Know Your Green Beauty Labels
So how can you make sure that the beauty products you use are healthy for you, your growing baby, and the environment? Read the labels. Sophie Uliano, author of Gorgeously Green, estimates that women spend an average of 400 hours per year on their beauty routine. Surely it is worth spending five extra minutes at the store to make sure the products you choose are healthy for you and the environment.
You don't have to be a scientist to know which ingredients to look for, and which to avoid on your personal care products. It is actually pretty simple — if you can pronounce the ingredient and you wouldn't be afraid to eat it, than it is more than likely safe to use on your skin. By contrast, if it sounds like a toxic chemical, than it probably is. Put that product down and move on to another.
Many companies have introduced nanoparticle-sized ingredients to their formulations. Nanoparticles allow ingredients to permeate the skin more easily, boosting the product's effect. They are commonly used in sunscreens and lotions to improve absorption. But because of their small size, they may become uncontrollable and unpredictable in the body. Make sure your skin care products are labeled nano-free.
Ingredients to Look For
Want to make sure your personal care products are safe? Look for ingredients, such as these, that you can read and that you wouldn't be afraid to eat (not that your shampoo will be very tasty):
Aloe Vera
Beeswax
Cocoa butter
Essential oils
Glycerin
Herbs (green tea, chamomile, and lavender)
Honey
Lanolin
Lemon
Plant-based oils (almond, apricot, coconut, grape seed, jojoba bean, macadamia nut, olive, sesame, and tea tree)
Vitamins
Witch hazel
These ingredients are not only safe and healthy for you to use, they are also likely to be as, or more effective, than their synthetic chemical counterparts.
Ingredients to Avoid
Most commercial beauty products contain a number of harsh and toxic ingredients that are anything but beautiful. Take five seconds to read the label and put down any product that contains the following ingredients:
BHA
Formaldehyde
Fragrance
Lead
Mercury
Parabens
Petroleum distillates
Phthalates
Polyethylene glycol
Sodium Laurel Sulfate
Toluene
These chemicals are considered the most detrimental to human and environmental health. Here's why.
BHA. BHA, or beta hydroxyl acid, is a preservative used in some skin care products. It is intended to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and other effects of aging. It may be listed as BHA, salicylic acid, salicylate, sodium salicylate, willow extract, beta hydroxybutanoic acid, tropic acid, or trethocanic acid. According to the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), BHA is linked to certain types of cancer as well as organ system toxicity.
Formaldehyde. Also known as formalin, DMDM hydantonin, diazolidinyl urea, and quaternium-15, formaldehyde is found in eye shadows, mascaras, and other cosmetics. According to the National Toxicology Program, formaldehyde is a likely human carcinogen. Formaldehyde can be absorbed through the skin and nails.
Fragrance. A major loophole in the laws that govern health and safety standards for personal care products allows manufacturers to include virtually any ingredient in their product under the name fragrance without actually listing the chemical. About 2,600 chemicals are commonly used to create a single fragrance, and 95 percent of chemicals used as fragrances in cosmetics are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. Because perfumes are of low molecular weight, they can easily penetrate the skin. In addition, products that contain ambiguous fragrance ingredients could contain formaldehyde, phthalates, or parabens. Some artificial fragrances, such as artificial musk, accumulate on the skin and have even been found in breast milk.
Products labeled “unscented” are not necessarily free from chemical fragrances. More often than not, these products just use more synthetic chemicals to mask their original odor. Look for products labeled fragrance-free and carefully check the ingredient list to make sure no fragrances are included in the formula.
Lead. Lead is a brain- and nervous-system toxin as well as a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor that can accumulate in the bones. It is found in lead acetate in hair dyes and makeup.
Mercury. Your health care provider may have talked to you about the importance of limiting the amount of seafood you eat while pregnant in order to minimize your exposure to mercury. But he may not have mentioned that it is also possible to be exposed to mercury in your personal care products. Also known as thimersol, mercury is found in certain types of eye drops and some makeup products, such as mascara and eye shadow.
Just because a product is labeled natural or all-natural does not mean that it is. In fact, many beauty products that claim to contain botanic ingredients actually only contain a small amount of natural ingredients combined with a formulation of chemicals. Skin care products only need to contain 1 percent natural ingredients in order to be called natural.
Parabens. Parabens are chemical compounds that are used as preservatives and can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, and personal lubricants. Parabens may cause skin irritation, itching, or allergic skin reactions. They have also been found to disrupt normal hormone function, as they mimic the natural hormone estrogen. Steer clear of products that list parabens such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, or butylparaben in their ingredients.
Petroleum distillates. Petroleum and petroleum derivates are commonly found in cold creams, lipsticks, lip protection, baby creams, and eye shadows. Petrolatum distillates can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. And their production leads to the depletion of petroleum, a nonrenewable resource, and contributes to global warming.
Phthalates. Phthalates are synthetic, human-made substances that are used in the cosmetics industry to stabilize fragrances and make their aromas last longer. These chemicals have also been linked to some really frightening health risks, such as hormone disruption and reproductive changes known to cause birth defects, sperm damage, infertility, and the feminization of baby boys. Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates have been banned in the European Union but not in the United States.
Polyethylene glycol. Polyethylene glycol, also known as propylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, and butylenes glycol, is used in cleansers and as a thickening agent in a number of skin care products. It is a caustic ingredient used to dissolve grease. In fact, it is the same ingredient used in oven cleaner.
Sodium laurel sulfate. Also known as sodium dodecyl sylfate or SDS, sodium laurel sulfate is a foaming agent that may be carcinogenic and is often contaminated with the known carcinogenic 1,4 dioxane. It is commonly found in sudsy beauty products like shampoo, bubble bath, soap, and toothpaste.
Toluene. Found in nail polish and nail polish removers, toluene is a neurotoxin that affects the kidneys and can also cause birth defects. Steer clear of nail products that contain toluene or any of its derivatives, such as phenylmethane, toluol, and methylbenzene.
