvesting to processing.
Each ingredient I source undergoes rigorous scrutiny to avoid toxic chemicals, hidden fillers, preservatives, and solvents. For instance, when sourcing an extract, there can be up to 10 different types, many of which are diluted with carriers like propylene or butylene glycol, water, propanediol. These dilutions render the extracts almost useless, serving only as a marketing claim. Our ingredients, on the other hand, are minimally processed and used in their purest form, ensuring potency and concentration.
Our process is also unique in the value it creates for the consumers seeking pure, high quality and effective products. Our customers are getting products made of the finest grade plant-based ingredients used at a high concentration at a price that can’t be matched by others because of our in-house process for sourcing. We aim to source ingredients that are not cut, adulterated, or diluted, ensuring they remain potent and concentrated.
Another uniqueness of our sourcing, is the uniqueness of each ingredient itself, its multiple certifications and its provenance. All of our ingredients have various certifications such as Ecocert Organic, Fair Trade, Non GMO, Kosher and more.
For example, our organic vanilla extract from Madagascar. Behind the scenes of our premium organic Vanilla beans is a delicate and meticulous production process. We formulate using only pure Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Beans – the most sought after in the world due to their incredible aromatic qualities and superior flavor profile. Our Certified Fair Trade beans are sustainably grown and harvested by a women’s cooperative located in the north west region of Madagascar. The beans take 2 years to grow and are green when they are hand-picked from the orchids of the genus vanilla flowers between the months of May and August each year. Then the beans go through a curing process that can take up to 9 months to complete and consists of blanching in boiling water, fermenting for several days and finally drying for weeks under the sun until they evolve into fragrant, rich brown pods. After curing, the vanilla beans go through a solvent-based extraction process during which the chopped beans are steeped in organic alcohol. Once this is completed, the majority of the spirit is distilled away and voila!
Myriam: In my opinion, there are several factors that contribute to why people often don’t consider where the ingredients in their personal care products come from.
First, the industry itself is not well-regulated. A cosmetic is defined as any article intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. For a long time, chemists and the industry believed that cosmetic products did not penetrate the skin. However, over the last couple decades clinical studies have shown that these products can indeed penetrate the skin, bioaccumulate, and cause harm. This realization has led to the growth of the clean beauty movement over the past decade, as both consumers and the industry started recognizing the health impacts of what we apply to our skin.
Secondly, companies often place their ingredient lists on the back or bottom of containers in very small print, using complex chemical names that consumers cannot easily understand or pronounce. As a result, consumers are conditioned to trust the industry’s marketing claims about the benefits of the products without questioning the safety or origin of the ingredients.
The modern personal care industry has heavily relied on petrochemicals, which are derived from crude oil. The use of petrochemicals in personal care products dates back to 1869 when Vaseline Petroleum Jelly was commercialized. This was also when the first preservatives were developed and now they have these ingredients that have a long shelf life, preservatives to keep them fresher longer and are inexpensive, making them ideal for mass production. This shift from local, natural ingredients to industrial petrochemical-based products enabled companies to distribute products widely and economically, but at the cost of using potentially harmful substances.
Historically, personal care products were made using natural ingredients sourced locally. Ancient civilizations like the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Chinese used plants, minerals, metals, and animal ingredients for healing and beauty. However, the industrial revolution and the rise of synthetic ingredients and preservatives derived from petrochemicals in the 20th century transformed personal care into a global, commercial industry. They offered convenience, consistency, and longer shelf life, which natural ingredients could not always provide.
Since the early 1900s, the cosmetic industry has been driven by marketing strategies that emphasize beauty and youth. Women, in particular, have been encouraged to use a multitude of products to achieve societal beauty standards. The convenience and promises of modern personal care products, coupled with aggressive marketing, have conditioned consumers to prioritize immediate benefits without questioning ingredient safety or origins.
Before the widespread use of petrochemicals, personal care products were made in small batches by local artisans using natural ingredients. However, these natural products often had short shelf lives and were susceptible to spoilage. The introduction of preservatives and petrochemicals allowed for mass production and long shelf lives, which shifted the industry towards industrial-scale production and away from local, natural formulations.
The clean beauty movement, which gained momentum in the last decade, is a response to growing awareness about the harmful effects of certain chemicals in personal care products. This movement advocates for transparency, safer ingredients, and environmentally friendly practices. It challenges the traditional industry’s reliance on petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients, pushing for a return to more natural and sustainable practices.
In summary, the lack of regulation, inaccessible ingredient information, historical reliance on petrochemicals, evolution of personal care products, consumer conditioning, and the shift from natural to industrial products have all contributed to why people often overlook the origins of the ingredients in their personal care products.
However, the clean beauty movement and its leading retailers like Beauty Heroes is gradually changing this by raising awareness and advocating for safer, more transparent, and environmentally friendly products. The idea that the ingredients inside of your beauty products are made from the same source as the gas and oil you put in your car is not a pretty picture and one that the industry prefers to sweep under the rug.
Myriam: Over the past 25 years, I have personally visited many of my suppliers, especially in countries like France, Morocco, Bulgaria, Australia, Israel, Greece/Cyprus, and the USA in California. My cultural roots in France and Morocco influence my sourcing, making these locations some of my favorites for ingredients.
One of my passions is visiting these places during harvest time. There’s something magical about being present when the flowers are blooming, experiencing their scents, and observing the entire extraction process—from picking in the fields to the facilities where the oils and extracts are processed.
All of our ingredients come from partners who share my commitment to sustainability, ethical practices, and high-quality, minimally processed products. Visiting these places and witnessing the care and dedication that goes into growing and harvesting these plants ensures that the ingredients we use are of the highest quality and potency.
