Building her beauty empire doesn't seem to be easy for Kylie Jenner as she has been continuously criticized, but as for the rest of her fellow entrepreneurs, it takes a lot of hard work, charm and pure luck to climb to the top.
Money and profit are not at all a problem for the young billionaire, and criticisms about her products don't matter a bit she continues to promote a wider range from beauty than to baby care.
Since the start of Kylie Skin, the walnut scrub has received the most number of negative comments, but now, what her products claim to be "Everything is cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, paraben and sulfate free" needs a lot of explanation.
Kylie Jenner's Kylie Skin Walnut Face Scrub did not sit well with the netizens as the ingredient walnut shell itself have already caused a lot of stir.
Walnut shells, if not properly granulated or powdered can cause micro tears on the skin, that is why some consumers opted out in chemical-based exfoliants like AHA's and glycolic acids. Although face scrubs are still useful, it usually depends on the skin's sensitivity and how it should be combined with a very good moisturizer.
And just recently, Kylie Jenner promoted her face wash by simply using it to wash her face. The 35-second clip showed her a less than 10-second application of the face wash and quickly washed off by water.
Missing out a few proper face washing steps, netizens were again also quick to criticize the reality star as she also failed to wipe off her foundation before the procedure.
Now netizens pointed out two specific ingredients that completely contradicted her claims of her products being vegan. The controversy is centered on two ingredients found in the line's Vanilla Milk Toner ($22) and Foaming Face Wash ($24): squalane and hydroxyacetophenone, respectively.
Obviously, squalene is derived from shark liver oil and 4-hydroxyacetophenone, which is derived from berries, but 3-hydroxyacetophenone, a different version of the product, is a component of castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of the mature beaver.
Nevertheless, there are certain derivatives of these ingredients that are naturally plant-based, as explained by fellow entrepreneurs in the line of beauty care. Nicola Kilner, CEO of Deciem. Her brand, The Ordinary, offers a popular squalane cleanser which uses 100% pure plant-derived squalane which is a hydrocarbon and sourced from sugarcane.
Meanwhile, Mia Saini Duchnowski, the co-founder, and CEO of vegan and cruelty-free brand Oars + Alps, they are using the synthetic version of 4-hydroxyacetophenone, which is very common in skin products.
Kylie Jenner can attest her products claims to be vegan by getting a certification from Certified Vegan. The application and vetting period takes weeks; that is why Kylie Skin is not yet listed as one of the certificate's recipient. Since Kylie Jenner just launched her skincare line on May 22, her critics just might as well wait, as for now, her products might have already restocked after being sold out within days of its release.
