As a self confessed nutrition nerd, I try to be careful with what I eat every day (although I believe in indulging every now and then too!). I am constantly aware of what goes inside by body, but recently I’ve been thinking about what goes on the outside of my body too.
Yep – I’m talking about make up and beauty products!
I’ve been wearing make up since my teenage years and using hair products, deodorants and fragrances since then.
It’s the norm for us women to use beauty products on a daily basis, but as I become more aware of the ingredients in these products, it is really making me think twice about what is in my beauty bag!
Why should we care what we slather on our skin and hair?
Our skin is our biggest organ, and what we put on it directly affects our entire body and our health!
Beauty product ingredients can mess with our hormones, cause allergies and introduce countless toxins into our sensitive systems.
We need to gain an awareness of the products we use and find the best choices for our health in the long term.
MY MISSION THIS WEEK:
So this week, I gave myself a mission. I decided to become my own investigator and get to the bottom of what I am putting on my face and hair every day.
After my research (which I found to be pretty shocking!) I also investigated better natural alternatives to replace my current products with.
If you use make up or hair products (which is pretty much 99% of us gals) I am sure you will be interested in my beauty bag report and how you can take back control on what you feed your body from the outside in.
Have you ever stared at an ingredient list on a beauty item and couldn’t understand one thing? My beauty investigation will help to dicipher all that jumble so that you can find out what the best options are for your body and your health.
MY BEAUTY BAG INVESTIGATION
I started my research by going to Environmental Working Group website and using their Skin Deep database. EWG provide an honest account of what ingredients are in each product and they also give you a hazard rating based on their findings. This hazard rating deems the product to be either safe for use or recommended that you avoid using it if possible. If you want to use it for your own research I encourage you to do so – the truth can be scary!
MY APPROACH:
Now, for my investigation into my beauty bag. This is what my approach was:
I researched each product that I use individually in my daily routine and chose 3 key ingredients in each product to decipher!
Beware – the ingredients listed may sound like mumbo jumbo to you, so I have simplified it down to make it easy to understand.
I used the EWG Skin Deep database to research the three key ingredients in each product and find out what their effect was on my body.
I then researched natural and healthy alternatives where necessary.
HERE IS WHAT I FOUND IN MY BEAUTY BAG:
Beauty category: Mascara
Brand – Cover Girl
Product – exact eyelights mascara
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient – Propylparaben
Concerns- this paraben has been listed as a highly concern paraben. There is strong evidence linking this as an endocrine disruptor as well as a highly allergic and toxic substance. In most cases it is restricted in cosmetics – yikes!
Key ingredient- Aluminium Powder
Concerns – this is a known human nervous system toxicant which also has been known to affect the immune and respiratory system.
Key ingredient – Triethanolamine
Concerns – there is strong evidence linking Triethanolamine to skin allergies and issues with the immune and respiratory systems. It is also classified as expected to be toxic or harmful to our organ systems.
MY WELLNESS RATING
3/10 – this product ranked low on the healthy scale for me! I definitely won’t be using this item again.
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
100% pure fruit pigmented black tea mascara – made with all natural ingredients that is suitable for people with sensitive eyes. It’s also chemical and preservative free.
Beauty category – blush
Brand – Bobbi Brown
Product – Pot Rouge blush
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient – Octyldodecanol
Concerns – Octyldodecanol has ranked low for health concerns according to EWG. It has been listed as a potential skin, eye and lung irritant but the risk is low.
Key ingredient – Glyceryl Triacetyl Ricinoleate
Concerns – Glyceryl Triacetyl Ricinoleate is an acid that has low concerns for our health. It is not suspected to be toxic or harmful – win!
Key ingredient – Leithin
Concerns – Lecithin is used widely in foods as well as cosmetics. There has been a low concern linking it to allergies and immunotoxicity however, when used in limited amounts it is deemed safe.
MY WELLNESS RATING
7/10 – the majority of ingredients listed in this product are low risk and natural.
