It’s 2010 and being “green” is no longer just a trendy catch phrase, fortunately it’s become a way of life for many of us (each in our own way). And it’s no longer simply about conserving energy or recycling, being green has extended in the cleaning products we use, foods we eat and our skin care products. Unfortunately, green-washing abounds in the bath and body department. It seems like everything claims to be made with “natural” ingredients. It can be difficult to distinguish which shampoos and body lotions are safe and which are made up of synthetic chemicals (many of which are known or probable carcinogens or reproductive toxins).
As with food, packaging is very often deceiving. It’s really important to read labels to know what we’re “feeding” our skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body, whatever we put on it is absorbed right into the bloodstream. However, according to the Environmental Working Group, only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients in beauty products are tested for safety – pretty shocking!
While I’m no expert, I’ve gotten to know where I can find information about which scary ingredients to avoid. In general, I try not to buy products that contain parabens or phthalates (often hidden under the ambiguous term, “fragrance”). Needless to say, I would steer clear of products that don’t list their ingredients at all!
Since there are quite a few more difficult to pronounce chemicals to avoid, I refer to following websites and their “cheat sheets” to help me make safer skin care choices.
· Gorgeously Green (a great book and website) has a downloadable “Skin Care Shopping Cheat Sheet” that tells you which chemicals to avoid, in order of importance. I keep this in my purse.
· The Environmental Working Group’s site is a great resource, as is their Cosmetic Safety database, Skin Deep (they rate almost every shampoo, skin care and beauty product out there).
· I often refer to Safe Mama, as well, a blog that focuses on safe products for baby. They’ve created a number of cheat sheets listing the safest lotions, sunscreens, etc. for your little ones.
Photo by Kari Burks
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