Our Values
OUR VALUES
POWERED BY NATURE: PROVEN BY CLINICAL TRIALS
We're committed to protecting our planet for the generations to come whilst simultaneously providing healthy and effective beauty & wellbeing products. We use science to get the best from Nature without harming nature or our customers in the process.
WHAT DOES "POWERED BY NATURE" REFER TO?
We are committed to advancing the science of natural skincare and beauty. Known for our high concentrates of botanicals, nature is preserved as an important part of all URBAN RETREAT products.
We use ethically sourced active ingredients from plants, algae, or the sea which are all carefully selected not only for their efficacy but also for their origin and safety.
WHAT DOES "PROVEN BY CLINICAL TRIALS" MEAN?
We don't say it unless it can be proven! We are so confident that our products provide visible, real results that we send them to an authorised independent clinical testing facility to actually measure the results in a controlled environment, which means that there can be no cheating!
All of the study procedures are carried out in compliance with the ethical principles for medical research (Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects), adopted by the 18th WMA General Assembly.
WHERE ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS MADE?
All of our creams, liquids, colour cosmetics and supplements are made in our own Laboratories in France.
What are the standards for manufacturing in France?
Cosmetic Products Regulation EC 1223/2009 is compulsory for products offered for sale within the EU. European cosmetics regulations are the most rigorous in the world.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED?
Yes, all of our topical products are tested and approved by a certified dermatologist before they are released for sale.
DOES URBAN RETREAT TEST ON ANIMALS?
We take the safety of the environment and animals very seriously. . We do not test our products on animals and we do not use any ingredients which have been tested on animals. We are recorded on the PETA list of cruelty-free brands and are an accredited cruelty-free brand.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS NATURAL?
It is important to know that "natural" does not have a legal definition in the cosmetic industry. Our priority is product safety and efficacity. We use many ingredients that are certified organic, natural, or naturally derived. We do not formulate with any recorded "Allergens" so in some cases it is impossible to use a natural ingredient. In these instances, we use some allergen-free, safe synthetic ingredients too.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS GMO-FREE?
Yes, absolutely.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS VEGAN?
The power of the sea is immeasurable. Many of our products are formulated with marine-derived active ingredients because they are the safer option to deliver the quality and performance we demand from a cosmetics or skincare product. We prefer, wherever practical, to use natural ingredients over synthetics. As a result, we are not a Vegan brand.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS GLUTEN-FREE?
Gluten is a protein found primarily in wheat, rye, and other grains which we sometimes use in our supplements.
IS URBAN RETREAT ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIENTIOUS?
>How we package our products is as important as the formulas themselves, that's why we rigorously screen every packaging material for safety as well as environmental impact. We're committed to protecting our planet for generations to come. Our new headquarters are developed as an eco-sustainable centre where natural resources allow the lowering of energy consumption, and a solar power system covers our entire consumption requirements meaning we're literally powered by sunshine. We're very proud that our Laboratory, and staff, received a Government Environment Award for a "low carbon footprint".
We have a recycling contract and a separation process for everything that enters our facility, be it glass, plastic, or cardboard.
We are currently rolling out an ‘Eco Refill System’ for our products which allows containers to be used over and over.
Wherever possible we use recyclable materials for everything that leaves our facilities, including our shipping boxes, products and filling tissue paper.
ARE URBAN RETREAT PRODUCTS BIODEGRADABLE?
We care about your health which is why all of our topical products are dermatologically tested, this is not unique to our brand, however, as far as we are aware URBAN RETREAT is the only brand that tests all of its rinseable products for both biodegradability and toxicology.
In short: if it goes down a plug hole we send it to be tested so that we can be sure that it is biodegradable without damage to the Ecosystem.
WHY DOES URBAN RETREAT TALK ABOUT "SAFETY" SO MUCH?
Cosmetics and Supplements are just one route of exposure to toxic chemicals, but it is one that we can do something about.
Sometimes traces of chemicals such as residues of pesticides, small traces of chemicals from packaging and other contact materials can also cause contamination in ingredients. Natural compounds such as metals and nitrates can be present at various levels in the environment, e.g. soil, water and air. They can also occur as residues because of their presence as environmental pollutants.
Our laboratory staff research the safety of each ingredient and we toxin screen each batch to ensure that we're making the safest high-performance products that we can.
WHAT IS URBAN RETREAT'S INGREDIENT SELECTION PROCESS?
1500-plus chemicals are banned or restricted in personal care products by the EU, but we go even further. We conduct safety assessments on every ingredient before inclusion in our products. We discard ingredients that do not meet our detailed health and safety standards.
WHY DOES URBAN RETREAT USE "PARFUM / FRAGRANCE" IN SOME PRODUCTS?
If we don't need it, we don't put it in. Every ingredient in our products has a function; nothing is used without careful consideration. Wherever possible our products are un-scented, however, in order to include sufficient doses of active ingredients into certain products to make them effective, in particular the ones containing marine active ingredients, we need to mask the smell of some actives. We only use one Parfum/Fragrance which is specially manufactured for us. Elements of our Parfum/Fragrance are synthetic because the "Natural" alternatives are classified as allergens. Our Parfum/Fragrance is Certified Allergen, Carcinogen and Phthalate Free.
POWER INGREDIENTS
Below is a list of the key ingredients used in our products and the benefits they offer.