Only Frankenstein gets away with green face paint. But green makeup — as in ecologically sustainable, earth-friendly beauty products — is a popular new trend with lasting impact. It’s a movement towards more ethical and eco-friendly products that beautify your face without damaging the environment. Of course, products that don’t contain harsh chemicals or carcinogens are also better for you in the long run.
Unfortunately, life after L’Oreal can get a little complicated. With so many products labeled ‘natural’ or ‘organic,’ it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s take a look at some of the labels you’re likely to see, what they mean, and how you can use them to make greener decisions for both you and the Earth.
Organic
Organic crops are produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetic modification. As the organic industry grows, fewer toxic chemicals are going into our water and air. But beware products that claim to be organic: unless that claim is USDA Certified Organic, the glossy ‘organic’ lipstick you’re tempted by could contain as few as one organic ingredient. The green and white USDA label guarantees that the ingredients (not including water, naturally) in your product are 95% or more organic. Other organic certifications such as EcoCert are less stringent in their qualifications.
One of the side benefits of buying certified organic products is that they do not contain 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogenic contaminant found in many foaming products, especially those with the ingredient sodium laureth sulfate.
Vegetarian / Vegan / Cruelty-free
For many people, being green also includes being kind to the other animals that share the planet with us. Vegetarian cosmetics may contain ingredients like beeswax, honey, or milk that were obtained without harming the animal; vegan cosmetics contain no animal products.
Cruelty-free products (look for the Leaping Bunny or PETA symbol) were developed without being tested on animals. A cruelty-free product can still contain animal products. Watch out for ingredients like stearic acid (usually derived from cow or sheep fat), oleyl alcohol (inedible beef fat), and carmine (red dye made from crushed beetles and frequently found in natural lipsticks as an alternative to chemical dyes).
Biodegradable / Recyclable / Minimal Packaging
When in doubt, go for the makeup with the most eco-friendly packaging — recyclable, recycled, minimal, or biodegradable. Cargo Cosmetics pioneered a lipstick that is not only made with eco-friendly ingredients but also comes in a biodegradable corn-based tube. In most cases, the less packaging, the better.
Finally, here a few things to avoid on your next cosmetic shopping spree:
Things you can’t pronounce (Latin plant names aside). Synthetic chemicals tend to have long, complicated chemical-sounding names. Natural ingredients don’t. In general, the shorter the ingredient list and the more things you recognize on it, the better. Many synthetic ingredients, including parabens (preservatives), sodium laureth/ lauryl sulfate (foaming agents), and phthalates (binders) range from mildly irritating to potentially carcinogenic.
Petroleum / petrochemical ingredients. Not only are fossil fuels a non-renewable resource, they are ineffective moisturizers because they don’t absorb into your skin. Choose a plant-based oil instead, such as jojoba, shea butter, or sunflower oil.
The labels ‘pure’ and ‘all-natural.’ Unless the ingredients and a USDA organic tag back it up, these labels are not regulated and do not guarantee anything.
Jennifer Mo is a longtime tree hugger, vegetarian, and proponent of all things that are good for your body and for the planet. She is a staff writer at http://www.beautystaffs.com, where more articles on fashion and beauty can be found.
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SINGAPORE Network Information, according to Voice of China “CNR news” 22:40 reported that in the field of cosmetics, foreign brands have absolute market advantage. More than 78% of the consumers and will give priority to foreign cosmetics. Then, local cosmetics brands than foreign brands is really easy to use it? The face of this seems to obviousness question to answer, industry experts said it “is not so.”
Cosmetics consumption in China has been apparent in the “worshiper of foreign things,”
Industry experts point out, cosmetic ingredients and raw materials suppliers have basically globalization, foreign brands and local brands in the composition, technically there is no gap. At present, “epidermal growth factor (EGF)” is a very popular ingredient, according to testing, the current quality of the best and most stable EGF is made in China, and the composition of the Japanese EGF80% of the total market. “You could say that China is not bad technology, no less good material.” He is a senior industry experts also pointed out that raw materials, cosmetics, raw materials prices were similar, the raw materials of foreign capital is not the big expensive than local brands, but the price is higher than many domestic brands. For example, he said, CHANEL’s Precision Series is one of the main active ingredient “five peptides”, which also was good snow composition, use of local brands such as natural together, but CHANEL market price of the series of high scores than local brands times. Similarly, an example of Elizabeth Arden’s a night-time repair night cream contains a kind of soothing plant extracts, the local brands at will also have to use, “but the price of two products is a great difference.”
Laments an expert on this, the Chinese cosmetics consumption has been noticeable, “worshiper of foreign things,” apart from the early years of domestic brands due to quality problems and drop some of the shadow, the more overwhelming because the foreign brands, is not seamless into the campaign. Words: foreign cosmetics have been “deified” phenomenon.
Called “high tech” the report actually spend money on
In our survey, 45% of consumers believe that foreign cosmetics in more technologically advanced, based primarily on foreign cosmetics often mentioned in propaganda ” laboratory research centers that “,” study found that “the study report. Done in foreign brands Sell Wang, with BoA (a pseudonym) told reporters that the field of cosmetics there is a “validation propaganda” rule, the so-called laboratory or research report released mostly cosmetic company’s “technology smokescreen” will only Advertisement Wrapped with scientific terminology.
