Hi Lorri,
Thank you for reaching out. I am including here just some talking points of information. The short answer is yes, R+F uses many ingredients on our “Free Of ” List because their brand positioning is not
“natural” or “pure/safe”. It is really more around “effective”.
For example, they use the following (just to name a few), all of which are on our Free Of List:
-EDTA
-Parabens
-Synthetic Fragrances
-Artificial colors
-Chemical sunscreens, including Oxybenzone
-Talc
-Ingredients that are NOT Vegan
-Lauryl sulfates
-Cyclic silicones
-Ethanolamines (TEA)
That said, Rodan and Fields also use some of the most effective ingredients, like Vitamin A (Retinol) which is the #1 Dermatologist recognized most effective anti-aging ingredient. We also use this in a more gentle form in our YOUTH Activating Serum.
So, while we are inspired by Nature and leave out the questionable chemicals, we also deliver on efficacy/performance.
Hope this helps!
Christos Kyrou
Vice President Beauty Research & Development