It can be hard to resist the pretty packages, intriguing labels and enticing promises found on beauty products in stores today. Who wouldn’t want ageless skin and ultra-shiny hair, especially if you could buy it at the nearest discount store? But every time you plunk down hard-earned cash for toxic beauty products, you’re putting your own personal health and the health of our planet at risk. The good news is you don’t have to choose beauty over health. There are plenty of high-quality personal care products made from safe, natural ingredients. You just have to know what to look for.
You may be surprised to learn that on an average day, most people apply over one hundred ingredients to their bodies as part of their cleansing and beauty routine. Underneath the appealing fragrances and lurking behind those impressive claims, there are some pretty scary chemicals. In fact, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), one in three personal care products contain at least one ingredient classified as a possible human carcinogen. Add chemicals that can cause respiratory irritation, allergic reactions and reproductive system damage, and you’ve got a tub full of worries.
Personal care products don’t just coat your body in smooth perfection, they get into it. Toxic chemicals are easily absorbed through the skin and can even find their way into the bloodstream. A single exposure to suspect chemicals probably won’t hurt you, but over a lifetime, these things add up. Persistent chemicals accumulate in the body over time, and many remain in bodily tissues forever. In fact, scientists have found many common chemicals in human tissues and fluids, including parabens in breast cancer tissue and phthalates in urine samples. Truly frightening for women of childbearing age is the fact that these chemicals are passed on to babies in the womb. A 2004 study by the EWG found that babies are born with well over two hundred chemicals and pollutants in their umbilical cord blood. That’s certainly not a gift you’d willingly bestow upon your brand-new baby.
Next time you are in need of a new body care product, check the ingredients label to make sure the product does not contain any of these unhealthy ingredients.
| Ingredient | What It Does | Where You’ll Find It | Concerns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parabens | • Used as a preservative to inhibit bacteria and mold growth | • Found in a wide variety of personal care products • Look for ethylparaben, methylparaben, butylparaben or propylparaben |
• Linked to weight gain, hormone disruption and breast cancer • May also cause skin rashes and irritation |
| Phthalates | • A carrier for fragrances • Also used as a solvent and fixative | • Found in many personal care products, including hair spray, perfume, nail polish, deodorant and even toothpaste • A Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study found that almost 3⁄4 of personal care products tested contained phthalates |
• Not listed on the ingredient label, but anything that includes artificial fragrance is likely to contain phthalates. • Known to disrupt the endocrine system • Also associated with liver damage |
| Coal tar | • A pigment used as a coloring agent • Used as a treatment for dandruff and psoriasis |
• Hair dye and some shampoos • Found in FD&C or D&C colors, particularly black and dark brown |
• A suspected carcinogen • May cause skin sensitivity |
| 1,4-dioxane | • A by-product of ethoxylation, a process used to make harsh ingredients like foaming agents milder | • Because it is not an added ingredient, you won’t find 1,4-dioxane on an ingredient label • Look for ingredients with “eth” in the name, like myreth, oleth, laureth and ceteareth • Also polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol |
• Many so-called “natural” products contain ingredients that create 1,4- dioxane • Classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen |
| Lead | • Used as a coloring agent | • Red lipstick (Note: lead is not listed as an ingredient on lipstick labels. Look for brands that are leadfree or made without FD&C colors.) • Hair dye (look for lead acetate on the label) |
• A known carcinogen, hormone disrupter and brain/ nervous system toxin • Lead accumulates in the body, so small amounts add up over time |
| Petrolatum | • Softens skin and makes lipsticks shine • Forms a barrier on top of skin |
• Commonly known as Vaseline or petroleum jelly • Cold creams, baby creams • Lipstick, lip balms, eye shadows |
• Can clog pores and interfere with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins • Contributes to depletion of a nonrenewable resource |
The negative impact of personal care chemicals is not limited to humans. What doesn’t stay in our bodies is washed down the drain, and that is bad news for the environment. Many ingredients, especially those that mimic estrogen, wreak havoc on the hormone systems of fish, frogs and other aquatic life. Others, such as cancer-causing 1,4-dioxane, contaminate groundwater. The sad thing is that manufacturers are not held responsible for the environmental effects of the chemicals they use, so they have little incentive to change.
The real secret behind beauty and personal care products is that they are virtually unregulated. While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ultimately in charge of ensuring the safe manufacture of all cosmetics, the industry has been largely “self-policing” and, as a result, 89 percent of the ingredients in personal care products have never been evaluated for safety.
However, unlike the cleaning products we discussed in Chapter 3, full ingredient disclosure is required on the labels of most personal care products. But that doesn’t mean the average consumer really understands what they are reading. Ingredient names are like a foreign language to most people, and it can be a challenge to know which ingredients are naturally based and which are synthetic.
Increased regulatory oversight, ingredient safety testing and improved product labeling will all help us make better choices at the beauty counter. In the meantime, take The “Top Secret” Ingredients You’ll Want to Avoid with you to the store to help you avoid the most risky ingredients.
Do you believe everything you read on a beauty product label? Let’s hope not, because there are some pretty outlandish statements on some of them. Some claims are clearly puffed up, like “age-defying makeup” or “perfect lash mascara,” but other claims like “natural” or “organic” may lead a person to believe the product is completely free of chemically derived ingredients, when in fact it is not. If you really want to get a handle on what you are buying and avoid the greenwashing, you’ll have to do some detective work and start looking for clues on those labels.