Content of less than 0.00001% still claimed that “natural,”
Cosmetics Civil Engineers (a pseudonym) that “natural” does not imply that the consumer products, synthetic ingredients, “but in fact only slightly to look at the ingredient list, you will find most of the ingredients has nothing to do with plants, not to mention the so-called of Organic Plant a. “
Skin from foreign experts also pointed out that no research to prove that the natural ingredients of the composition than the synthetic skin is more beneficial, in fact, many natural ingredients are toxic, will be formed on the skin irritation.
Organic does not mean that other innocent pay for the publicity stunt
In the survey, 18% of consumers said they liked foreign organic cosmetics, because “they are more natural and safer” and “non-essence of the flavor is very light.” Press survey found that the State did not present the “organic cosmetics” clear standards, foreign organic certification is also varied, many of the brand in their promotional materials imply, organic products, such as “the raw materials from pure natural organic cultivation of plants “and so on, playing” organic “word games.
A bottle of two SPF value would mislead consumers
In the survey, the group also “foreign brand two SPF value” of the issue, saying the practice is to drill holes and regulations.
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You may wonder about the definition of safe cosmetics, and the way they help your sensitive skin. In this article, I will show you some information about the daily exposure that your skin faces each day, to environmental pollution, household chemicals and even your toothpaste and skin care products!
Did you know that most of the personal care products and cosmetics that you use on a daily basis are filled with chemicals that cause allergies, rashes, skin irritation, and even more serious health effects such as hormonal disruption, damage to the immune system, the organ systems of the body and the nervous system?
If that is not enough, many of the products, which are labeled natural, organic or hypoallergenic, also contain ingredients which are irritating or toxic and which may have side effects for both your skin and your whole body.
In addition to this sobering fact, your home is also filled with hundreds of chemicals that can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.
Many people who suffer with acne, rosacea, eczema and sensitive skin are discovering that making a few simple adjustments in their daily routine can eliminate their skin problems, without expensive medications or skin treatments.
Two Simple Ways to Reduce Skin Irritation
Here are some simple tips that will help you to drastically reduce the amount of irritating chemicals in your environment, and to learn how to find non-toxic safe cosmetics and personal care products.
1. Clean your home with natural or homemade cleaning supplies. You might need a slight amount more “elbow grease” to clean your shower with Bon Ami instead of those highly irritating scrubbing bubbles cleaners, but your sensitive skin will thank you!
2. Eliminate toxins from your personal care products by switching to hypoallergenic, chemically safe cosmetics and products that a free from many of the common allergens and irritants that most products are made with.
Simply by looking at the label on the household and personal care products you are using can be very educational. What are these ingredients doing to your body?
Commonly Used Chemical Irritants
You can quickly educate yourself about safe cosmetics by eliminating some of the most common chemical irritants from your daily routine.
Here is a short list of some of the ingredients in personal care and skin care products that have been shown in research to cause allergies, skin irritation, and other side effects. Safe cosmetics researchers have documented these results, and some are even restricted in some countries because of their health effects.
If you have sensitive skin, you may very well be able to clear up your skin problems simply by eliminating these ingredients from your personal care products!
Fragrance is added to most shampoos, personal care products, skin care products, laundry detergents and household cleaners. Fragrance is considered one of the top five allergens in the world and is highly irritating to anyone with allergies or sensitive skin. It is also a potent neurotoxin and has negative effects on the brain. Some types of fragrance have dozens of different chemicals in them. Look for products that are fragrance free or that have no added fragrance.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also known as SLS is found in most shampoos, many toothpastes, facial cleansers, and laundry detergents. It is a known skin irritant and has many other side effects to the brain, and the endocrine and reproductive system.
Parabens are preservatives such as methylparaben, propylbaraben and butylparaben, which are used in most any kind of skin care or personal care products. These can cause skin, eye and lung irritation and other allergic reactions, and have been linked with other more serious side effects to the nervous system.
Propylene Glycol – is used in many facial creams, deodorants and other personal care products. It is nearly non-toxic when consumed but in even small doses can produce significant skin irritation. It is absorbed quickly through all the layers of the skin and can cause side effects in the organ systems of the body.
Aluminum – is present in many deodorants and cosmetics, and has been shown to build up in the body and especially the brain, contributing to Alzheimer’s and neurological problems.
Phthalates – are found in many nail polishes, cosmetics and wart removal products. These are considered high health hazard ingredients, which have been linked to hormone disruption, toxicity to the immune system, brain and nervous system, and are considered hazardous.
Formaldehyde based preservatives are commonly used in hair care and skin care products, and these are know carcinogens, skin toxicants and immune system toxicants. These can irritate your eyes and lungs as well as your sensitive skin.
Common formaldehyde based preservatives include DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol, quaternium-15, and sodium hydroxylmethylglycinate.
There is Hope for Your Sensitive Skin!
I know this may seem like a long and intimidating list of ingredients that can irritate your sensitive skin… and I have not even included all of them in this short article!
The good news is, more and more companies are learning about safe cosmetics and are beginning to reformulate their products to be more chemically safe. Although it is difficult to find products that are both chemically safe AND hypoallergenic, it is now at least possible!
The other good news is that there are more and more citizen action groups such as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which are working to educate the public and to help the cosmetics industry be more accountable for the ingredients they are putting in their products.
I hope this information is helpful to you in finding solutions to your sensitive skin challenges!
M Rochell is the author of My Sensitive Skin Care, an online educational resource offering new information about safe natural beauty solutions for sensitive skin. For a free guide to safe cosmetics, please visit http://www.MySensitiveSkinCare.com
