Shades of Green

Beauty is only skin deep, but the products we use to attain it contain chemicals that may penetrate far deeper. Perhaps it’s no surprise to hear that the average adult uses 9 personal care products each day. But, of the 120 chemicals in just those 9 products, did you know that 60% of them are absorbed by our skin? Consider this…what we put on it is almost as important as what we put into our mouths!

What to avoid—
According to the Skin Deep Report, 33% of personal care products contain at least one chemical linked to cancer; 99% of leave-on cosmetics, such as sunscreens, contain cancer-linked parabens. The “dirty dozen” to avoid are: antibacterials, parabens, coal-tars, diethanolamine (DEA), 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, fragrance, lead and mercury, nanoparticles, , petroleum distillates, p-phenylenediamine, and hydroquinone. While a single exposure to any of them is unlikely to cause harm, daily exposure over a lifetime may add up. Start by taking a look at the ingredient lists on your current faves … see unrecognizable scientific names?

Avoid products simply labeled “natural”, “organic” or those with the term “organic” in the product name; there are currently no regulations on the use of that term on non-certified products.

What to look for—
Keep your eyes out for certifications, such as USDA Certified Organic. Major loopholes in US federal law allow the cosmetic industry to put virtually unlimited amounts of chemicals into personal care products with no required testing or monitoring of health effects. While the USDA Organic label is not as meaningful for personal care products as it is for food, it is currently the best measure available to determine the quality of ingredients. Use the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website to look for non-toxic brands, like Tom’s, Aveda, Jane Iredale, etc…

My personal non-toxic faves?
Dr. Castille’s peppermint soap, Jojoba oil (lotion and facial moisturizer) and Burts’ Bees chapstick- all of which can be found at your local Target or at Watson’s Heath Food in Downtown Visalia.

Switching to cleaner, purer options means a cleaner, purer you. After all, what have you got to lose? The chemicals.

For More Information:

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:
www.safecosmetics.org —find companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

The Green Guide’s “Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics”:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/personal-care/dirty-dozen

Skin Deep: www.cosmeticdatabase.com— a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products.