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
Eco Minerals blush
Ere Perez cheek and lip tint
Beauty category – facial moisturiser
Brand – Aesop
Product – Perfect Facial Hydrating Cream
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient – Butyrospermum Parkii
Concerns – Butyrospermum Parkii is also known as shea butter and has a low to zero risk rating, which is awesome!
Key ingredient – Ceteareth-20
Concerns – this chemical has been restricted in many cosmetics, it also may contain potentially toxic impurities such as 1,4 – dioxane.
Key ingredient – Benzalkonium Chloride
Concerns – this chemical has strong evidence to support it being a skin allergen and toxin. It has been restricted for us in cosmetics in countries like Canada and Japan. However it ranks low concern for human organ and immune system.
MY WELLNESS RATING
6/10 – whilst there are potentially harmful chemicals in this aesop product, there is also a good mix of natural ingredients.
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
Plain old coconut oil or essential oils. I use rose hip oil which is amazing.
Beauty category – hair care
Brand – Aveda
Product – Dry Remedy Shampoo
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient – Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Concern – Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is a low concern and has been deemed safe for cosmetic use.
Key ingredient – Dimethicone
Concern – this chemical has been classified as potentially toxic or harmful to the human organ system and it is also suspected to be an enviromental toxin.
Key ingredient – Sodium Chloride
Concern – Sodium Chloride is a low risk chemical. It has been classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful.
MY WELLNESS RATING
8/10
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
I will continue to use Aveda product because they have a strong focus on natural hair care and frankly, their product works the best!
Another option i have found is Botanique shampoo- free of any chemicals.
Beauty category – deodorant
Brand – Garnier
Product – Mineral roll-on deodorant
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient -Aluminum Chlorohydrate
Concern – Aluminum Chlorohydrate has been classified as toxic and/or harmful to the organ system. It is also harmful to the environment, but more so when in aerosol form.
Key ingredient – Ceteareth-33
Concern – Ceteareth-33 is ranked high as a concern for contamination with other harmful substances. However overall it has a low concern ranking for our health.
Key ingredient – Phenoxyethanol
Concern – there is limited evidence to show that Phenoxyethanol has a harmful effect on nervous system and has mostly been classified as safe for cosmetic use.
MY WELLNESS RATING
6/10
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
I have started trialling Fresca natural deodorant and am loving it so far. It is aluminium free, and includes high quality essential oils.
Beauty category – fragrance
(side note- I stopped using fragrance a couple of months ago after I became aware of how dangerous they can be to your hormone balance, but I still have my bottle in my bathroom so decided to investigate it too.
Brand – Ralph Lauren
Product – Romance fragrance
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Key ingredient – Coumarin
Concern – highly concerning chemical that has been linked to cancer, allergies and immune system disruption
Key ingredient – Lilial
Concern – this has been restricted in many cosmetics and has also been linked to allergies. It is associated as an endocrine disruptor (affecting our hormonal balance).
Key ingredient – Benzyl Salicylate
Concern – this has been classified as a known human immune system allergen and toxic chemical. Again – this is associated with disrupting the hormonal system and is also listed as a suspected environmental toxin.
MY WELLNESS RATING
2/10
SUGGESTED NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
Go fragrance free! Or simply try essential oils. Dab a little on your wrist and neck in the morning and you are good to go.
THE WRAP UP:
That concludes my beauty bag investigation! Overall I was relatively happy with most of my products, but there are a couple that I have already stopped using and have replaced with more natural alternatives.
I am not one to waste products, so I didn’t do a drastic throw out of everything I own. I have started with the worst offenders and replaced them and will gradually replace the rest with the very best alternatives for my own health.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
I encourage you to think twice before buying your next cosmetic item. Use a resource like EWG to determine the risk factor and always choose the most natural product you can find.
We already live in a toxic world, particular if you are a city dweller like me, so it’s important to give our bodies the best chance possible to remain chemical free and natural.
After this investigation I have become much more aware to the dangers and affects of chemicals and additives on our health and I will now be actively reading labels and deciphering ingredients when I can.
Your skin is your first contact with the outside world, so create your own beauty from the outside in!
Please note any information in this article is from my own personal experience and I encourage you to do your own investigating when it comes to your self care.
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