Ballot-Flurin · skincare
Crème de l'Apicultrice Anti-Âge
Anti-ageing face cream built around organic royal jelly and Pyrenean propolis.
Photo: Ballot-Flurin — product image from the brand's own listing.
Our take
Ballot-Flurin pioneered organic beekeeping certification in France and is Cosmébio labelled, but the cream is rich in bee-derived actives, so it isn't vegan.
Evidence score
3/4
Well evidencedHow much of this product's ethics we can actually prove — not how ethical it is. Each point is a yes-or-no check you can verify.
- This product is certifiedIt holds at least one certification issued by an independent body — not by its maker.
- Covers more than one dimensionIts certifications span at least two of nature, people and animals — not strong on one axis while silent on the rest.
- Composition publishedWe hold the full ingredient or materials list, per component where it matters, read from the maker's own listing.
- Composition mostly checkedNot metAt least half of what it's made of has been matched against our sourced reference table.
Evidence at a glance
Three dimensions, weighted equally
2 of 3 independently certified
Certified means a third-party label backs it, with a source you can check. Stated means someone says so without one. Not found means we found nothing — not that the product fails.
What's inside
26 ingredients listed · 46% checked against our reference
The list as printed on the pack, in order — INCI runs from most to least concentrated, down to 1%. Flags cite EU law, not our opinion.
- PROPOLIS EXTRACTorganicNot assessed
ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICEorganicSkin conditioning
Juice pressed from aloe leaves. Frequently listed high for marketing effect while present at low concentration — its position in the list matters more than its presence.
Aloe vera leaf juice at source ↗- MELorganicNot assessed
- PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS OILorganicNot assessed
SQUALANEEmollient
A lightweight emollient historically obtained from shark liver oil. It is now commonly produced from olives or sugarcane, but the INCI name is identical either way — only the brand's own sourcing statement distinguishes them.
Squalane at source ↗- CORYLLUS AVELLANA OILorganicNot assessed
BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTERorganicEmollient
Fat pressed from shea nuts, largely harvested and processed by women's cooperatives in West Africa — one of the few cosmetic ingredients with an established fair-trade supply chain.
Shea butter at source ↗- CETEARYL GLUCOSIDENot assessed
CETEARYL ALCOHOLEmulsifier and emollient
A fatty alcohol derived from plant oils, not a drying solvent alcohol despite the name. It thickens creams and holds oil and water together.
Cetearyl alcohol at source ↗- SESAMUM INDICUM SEED OILorganicNot assessed
GLYCERINorganicHumectant
Draws water into the skin's surface layers. May be plant- or animal-derived; certified organic and vegan products use the plant route.
Glycerin at source ↗CERA ALBAorganicEmollient and texture agent
Animal-derived, and therefore not vegan.
Beeswax at source ↗- ROYAL JELLYorganicNot assessed
- PROPOLIS CERAorganicNot assessed
- PRUNUS DOMESTICA SEED OILorganicNot assessed
- SESAMUM INDICUM OIL UNSAPONIFIABLESorganicNot assessed
SODIUM HYALURONATEHumectant
The salt form of hyaluronic acid, which is what appears on an INCI list when a product advertises 'hyaluronic acid'. Now generally made by bacterial fermentation rather than from animal tissue.
Sodium hyaluronate at source ↗- CHLORELLA VULGARIS EXTRACTorganicNot assessed
AQUASolvent
Water. Usually the largest single component of a cream or lotion, which is why it heads most INCI lists.
Water at source ↗- CARRAGEENANNot assessed
XANTHAN GUMThickener and stabiliser
Polysaccharide produced by bacterial fermentation of sugars. Thickens water-based formulas and keeps them from separating; accepted under the COSMOS organic standard.
Xanthan gum at source ↗TOCOPHEROLAntioxidant
Protects oils in the formula from going rancid. Commonly added to plant-oil-heavy products for shelf life.
Vitamin E at source ↗- SODIUM LEVULINATENot assessed
- LEVULINIC ACIDNot assessed
SODIUM BENZOATEPreservative
Permitted preservative under Annex V within stated concentration limits. Accepted in organic-certified formulations.
Sodium benzoate at source ↗POTASSIUM SORBATEPreservative
Permitted preservative under Annex V within stated concentration limits. Accepted in organic-certified formulations.
Potassium sorbate at source ↗
Open any assessed entry to read what it does and why, with the source it came from. “Not assessed” means it isn't in our reference table yet — not that it's been cleared. We only mark what we can source. This list was read from Ballot-Flurin ↗, not reconstructed.
Why it qualifies
The verifiable part — every certification this product holds, and what each one actually guarantees.
Cosmébio
Association CosmébioFrench organic-cosmetics charter: minimum organic content, no petrochemicals, transparent sourcing.
About Ballot-Flurin
Pioneer of organic beekeeping certification in France; bee-derived skincare, Cosmébio labelled.
Company-level certification
Held by the company, not by this product. The same maker can ship a certified line and an uncertified one, so this is context — it does not count towards the score above.
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