Brand Breakdown: Is DMK Skincare a Clean Beauty Brand?
Background on DMK
DMK also known as Danné Montague-King, who is the founder, began his discovery of skincare back in the 1970s. Dr. Danné Montague-King is a botanical scientist and cosmetic chemist who spent over fifty years researching and developing the Danné Method of Natural Pharmacology. He is the founder of DMK SKIN REVISION and creator of DMK SKINCARE™, DMKC COSMETICS™, DMK LIMITED™ and BIOFREEZE™.
Based on their website, DMK believes that the origin of most skin conditions is a result of disharmony within the skin. Using the principles of biochemistry, DMK has formulated a range of treatments and products designed to educate skin to perform like youthful healthy skin. By matching formulations with the body’s chemistry, the skin is encouraged to respond in a positive manner. DMK’s revolutionary concept of REMOVE, REBUILD, PROTECT, MAINTAIN aims to match an individual’s biochemistry with the appropriate skin therapy.”
Is DMK as clean as they claim to be? We reviewed the brand to find out.
How we Rank the Brand
Green Heart – We approve of this brand’s products and they contain zero known toxins.
Yellow Heart – We approve of most ingredients in this brand’s products, they might contain some toxins or known allergies.
Red Heart – We suggest you proceed with caution and limit your expose and use to this brand’s products as there are toxins present.
Ingredients of DMK
DMK does not claim to be clean by any means, they do claim to be “Botanical-based paramedical products”. Which could be misleading to some that might not know what to be aware of.
While most products contain some form of paraben, allergen, irritant or sulfate, their line DMK Acu System – is a range of acne products containing no Benzoyl Peroxide, Parabens or Sulfates. However, we would still recommend checking their ingredients before thinking of purchasing or using.
Below you will see a snapshot of their Deep Pore Facial Cleanser ingredients highlighting Limonene, Colrants, Parabens, ALS, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine.
Breaking Down the Ingredients
Here are some ingredients we would like to highlight that could lead to toxin overload, endocrine disruption, or allergies.
Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that’s used in skincare products to prevent bacteria growth. It’s considered safe for use in small concentrations, but some people may be sensitive to it. We however, steer clear of products with this in them.
Synthetic Dyes/ Colorants
Some of DMK products contain synthetic dyes/ colorants, for example in their Body Sculpting Cream. They do not state whether their colorants are Food Grade or from natural sources and what the percentages are.
Heavy Metals/ PFAS
We could not find any information regarding testing for Heavy Metals or PFAS. With the lack of transparency, it would be safe to assume there could be heavy metals and PFAS present in their products.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Can cause irritation in some, however it’s been listed as safe for most. However, it can be a potential environmental toxin, being toxic to aquatic life.
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
Similar to Sodium Laureth Sulfate in that it is also a surfactant. It also can contain 1,4 dioxane and can be irritating to the skin for some. ALS can also form nitrosamines when mixed with other ingredients which have been found to cause cancer.
Methylparaben/ Propylparaben
Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives to prevent mold and bacteria from growing inside the tube. Parabens are potentially unsafe because they have been found to disrupt hormones and interfere with reproduction.
Limonene
Limonene is a scent ingredient from citrus rind that can cause allergies and skin and respiratory issues.
Retinyl Palmitate
A synthetic form of Vitamin A. Exposure to sunlight can cause retinols to decompose into harmful free radicals. A 2017 study suggested that topical retinyl palmitate can become carcinogenic when exposed to sunlight.
Polysorbate 20
Ingredients is that Polysorbate 20 can contain are 1,4 dioxane, a byproduct of the manufacturing process. It’s unclear whether or not polysorbate products are contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, which is a carcinogen, because this information is not disclosed to the public.
Going Beyond Beauty
Sustainability
We could not find any information on their website pertaining to sustainability.
Giving Back
We could not find any information on their website pertaining to giving back.
Cruelty- Free/ Vegan
DMK states they do not test on animals and is not vegan. Some of their formulations contain fish oils as well as albumen, a product derived from eggs.
Certified Organic?
DMK is not certified organic.
Where is it Manufactured?
We could not find where DMK was manufactured.
Parent Company
DMK does not have a parent company.
Final Rating:
While DMK does have a few products that we would deem okay, however we cannot recommend this brand because we believe there is not enough transparency about the company, where they source their ingredients, and the fact that most of their products contain some form of endocrine disruptor or allergen. We would not recommend this Brand.