A few weeks ago, I was looking to find a new facial cleanser. My favorite, Stella McCartney, has been removed from all of the shelves in the US because somehow the organic standards of the EU are worse than the American standards. But that's another blog.
In my journey to find my new cleanser, I travelled to "earth-friendly" stores like Origins and Aveda as well as Sephora to compare products and find one made with the safest ingredients.
After misleading experiences in both Origins and Aveda (both of their products carried at least 2 of the danger list ingredients...see link below), I was off to Sephora.
Upon arrival, a young man came over to me and asked if I wanted help. I explained to him that I was looking for a cleanser that was made with botanical ingredients, minimal chemicals and most importantly, no parabens.
He was very excited about one of the eight brands that are displayed in the "Naturals" section of Sephora.
"All the stars use this one!" he exclaimed holding up a colorful tube.
Well, if the stars use it! I excitedly picked up one of the jars and began to read its contents.
"Oh, you don't have to do that! They are completely free of all the bad stuff."
I trusted him and took home a sample. But something was bothering me. I put the sample aside and went back to the store to do some more research.
I snuck into the store and looked down each aisle carefully so as not to run into him. Finally, I found the product and read the label. It had parabens! I breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't used the sample.
I decided to check out the other 7 brands against their big wall decorated with pretty green leaves, obviously showing the correlation between nature and these products.
One actually had a list of all the things that supposedly weren't in it on the box, including parabens, yet when I read the label on the jar, it had parabens!
I frantically picked up the other pretty, leafy, flowery patterned jars. Fragrance, parabens, more fragrance! What was going on here?
I pulled a very nice saleswoman to the side and asked her to tell me what Sephora's definition of natural was.
She smiled and said "You are the first person that has asked me that question!"
Really? Was she kidding me?
"Sephora's "natural" products are the ones that contain the least amount of bad things."
Ok. I could accept that. It was unfortunate that only 2 of the 8 products were truly natural. But at least they were trying. And they were honest and up front about it. With me anyway.
But what about all those poor people who want a better product and don't ask what their policy is? Maybe I should stand there with a sign telling them. Hmmm.
Read those labels! Become acquainted with what the nasties are. Know what you're putting on your body, your children's bodies and what's going back into the earth via your drain. Remember that your skin is your largest organ!
Here's a partial list of the most common ingredients to avoid. I pulled this list from a site called Northwestern Health Sciences University but these lists are everywhere...just google them. I liked this one because it had explanations of why these products are bad. And there is a cool app from Gorgeously Green that also has these lists at your disposal.
Good luck and I wish you a very clean and natural shower!
Coal Tar
Function: This chemical helps stop itching, controls eczema, and makes hard, scaly, rough skin soft. It is also used as a colorant in hair dyes.
Product types: shampoos and hair dyes.
Health concerns: International agency government research on cancer says there is enough evidence to suggest that coal tars are carcinogenic in humans. Coal tar has been banned by the European Union since 2004.
Formaldehyde
Function: This chemical acts as a disinfectant, germicide, fungicide, and preservative.
Product Types: deodorants, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and shaving products.
Health Concerns: This is considered a possible human carcinogen, may trigger asthma, irritates eyes and the upper respiratory tract, can damage DNA, and is banned by the European Union.
Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl)
Function: These are a large group of chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics to prevent bacteria, yeast, and mold formations in products such as toothpaste.
Product Types: moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling gels, nail creams, foundations, facial masks, skin creams, deodorants, and baby lotions.
Health Concerns: This chemical may impair fertility; alter hormone levels; increase risks for certain types of cancers; alter reproductive development, cause skin irritation, rashes, and allergic reactions; and some studies have found parabens in breast tumors.
Phthalates
Function: These are industrial chemicals used as solvents and plasticizers in cosmetics.
Product Types: nail polish, deodorant, fragrance, hair spray, hair gel/mousse, and lotions.
Health Concerns: Phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, and lungs and acts as a reproductive toxin in males.
Talc
Function: Talc is designed to absorb moisture.
Product Types: blush, powder eye shadow, perfumed powder, baby powder, deodorant, and soap.
Health Concerns: Talc is a proven carcinogen and is linked to ovarian cancer. The chemical has particles similar to asbestos and data suggests that it can cause lung tumors.
Sodium Laureth/Sodium Laurel Sulfate
Function: Acts as a penetration enhancer.
Product Types: shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, body wash, face cleanser, liquid hand soap, acne treatment, hair dye, mascara, shaving products, moisturizer, toothpaste, sunscreen, makeup remover, perfume, cologne.
Health Concerns: This chemical alters the structure of the skin and allows chemicals to penetrate deep into the skin, increasing the amount of chemicals reaching the blood stream.
