Why I Only Use Ingredients I Understand: The Inherited Skincare Formulation Philosophy

I have a simple rule when it comes to formulating Inherited Skincare products: if I can't explain what an ingredient does in plain English, it doesn't go in.

That sounds obvious. But spend five minutes reading the back of most moisturisers on the market and you'll find that it's actually a radical position.

Where the Rule Came From

My grandmother Leela never read an ingredients list because she never needed to. She knew exactly what she was putting on her face: ghee she had washed herself, oils she had sourced from the market, turmeric from the kitchen. There was no label to decode. The transparency was total.

When I started developing Inherited Skincare formulas, I kept coming back to that baseline. What would Leela recognise? What can I trace back to a plant, a process, a purpose? Not as a gimmick — "natural" isn't automatically good, and synthetic isn't automatically bad — but as a genuine discipline. Every ingredient earns its place by being something I can explain, defend, and stand behind.

Centuries of Use and Modern Safety Testing

Our formulation philosophy has two pillars that must both be satisfied before an ingredient goes into a product.

The first is traditional use. If an ingredient has been used safely and effectively in Ayurvedic practice for hundreds of years — by real people, on real skin, with documented results — that is meaningful evidence. It's not sufficient on its own, but it's a very strong starting point.

The second is modern safety validation. Every Inherited Skincare formula is CPSR-tested by a qualified UK cosmetic safety assessor. This is a legal requirement in the UK, and one I embrace rather than merely comply with. It means an independent expert has reviewed the formula, the concentrations, the potential interactions, and confirmed that what we're selling is safe to use as directed.

Both pillars must hold. An ingredient with centuries of traditional use that fails modern safety assessment doesn't make the cut. An ingredient that passes safety testing but has no track record I can understand and explain doesn't make the cut either.

What This Means in Practice

It means our products have short ingredients lists. Not because we're cutting corners, but because we're being selective. Washed organic ghee. Shea butter. Rosehip. Vitamin E. Plant-derived emulsifiers. Ingredients with a purpose and a story.

It means we don't chase trends. We don't add something because a trade publication says it's having a moment. We add something because it does a specific job well, because we understand why, and because we'd be comfortable explaining it to Leela.

It means our customers know what they're buying. And that, ultimately, is the whole point.