Some of you reading this might already be making the switch to more natural products (bravo!) but even products labeled natural can be tricky. I recently read an article on clean beauty that put it best, by comparing it to food. (They had me at cheese.)
“This is the thing: We like to have the information we need to make our own choices. Sometimes those decisions revolve around fueling our bodies with super-clean, almost monastic meals; sometimes those decisions revolve around a grilled cheese and fries. But, really it’s about choice. It’s about controlling our destiny.”
But sadly, that choice is being kept from our squeaky clean hands. Quickly, what you need to know:
“This is the thing: We like to have the information we need to make our own choices. Sometimes those decisions revolve around fueling our bodies with super-clean, almost monastic meals; sometimes those decisions revolve around a grilled cheese and fries. But, really it’s about choice. It’s about controlling our destiny.”
But sadly, that choice is being kept from our squeaky clean hands. Quickly, what you need to know:
- A law regulating the cosmetics industry has not been passed since 1938. Loosely, in 1976 a law was passed regulating how chemicals can enter the marketplace, but hasn’t been updated since.
- Full transparency in regards to ingredients, formulations, sourcing or manufacturing is not required by law in the U.S for personal care products.
- 80% of the chemicals in personal care products have never been tested for safety.
- The European Union has banned or regulated more than 1,300 ingredients in personal care products. The U.S has only banned 11.
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS/ SLES). This ingredient is a surfactant/ cleansing agent and emulsifier for most anything that foams or cleans. It’s troubling quality is that it has contamination concerns with a carcinogen known as 1,4-Dioxane and it is a strong irritant for skin, eyes and lungs. The carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane contaminates up to 46% of personal care products tested (OCA 2008, EWG 2008). The federal agency responsible for the safety of consumer goods, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), agreed that the presence of 1,4-Dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern (NTP 2005).
- Formaldehyde. This one might seem obvious as it’s a known carcinogen, but what’s not is how you’ll find it on a label. Formaldehyde has cited contamination issues with other ingredients and some are formaldehyde releasing agents. It’s a down-n-dirty chemical, so stay away. It’s more than likely in a product containing Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, Formalin; Formic Aldehyde; Merthaldehyde; Methanal, Methyl Aldehyde, Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Oxomethan, Oxymethylene, Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, Bronopol, Bromo- Nitro- 1,3 Dioxane. This photo was taken at an event I attended just last week! Can you spot the formaldehyde in the ingredient list?
- Phthalates (DBP, DEP, DEHP). You might recognize this ingredient as Dibuytl Phthalate which was a chemical removed from nail polish in what was commonly referred to as the Toxic Trio a couple of years ago (Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibuytl Phthalate). These plasticizers are what make powders not smudge, fragrance stick and nail polish glide. They are endocrine/ hormone disruptors which mean they do pretty wonky things to our insides. You can find them also hiding under the names parfum, perfume or fragrance.