In my journey to find my new cleanser, I travelled to "earth-friendly" stores like Origins and Aveda as well as Sephora to compare products and find one made with the safest ingredients.
After misleading experiences in both Origins and Aveda (both of their products carried at least 2 of the danger list ingredients...see link below), I was off to Sephora.
Upon arrival, a young man came over to me and asked if I wanted help. I explained to him that I was looking for a cleanser that was made with botanical ingredients, minimal chemicals and most importantly, no parabens.
He was very excited about one of the eight brands that are displayed in the "Naturals" section of Sephora.
"All the stars use this one!" he exclaimed holding up a colorful tube.
Well, if the stars use it! I excitedly picked up one of the jars and began to read its contents.
"Oh, you don't have to do that! They are completely free of all the bad stuff."
I trusted him and took home a sample. But something was bothering me. I put the sample aside and went back to the store to do some more research.
I snuck into the store and looked down each aisle carefully so as not to run into him. Finally, I found the product and read the label. It had parabens! I breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't used the sample.
I decided to check out the other 7 brands against their big wall decorated with pretty green leaves, obviously showing the correlation between nature and these products.
One actually had a list of all the things that supposedly weren't in it on the box, including parabens, yet when I read the label on the jar, it had parabens!
I frantically picked up the other pretty, leafy, flowery patterned jars. Fragrance, parabens, more fragrance! What was going on here?
I pulled a very nice saleswoman to the side and asked her to tell me what Sephora's definition of natural was.
She smiled and said "You are the first person that has asked me that question!"
Really? Was she kidding me?
"Sephora's "natural" products are the ones that contain the least amount of bad things."
Ok. I could accept that. It was unfortunate that only 2 of the 8 products were truly natural. But at least they were trying. And they were honest and up front about it. With me anyway.
But what about all those poor people who want a better product and don't ask what their policy is? Maybe I should stand there with a sign telling them. Hmmm.
Read those labels! Become acquainted with what the nasties are. Know what you're putting on your body, your children's bodies and what's going back into the earth via your drain. Remember that your skin is your largest organ!
Here's a partial list of the most common ingredients to avoid. I pulled this list from a site called Northwestern Health Sciences University but these lists are everywhere...just google them. I liked this one because it had explanations of why these products are bad. And there is a cool app from Gorgeously Green that also has these lists at your disposal.
Good luck and I wish you a very clean and natural shower!
Coal Tar
Function: This chemical helps stop itching, controls eczema, and makes hard, scaly, rough skin soft. It is also used as a colorant in hair dyes.
Product types: shampoos and hair dyes.
Health concerns: International agency government research on cancer says there is enough evidence to suggest that coal tars are carcinogenic in humans. Coal tar has been banned by the European Union since 2004.
Formaldehyde
Function: This chemical acts as a disinfectant, germicide, fungicide, and preservative.
Product Types: deodorants, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and shaving products.
Health Concerns: This is considered a possible human carcinogen, may trigger asthma, irritates eyes and the upper respiratory tract, can damage DNA, and is banned by the European Union.
Parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl)
Function: These are a large group of chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics to prevent bacteria, yeast, and mold formations in products such as toothpaste.
Product Types: moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling gels, nail creams, foundations, facial masks, skin creams, deodorants, and baby lotions.
Health Concerns: This chemical may impair fertility; alter hormone levels; increase risks for certain types of cancers; alter reproductive development, cause skin irritation, rashes, and allergic reactions; and some studies have found parabens in breast tumors.
Phthalates
Function: These are industrial chemicals used as solvents and plasticizers in cosmetics.
Product Types: nail polish, deodorant, fragrance, hair spray, hair gel/mousse, and lotions.
Health Concerns: Phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, and lungs and acts as a reproductive toxin in males.
Talc
Function: Talc is designed to absorb moisture.
Product Types: blush, powder eye shadow, perfumed powder, baby powder, deodorant, and soap.
Health Concerns: Talc is a proven carcinogen and is linked to ovarian cancer. The chemical has particles similar to asbestos and data suggests that it can cause lung tumors.
Sodium Laureth/Sodium Laurel Sulfate
Function: Acts as a penetration enhancer.
Product Types: shampoo/conditioner, bar soap, body wash, face cleanser, liquid hand soap, acne treatment, hair dye, mascara, shaving products, moisturizer, toothpaste, sunscreen, makeup remover, perfume, cologne.
Health Concerns: This chemical alters the structure of the skin and allows chemicals to penetrate deep into the skin, increasing the amount of chemicals reaching the blood stream.
1 comment:
Wow, thanks for the information. It is so frusturating to me that companies are labeling items as "natural" or "green" when in reality they are not. People think they are choosing a better product because it's natural, and that may not always be the case.
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