Product information: Ingredients & Shelf Life

INGREDIENTS & FORMULATION

What is all the hype about antioxidants?

Antioxidants are little protective helpers for your skin.

They neutralise free radicals and so help prevent premature skin ageing.

Free radicals are caused by:

excessive sun exposure, regardless of whether you have used sun protection or not.
artificial light, such as indoor lighting or the screen of a laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
stress
environmental influences and air pollution of any kind.

In our formulations you will find natural antioxidants such as astaxanthin and trehalose in the Antiox Serum, vitamins C and E in the Nutrient Serum and bakuchiol and marine collagen in the Mild Cream.

They all promote regeneration, give your skin radiance and protect it from oxidative stress – for a healthy, fresh complexion.

Please remember: antioxidants reach your bloodstream through a balanced diet from organic farming and moderate sun exposure. Natural cosmetics can never replace a healthy lifestyle.

Essential oils vs. synthetic fragrances – what is the difference?

What are synthetic fragrances?

Synthetic fragrances are produced artificially in a laboratory, usually based on petrochemical compounds.
Their purpose is to create a specific scent that is as stable, intense, and consistent as possible.
They often consist of individual isolated scent molecules and contain no natural accompanying substances.
As a result, they lack a holistic effect and can cause irritation or sensitivities—especially in those with sensitive skin.

Synthetic scents are primarily used in conventional perfumes, detergents, and care products because they are inexpensive and have a long shelf life.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are natural fragrances extracted directly from plants, flowers, leaves, or peels—usually through steam distillation or cold pressing.
They contain a complex combination of many natural components that carry the plant's characteristic scent and therapeutic effect.

Unlike synthetic perfumes, essential oils have a holistic effect on the body, mind, and soul.
They can calm, invigorate, clarify, or ground—depending on the plant and composition.

Why BARAU uses only natural scents.

At BARAU, we use exclusively pure essential oils, preferably from certified organic farming.
Each fragrance composition is formulated in a low, skin-friendly concentration to respect the skin's natural balance.

We determine the dosage ourselves, but we strictly ensure compliance with the limit values and safety guidelines of the IFRA (International Fragrance Association).
These international standards define the maximum permissible concentration of individual fragrance ingredients and serve to protect the skin and health.

This is how we guarantee maximum safety, naturalness and sensory quality in every product.

The result is an authentic fragrance experience that accompanies you in a natural way – without synthetic additives, without artificial fixatives.

Does BARAU use alcohol in its products?

No.

The term "alcohol-free" is the legal designation indicating that only so-called "good" alcohols are contained in the formulations.

So-called "bad" alcohols include, for example, ethyl alcohol (INCI alcohol denat., alcohol, or ethanol, among others). They have an irritating and drying effect on the skin and, in our opinion, have no place in cosmetic products.

Cetyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol, on the other hand, belong to the so-called "good" alcohols, which not only protect the skin but also replenish its natural oils. You can find these, for example, in our solid hair care products.

We use benzyl alcohol, another "good" alcohol, in some products as a preservative in the lowest concentrations. It protects the product from the development of fungi, yeasts, and bacteria. It therefore keeps the product fresh and preserves its properties. It does not dry out the skin and has no negative impact on the skin barrier.

Do BARAU products contain preservatives?

All our products are protected with nature-identical preservatives.

All preservatives are approved for natural cosmetics and tested by the certification body as ingredients in organic natural cosmetics.

Do the products contain palm oil?

No, neither palm oil nor its derivatives.

Our Mild Cream contains essential fatty acids from olive oil (declared in the ingredient list as Cetyl Palmitate and Sorbitan Palmitate), which comes from sustainable, certified organic farming.

Why are not all of our products vegan?

For the love of animals, most of our products are vegan.
Nevertheless, we have deliberately decided to make an exception in a few places.

The reason is that in these individual cases the effectiveness of the formula would suffer considerably if we had used the vegan alternatives currently available on the market. We love animals, but our priority is to offer you the best possible products with the highest bioavailability.

Oils, butters, aromas and pigments are of course 100% natural, raw and therefore unrefined, and of plant origin.

For example, we use

beeswax in our balms
marine collagen from fish skin in the Mild Cream.

🐝 Bees play a crucial role in our ecosystem

They pollinate a wide variety of fruit and vegetables such as apples, pears and red berries – plants that secure our food supply and biodiversity.

