FAQ

What do HAVU lipsticks contain and why?

HAVU lipsticks contain almond oil, castor oil and jojoba oil. The correct ratio of those oils is found by testing. Castor oil is one of the most essential ingredients, as it functions as a “medium” for the pigments. It helps to prevent the pigments from caking together. Carnauba wax, candelilla wax and beeswax are the natural waxes used in our lipsticks. Carnauba wax has the highest melting point, which means it keeps the product together and gives it the shape of a lipstick! Adding candelilla into our formula made the product significantly easier to apply, and thanks to the antibacterial beeswax, we do not need to add extra fragrances into our lipsticks. Vegetable fat shea butter and kaoline and silica enhance the feel of the lipstick. Silica, that is silicon dioxide, is traditionally referred to as fine sand, which is pretty common in cosmetics. In addition, our lipsticks contain inorganic pigments; iron oxides, titanium dioxides and ultramarines. Our pigments are safe and permitted for use in natural cosmetics. They can either be manufactured synthetically or of minerals.

What are HAVU containers made of?

The black inner container is of biodegradable PLA and the exterior is made of wood. This enables to recycle HAVU lipsticks into biowaste as a whole. PLA, i.e. polylactide, is an industrially biodegradable and a biobased polymer. PLA does not endure high temperatures due to its biodegradability and it melts in over 45 degrees’ temperature. So please keep your lipstick out of too much direct sunlight! The darker side of HAVU’s wooden container is of alder and the lighter of aspen. The containers are covered with a light layer of wax and the colour comes from the wood itself. Depending on the availability and the season, the wood comes from Finland or Estonia.

How is HAVU’s container recycled?

You can discard HAVU lipstick containers after use into biowaste. The paper sticker in the bottom of the lipstick can be placed into paper waste. The white cardboard package and the mailing board are recycled as board waste. Please do not dispose of HAVU products in nature! We do not support littering! The package does not decompose in nature, as the inner container (PLA) is industrially biodegradable. The right place to recycle it is the housing association’s biowaste container. 

What is PLA?

PLA, i.e. polylactide, is a biodegradable and a biobased polymer, in other words, a plastic. It is manufactured of corn starch and it is biodegradable in industrial composts. Hence, the housing association’s biowaste container is the right place to discard it.  PLA does not endure high temperatures due to its biodegradability and it melts in over 45 degrees’ temperature. So please keep your lipstick out of too much direct sunlight! 

Why do HAVU lipsticks contain beeswax?

In our current products, we have decided to use beeswax, which is produced in connection with the honey production. Beeswax is antibacterial, and its sweetness neutralizes oils and waxes with more intense odour. This way, we do not need to use fragrances.  Cosmetics is not all black and white and being vegan does not necessarily reveal much of the product’s environmental load or even if the product belongs to natural cosmetics. Most of the cosmetic products are “automatically” vegan. In our products, beeswax could be replaced with environment-harming synthesized waxes, which would make the product vegan. We have pondered the alternative ingredients profoundly and done our best with the formula. 

Is HAVU’s container plastic-free?

Plastic is an umbrella term for a large number of different ingredients. The PLA used in HAVU’s containers is in principle a plastic, if all polymers were to be considered as plastics. However, the PLA used in HAVU’s containers decomposes in industrial composts, and it is made of 100% renewable raw materials. It can be termed as bioplastic or biodegradable plastic.

Are HAVU lipsticks vegan?

We use beeswax in our products. It is produced in connection with the honey production. Our products do not contain other ingredients of animal origin. Please see “Why do HAVU lipsticks contain beeswax?” 

Are HAVU products or the product ingredients tested on animals?

Products and their ingredients are not tested on animals.

Where are the products made? 

Mainly in Finland. Lipstick cases are assembled in Finland, and the lipstick mass is produced in our own lab. PLA cases and Sulapac cases are manufactured in the EU. 

Can your products be used during pregnancy?  

Our products only include natural oils, waxes and inorganic pigments. These are commonly considered as safe ingredients for pregnant women. If you have any allergies or doubts, you can find the ingredient lists of specific products on our product pages.  

How long does it take for your package to decompose in nature? 

Our products use PLA and Sulapac Universal, which follow the EU standard of biodegradability EN 13432. The requirements for bioplastics to be certified as compostable have been well established and proven in different field tests. The European standard EN 13432 defines the minimum requirements a packaging has to meet in order to be processed by industrial composting. Our product has to be sorted correctly – we can’t guarantee decomposition in home composts, as they usually don’t meet the standards of an industrial compost. At industrial composting facilities, temperatures in the composting heaps range between 50°C and 60°C. 

Are your products gluten-free?

All vegetable oils we use in our products are generally classified as gluten-free. The vitamin E we use does not contain any gluten, but the factory where vitamin E is made, may have processed gluten. 

 

 


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