Sana approached packaging the way it approaches everything: safety, quality, functionality and environmental and social responsibility come first. Price, convenience and conformity come second. Or not at all.

The overwhelming majority of the industry chooses plastic from China for its packaging. Yes, study after study shows that dangerous synthetics (like BPA and phthalates) can leach from the plastics. Yes, Chinese safety regulations are virtually non-existent. Yes, their rivers run red with dyes simply dumped from the backs of factories. Yes, labor standards are unacceptable. Go figure. Then again, Chinese plastic is really cheap. And the consumer has no way of knowing where packaging comes from, so what’s the diff?

Sana chose aluminum produced in the US and Canada for a bunch of reasons. From a safety perspective, sourcing from local producers allowed us to ensure compliance with good manufacturing processes. Avoiding plastic means avoiding aforementioned synthetics. Importantly, the products do not sit in aluminum: our innovative tubes have a non-BPA liner.

Aluminum is also preferable from an environmental perspective. It’s one of the most plentiful substances on the earth’s crust. It is also the most recylable material in the marketplace. Unlike even the most recylable plastic (Polyethylene, or PET), which has only a couple generations before it degrades, aluminum never degrades and is infinitely recyclable. It’s also easy to recycle, requiring a relatively low level of energy. The amount of energy saved by recycling aluminum cans in 2003, for example, was equal to 15 million gallons of crude oil, or America’s entire gas consumption for one day. An aluminum container can be back on shelves 60 days after it’s sent to recycling. And buying local means less transportation, no dumping in rivers and no shortcuts.

Over-hydration of the skin can compromise the barrier function, meaning that substances are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s called percutaneous absorption. It is usually a short term phenomenon, but it can make the skin more vulnerable to waterborne allergens and irritation. Not just that, the production of Natural Moisturizing Factor, the water magnet that brings water to the skin’s surface, is impeded by over-hydration…which can lead to under-hydrated skin down the line.

Just a couple of reasons to think twice about what you’re putting on your skin. And the skin of your loved ones. But keep in mind, drinking lots of water won’t overhydrate your skin. Rather, overhydration is usually a function of prolonged exposure to water and/or an overly powerful barrier (watch the overly occlusive skin care products!).

Phthalates are everywhere. Phthalates are plasticizers. In case you couldn’t guess, that means they’re used in plastics to make them pliable – everything from pvc tubing, to straws to baby toys and pacifiers. They also find their way into some skin care products, since they alter the “feel” of products. Three quarters of off-the-shelf cosmetic products have phthalates. Virtually everyone of us, at this point, has some level of phthalates in our system (the CDC tested the urine of 2,790 people, and found phthalates in all but 12 of them).

So how bad are they? Most of the rest of the industrialized world has banned them: some variation of phthalates has been banned in baby products in the EU, Japan, Norway, Argentina and Mexico, and Canada, among other places. Oh, and California has taken it upon itself to impose a ban on phthalates in baby products starting in 2009, with several other states thinking about following suit. The FDA, on the other hand, neither bans nor restricts them, and hasn’t shown any inclination to do a thing going forward.

What exactly do they do? Phthalates are endocrine disrupters, which means they can alter the normal flow of hormones in the body. They are anti-androgenic chemicals, generally meaning they impact estrogen levels in the body. Numerous studies have shown that they may cause permanent reproductive damage of various kinds, particularly for boys. Phthalates also bio-accumulate, so small dosages can add up over time. Several studies, summarized by the Environmental Working Group, show the increased risk from additive exposure – the so called “synergistic” effect of combining two forms of phthalates: DBP and DEHP. Further, the manufacturing process associated with phthalates is not without harms: furons and dioxins are released, which carry health and environmental risks for everyone.

Needless to say, Sana does not use phthalates.

NMF, as it’s sometimes called, is a real thing and it is very attractive to water. It’s a water magnet. How does it work? A series of amino acids that suck in water from deeper in the skin, and sometimes from the outside environment. All the skin cells at the surface of our skin – the bricks – are filled with NMF. It’s central to the skin’s ability to keep water circulating through the system. Another unsexy way of describing NMF is that it’s a humectant. You should look for low molecular weight humectants, like vegetable glycerin in effective moisturizers.

NMF is essential, but it’s also very particular. Something of a catch-22, but if there’s not enough water, skin can’t create it. If there’s too much, skin will shut down production as well. NMF is also reduced by sun exposure, acne, and too much bathing with harsh soaps.