Fortunately, some certifications and standards do exist to help reassure us about the quality of the products we are buying. Use the Guide to Beauty Product Labeling to help you understand which terms and seals of approval found on product labels are meaningful and which ones might require a little more digging.
Eco-Spotlight on: Campaign for Safe CosmeticsThe Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of nonprofit health and environmental groups working together to call for the elimination of dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products. Visit their Web site for the latest information on beauty product safety and to get involved with the campaign (www.safecosmetics.org).
A good detective makes a list of priorities before setting out on the hunt. Here are a few tips for switching to a healthier, more natural beauty routine.
Don’t be fooled by pinkwashing, practice in which companies position the practice in which companies position themselves as advocates to stop breast cancer—while selling products that contain chemicals that may actually be contributing to an increase in breast cancer. Many conventional beauty products contain paraben preservatives, which have been found in breast cancer tumors.
| Label | What It Means | Be Aware That |
|---|---|---|
USDA National Organic Program |
• Products contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients • Meets the same stringent guidelines as food |
• Certifying agent's name and address must appear on the labe |
OASIS (Organic and Sustainable Industry Standard) |
• Requires 85 percent certified organic content • A "made with organic" label requires 70 percent certified organic content |
• A wide variety of synthetic ingredients are allowed |
| Organic | • The word organic without the USDA Organic or OASIS seal has no true meaning because the term is unregulated by the FDA for cosmetics or personal care products | • This is a widely overused term. For example, products made with "organic extracts" contain mostly water and should not be mistaken for true organic products |
| Natural | • The word natural on its own has no legal meaning for personal care products | • Consumers may be fooled into thinking that all ingredients in the product are from truly natural sources when in fact they are not |
Natural Products Association |
• Product must be made of at least 95 percent truly natural ingredients • No ingredients with any potential human health risks are allowed • Certain synthetic ingredients are allowed when a non-natural substitute is not available |
• This label was created specifically for the US marketplace and is gaining ground as a leading seal of approval for natural body care |
| Ecocert | • A European certification agency that requires products to contain a minimum of 95 percent naturally derived ingredients and 10% organic ingredients | • Allows the use of some synthetically derived ingredients |
| BDIH | • Requires the use of organically grown or wild harvested plant-based ingredients • Petroleum-based ingredients and synthetic dyes and fragrances are not allowed • Fair trade is encouraged |
• BDIH is from the German Trade Association, and the label is used primarily by European companies such as Weleda and Logona |
Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care |
• All products with this label must meet stringent guidelines for ingredient safety, environmental impact, source and efficacy | • This label was developed by Whole Foods to raise the bar for natural personal care products. • The label is used for many brands sold at Whole Foods, including their private label |
| Hypoallergenic | • Product has a low chance of causing allergies | • The FDA has no standards governing the use of this term • Does not guarantee that it will not cause allergies or ensure that all ingredients are safe |
| Fragrance-free | • No added artificial or natural fragrances | • There is no guarantee that it won't irritate the skin |
| Dermatologist tested | • A dermatologist tested the product | • The dermatologist did not necessarily endorse the product • Does not guarantee that the ingredients are safe |
Leaping Bunny |
• Internationally recognized standard guaranteeing that product is 100 percent free of animal testing at all stages of development | • Does not guarantee that all ingredients are natural or safe |
PETA Caring Consumer |
• Indicates that the entire company does not perform any animal testing | • Does not ensure that all ingredients are natural or safe |
Manufacturers would love for you to believe that you need loads of personal care products, especially the ones that make them piles of money. But if you do your homework, you can pick out only the products your family really needs. You may have to pay a little extra for high-quality ingredients, but keeping your family healthy and the environment safe is worth every penny.
It sure is tempting to buy lots of fancy body care products for infants, but the truth is, they really don’t need much. Limit your purchases in this category to the basics.
Bath time is big fun for kids. Make sure the products you choose are safe for your kids and for the earth.
Teens will want to experiment with personal care products as a way to express their personal style and control. Do your best to steer them in the direction of naturally based products that are safe for their skin and for the environment.
Eco-Spotlight on: Teens for Safe CosmeticsIf you have a teen at home, let her know about the advocacy group just for teens called Teens for Safe Cosmetics. Their goal is to raise awareness about potentially harmful ingredients found in many cosmetics and personal care products that directly affect teen health (www.teensforsafecosmetics.org).
No one expects you to dump all your beauty products and start over. But as you run out of personal care products in your home, make the switch to greener, safer versions.
We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun, but according to the EWG, four out of five sunscreen products either provide inadequate protection or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns. Physical blockers like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are generally thought to be safer than chemical ingredients for sunscreen protection. However, micronized or nano-scale versions of those ingredients have been getting a bad rap as well. Before you grab a bottle off the shelf, head to EWG’s Skin Deep database to search for the safest of the safe (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).
While we’re in the bathroom, let’s take a look at some of the other products that are often part of the daily body care routine. There are plenty of ways to make the bathroom a healthier place for your family and the planet.
Sometime in the eighties, my “earth mama” sister gave me some reusable menstrual pads as a gift. I, um, used them to polish my shoes. Today I have a more earth-friendly outlook on personal care, and I opt for bleach-free, organic cotton most of the time. Who knows, I just might give those reusable pads another go.
No matter which side of the diaper debate you fall on, the good news is there are many more ecofriendly alternatives than there used to be for both cloth and disposable advocates. Consider these sensible solutions.