A couple of my favorite recent trips have been to Bulgaria and Morocco. While in the Bulgarian Rose Valley, I had the opportunity to see our partner supplier’s manufacturing plant and personally audit their delicate and artisanal processing methods. Being part of the process firsthand was incredible. After we handpicked the organic roses, the fresh blossoms were taken to the distillery the very same day to ensure the freshest yield.
The manufacturing process began with the rose blossoms placed in a special copper still where a stream of low-pressure steam is discharged through the fresh petals. This releases the essential oil into the vapor. Then, the aromatic vapor is quickly condensed back into a liquid by a cooling coil. Finally, the precious essential oil is swiftly isolated from the liquid due to the difference in their densities. This three-part process ensures that every drop of rose essential oil is of the highest quality. The result was the same rose essential oil and hydrosols found in our Face Serum and Plant Water Mist.
It’s always inspiring to see the dedication and care that goes into producing these ingredients firsthand.
Myriam: Using fewer ingredients in our products at Ingredients® significantly enhances their sustainability. At Ingredients®, we have made a deliberate choice to limit our formulations to 8 plant-based ingredients or fewer, a decision that reverberates throughout our commitment to sustainability.
One of the most impactful ways our minimalist approach enhances sustainability is through water usage. Unlike the majority of personal care products that rely heavily on purified water as a carrier, often constituting 70-90% of their content, we opt for hydrosols. These hydrosols are derived as by-products of the essential oil extraction process. By upcycling these distilled waters, not only do we reduce waste, but we also incorporate additional skin benefits beyond mere hydration.
Moreover, our dedication to using purely plant-based ingredients ensures that our products are biodegradable. We steer clear of any petrochemicals, ensuring there are no microplastics in our formulations—a common concern with products containing synthetic ingredients. Our ingredients undergo minimal processing, often utilizing cold extraction methods that preserve their natural nutrients and reduce the overall environmental footprint of our manufacturing processes.
The environmental benefits extend beyond ingredient purity. By using fewer ingredients, we decrease the resources needed for cultivation. This reduction in demand translates to lower water consumption, fewer CO2 emissions, and a diminished carbon footprint associated with planting, harvesting, and processing our ingredients. Furthermore, by avoiding petrochemicals, which are notorious for their detrimental environmental impact due to high greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, we further reduce our ecological footprint.
Our commitment to sustainability is also evident in our manufacturing practices. We employ green chemistry principles, favoring cold processing methods that retain the maximum nutrients from plants compared to traditional high-heat methods. We prioritize sourcing our plants from farms practicing organic or regenerative agriculture. These farming methods not only promote soil health and biodiversity but also adhere to strict environmental standards, ensuring that our ingredients are sustainably produced from farm to bottle.
Certified organic ingredients play a pivotal role in our sustainability strategy. They are renewable, have a lower carbon footprint, and contribute positively to biodiversity and soil health. Organic certification guarantees adherence to rigorous environmental standards during production, further solidifying the sustainability credentials of our products.
In stark contrast, petrochemical ingredients are derived from non-renewable fossil fuels and carry significant environmental drawbacks. From high greenhouse gas emissions to pollution and non-biodegradability, these factors underscore the unsustainable nature of petrochemicals in personal care products.
At Ingredients®, we’re proud to be at the forefront of skincare innovation and currently produce 4 of our plant-based actives with biotechnologies- Selaginella lepidophylla extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Saccharomyces Ferment and Xanthan Gum. By harnessing the power of biotechnology, we are able to replicate the molecular structure of these compounds with precision, ensuring consistency, quality, and efficacy. Biotechnology also enables us to reduce our environmental footprint by minimizing reliance on finite resources and optimizing our production processes.
Ultimately, our focus on using fewer, high-quality ingredients not only enhances the efficacy of our products but also minimizes our ecological footprint. By choosing Ingredients®, consumers are not only choosing products that are better for their skin but also making a sustainable choice for the planet. Our commitment to purity, efficacy, and sustainability is unwavering, reflecting our belief that wellness and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
Beauty Heroes: What do you want people to know about Ingredients® products?
Myriam: At Ingredients®, we create products for everyone—from age 6 and up, and for all skin types and genders. Plants don’t differentiate based on gender or age, and neither do we. We focus on creating exceptional products that harness the nutritive and healing properties of plant-based ingredients, benefiting women, men, and children alike.
Our commitment lies in offering the purest and most effective plant-based formulas available. We’ve set out to elevate standards in terms of purity, safety, and efficacy. It all starts with our ingredients—we source only the highest quality from around the globe, prioritizing organic farming practices whenever feasible. From farm to bottle, we ensure each ingredient maintains its integrity and freshness throughout the process.
Wellness is foundational to our philosophy. Every day, people are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals from personal care products, household cleaners, foods, and drinks. Our mission is to change that paradigm by reducing exposure to toxins. By opting for products with plant-extracted ingredients, we empower individuals to embrace a natural lifestyle in pursuit of optimal wellness.
Quality is non-negotiable. We firmly believe that superior ingredients yield superior results. The journey from ground to body should be direct and transparent. That’s why we meticulously source and transport our ingredients directly from trusted producers worldwide. Whether it’s organic lavender from France or jojoba oil from Israel, we ensure every step meets our stringent standards.
Transparency is key. We advocate for radical transparency because we believe everyone deserves to know exactly what they’re putting on their bodies. That’s why we boldly display every ingredient—including its exact percentage—on the front of our bottles. It’s a commitment to honesty and empowerment, so you can make informed choices about what’s best for your health.
In essence, Ingredients® products are pure, safe, and effective. We’re dedicated to delivering maximum effectiveness with minimal potential harm, so you can feel confident in your skincare choices.
