When it comes to choosing healthy beauty products, most of us don’t know where to begin. Unfortunately, some of our favourite brands of perfumes, lipsticks, nail polishes, and even bath products are full of harmful chemicals. This information may come as a shock to you and thankfully there are natural alternatives that we all should be turning to.
Take a look at almost any shampoo bottle, deodorant, shaving cream or lotion. Is the word fragrance there? Thought so! Be wary of this word. The term “fragrance” could actually be there to mask the odour of other chemicals. There could be hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds in that smell you adore so much. Some things to watch out for are allergens and sensitizers which may cause immune system damage. Once sensitized, you remain that way for life, prone to allergic reactions when exposed to fragrances. One in 50 people may suffer from this. Phthalates, which most perfumes hide on labels as “fragrance,” are chemicals that have been linked to hormone disruption and even sperm damage in men. Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) is still used in many products today.
Lipsticks, though pretty, can contain an assortment of things which can have extremely negative effects on the human body. There are fragrances and flavours added to lipsticks to cover up the tastes and odours of chemicals. Synthetic coal tar based colours (FD&C or D&C followed by a number) have been known to cause cancer in animals. It turns out that the myth of lead being in lipsticks is actually true! In 2009, FDA released a study and found that the highest levels of lead were in lipsticks made by Cover Girl, L’Oreal and Revlon. The FDA has taken no action to protect consumers so it is paramount to do your own research! There is no safe amount of lead exposure. Lead builds up in the body gradually and has been proven to cause language, learning and behavioural problems. Lead exposure also causes lowered IQs, reduced school performances and increased aggression.
Nail polishes smell horrible! It isn’t too difficult to realize that they are harmful to us. Some companies are getting rid of the worst chemicals: dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) adds sheen to our polishes but it’s also a reproductive and developmental toxin that has been known to cause feminizing effects in baby boys. Formaldehyde hardens the nails and is also a human carcinogen. It irritates the eyes, nose and throat and causes skin irritations. Toluene, which helps form a smooth finish, can affect the central nervous system and cause headaches, dizziness and fatigue. It also may be a developmental toxin. OPI, the favourite brand of salons, used to be the most toxic brand out there! After years of pressure from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, it is now DBP, toluene and formaldehyde free.
One of the more shocking truths is that some baby shampoos contain cancer-causing chemicals. Two known carcinogens, 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, could be in your shampoos. Product tests found these chemicals to be in trusted brands like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo. 1,4-dioxane is a by-product of a petrochemical process called ethyoxylation, which actually causes other chemicals to become less harsh, but it’s still unnecessary. Thankfully, new standards are coming about such as the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal, which does not allow ethoxylation.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (http://www.safecosmetics.org/) is a great way to inform yourself about the dangers of harmful chemicals in makeup. There you can sign petitions to help promote safer ingredients in beauty products. You can also find all natural, non-toxic DIY recipes for your favourite beauty products. The cosmetic laws and regulations for each country are also listed on the website.
The Campaign for safe Cosmetics’ partner the Environmental Working Group has created an online cosmetics safety database called Skin Deep (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/). The database matches the ingredients in more than 25,000 personal care products with 50 toxicity databases. The advanced search allows you to find products that contain no carcinogens or fragrances. Search up your favourite brand of shampoo or moisturizer and see if it really is as natural as it claims to be!
Remember that products labelled “pure and organic” may not be what they say they are. There are no legal standards for organic or natural personal care products sold in the United States. Sometimes companies use words like organic as marketing ploys, which is a scary thing indeed. Even top-selling brands can contain carcinogens so be a smart consumer and remember that “natural” is not a legally binding description.
Most of Belle’s Botanicals (http://www.belles-botanicals.com/) products including body sprays, fragrances and moisturizers received a hazard ranking of 0 on the Skin Deep search. Acquarella nail polish (http://www.acquarellapolish.com/) received a hazard rating of 1. Most of Coastal Classic Creations (http://www.coastalclassiccreations.com/) lipsticks received a rating of 0-1. As you can see, there are plenty of brands out there that are a much healthier option.