Well-kept bee colonies naturally produce more honey and wax than they need themselves.

By sourcing wax from responsibly kept bees, we make an important contribution to preserving this natural cycle.

CERTIFICATION & SAFETY

Are our products certified and therefore safe?

All BARAU by Bibi formulations have been carefully tested by renowned laboratories and manufactured in accordance with the Cosmetics Regulation that applies throughout the EU.

It governs every aspect relevant to manufacturing and documentation – for example, that products may only be produced under verified hygiene standards.

You can find more information under EC Regulation 1223/2009.

All BARAU by Bibi products are registered with the CPNP (Cosmetic Products Notification Portal). This is very important for you to know, because it is the only way you can be sure that you are buying professionally manufactured products that will not harm your skin or the environment.

In addition, we are certified by the certification body ACENE as organic, natural and, in part, vegan cosmetics.

Are our products cruelty-free?

As we comply with all the provisions of the European Cosmetics Regulation, neither our products nor the ingredients we use in them have been tested on animals.

SHELF LIFE & STORAGE

How long is the shelf life of BARAU products?

Our products have a shelf life of 18 to 24 months from the date of manufacture. The best-before date (BBD) and the batch number are printed on the label of the glass or aluminium container. In addition, the BBD and batch number can be found on the bottom of the beautiful paper box, if you have kept it.

Can I use the products beyond the best-before date?

Our experience shows that BARAU products are still perfectly fine even after reaching their best-before date, and if you have stored them carefully, you can continue to use them for a long time without any concerns. As long as the consistency is as usual, the product can be used. If the scent or color changes, this is simply a sign that the formula has been exposed to air and has begun to oxidize due to opening and closing the container. As long as you have washed your hands before use, you can continue to use the products.

However, please note that organic natural cosmetics are best used within the stated best-before date, as the effectiveness of the active ingredients is guaranteed for this period.

What does the open jar symbol on the packaging mean?

This symbol means that the product should be used up within the number of months printed on the jar symbol after opening. In our case, this is 6 months for all products, with the exception of solid cosmetics, which should be used up within 12 months after opening.

Are the products suitable for allergy sufferers?

For our products, we use exclusively pure natural essential oils, mostly of organic quality. We have indicated the allergens for these. These can always be found in the list of ingredients (INCI) at the end and bear names such as Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, etc.

Even though these essential oils are contained in low concentrations and our products are suitable for sensitive skin, reactions may still occur in allergy sufferers.

If you have allergies, we recommend testing our products for compatibility by performing a patch test (on your wrist or under your chin) before applying them to your face.

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC

Why has the texture of my balm changed?

Our balms consist of a balanced blend of high-quality, natural raw materials:

Ingredients of organic quality (excerpt):

Raw cocoa butter
Avocado oil
Sweet almond oil
Pure essential oils
Beeswax from responsible farming

We deliberately avoid synthetic emulsifiers or stabilizers. As a result, the balm's structure may change with temperature fluctuations – a perfectly normal characteristic of natural cosmetics and proof that you are holding a natural product in your hand.

If a balm has been exposed to higher temperatures and then cools down again, small crystals can form. These are not a quality defect, but a natural process that occurs in raw fats and unrefined vegetable oils.

The delicate crystal patterns are reminiscent of the Giant's Causeway – a structure from nature that also inspired us in the design of our balm packaging.

This same idea is evident on several levels: When nature is allowed to take its course, shapes and textures emerge that are never exactly the same – but always authentic, effective and beautiful.

Do you have any further questions?

Use our contact form

or send us an email at info@barau.bio

We look forward to hearing from you!

Halved avocado with stone on a light green background – organic avocado oil

Pink flowering trumpet tree (Tabebuia rosea) against a blue sky

Active ingredients

What nature nourishes, your skin recognises. Behind every BARAU formula lies an ingredient chosen calmly, not because of a trend. Aloe vera, lavender, bakuchiol... every active ingredient has its own story, and we invite you to discover it: where it comes from, how it works, why we chose it.

Learn more

Organic avocado oil

An oil as rich as the fruit it comes from. Cold-pressed from the creamy flesh of the avocado, this oil brings the concentrated power of a fruit that thrives even in sun and drought to your skin – and passes on exactly this resilience to you.