Natural and Synthetic Ingredients: Why Context Matters

Natural ingredients are an important part of Matera.

Olive oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter, jojoba oil and Centella-derived ingredients all play meaningful roles in our formulas.

But natural is not the only language we use to judge a formula.

A botanical ingredient is not automatically better simply because it comes from a plant. A synthetic ingredient is not automatically worse because it was created or refined through chemistry.

What matters is purpose.

A complete cosmetic formula may need ingredients that moisturise and nourish the skin. It may also need ingredients that emulsify oil and water, help other ingredients disperse, preserve the formula from microbial contamination, create a comfortable texture or maintain stability.

These functions are not less important simply because they are less visible in marketing.

This is why Matera’s ingredient philosophy is not built around ‘good lists’ and ‘bad lists’.

We look at ingredients in context: what they do, why they are needed, how much is used and how they contribute to the finished product.

In our Nourishing Stretch Mark Cream, for example, botanical oils and Centella-derived ingredients sit alongside ceramide, panthenol, a peptide, silicones, emulsifiers and a preservation system.

In our Castile Soap, an olive oil-based soap foundation sits alongside squalane, vitamin E, solubilising and preservation ingredients.

That is intentional.

Nature inspires us.

Thoughtful formulation brings the product together.

For mothers, we believe that is more useful than asking a formula to fit inside a label such as ‘all natural’ or ‘clean’.

Clear information makes room for a more informed choice.