Here at mission essentials skincare we proudly offer a soy-free line of products!
Did you know that soy is in the top 10 list of allergens - usually ranking #3 after milk, eggs and peanuts? Soybeans alone are not a common food in American diets, but they are widely used in processed food products. Many people do not realize their sensitivity to soy until a physician instructs them to limit or eliminate it from their diet. Little do they realize (on their own) that it is also present in candles they burn and moisturizers they apply to their skin!
2nd - Soy is also 90-95% genetically modified (since we don't know what's in it we won't use it).
3rd - Equally important and backed by much research on the topic, soy is considered a hormone disruptor. Unfortunately, soy is found in many products on the market including a large majority of skin care/body care products. Always check with your health care provider for information specific to your needs.
When a person with a soy allergy is exposed to soy, proteins in the soy bind to specific IgE antibodies made by the person’s immune system. This triggers the person’s immune defenses, leading to reaction symptoms that can be mild or very severe. Unnecessary immune responses are fatiguing on a body and can lead to skin rashes, boils, swollen lymph nodes, digestive issues and more. Stop and consider that a person’s skin is THE largest organ of the body and there are so many products from sun care to foot care and lip balm to deodorant that contain soy. That is a lot of surface area for potential exposure for a person who may not realize the culprit behind their malady.
Soy must be listed in plain language on packaged foods sold in the U.S., as required by federal law, either within the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains” statement on the package. This makes it easy to see if soy is present in a food item. Skin care products do not have the same, clear-cut rules. That is because of product classification and governance. True soaps have very few regulations. Moisturizers may be classified as cosmetics (OTC) and fall under the FDA guidelines for ingredient disclosure. If the the product claims antibacterial properties - yet another set of rules.
You can begin to see how sometimes soy and soy derivatives will fall through the cracks in the system, and can end up on your skin!
All of this comes at a time when soy-derived ingredients are increasingly found in skin care products, usually as genistein, a soy isoflavone. There are good reasons why some moisturizers and night creams include soy isoflavones. For people without allergic reactions to soy, these products can brighten the skin, decrease redness, boost collagen production and improve skin tone. These soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens (albeit weak ones) and anti-oxidants, which is why they are popular ingredients in skin care products marketed towards rejuvenating aging skin.
Know that so many people suffer from soy reactions in food and skincare (and for our personal well-being) mission essentials has built our line around NOT including soy. We know that there are more and more people becoming aware of what they are putting in and on their bodies. Our product line is a safe haven of natural skincare that people can feel comfortable with from our soy-free balms, soaps and moisturizers. We are excited to be able to deliver high-quality, natural skincare products that are part of a healthy self-care regimen!