U.S. consumers purchase too many cosmetics products,
but whether they purchase too many products containing
toxic or carcinogenic chemicals. The consumers I am
referring to are not just women -- men, too, are at risk of
consuming harmful hormone disrupting substances
through the purchase of sunscreen, lotion, shaving
cream, perfume/cologne and hair product. According to
Mercola.com, an online community that provides overall
wellness tips and information, “Almost 13,000 chemicals
are used in cosmetics, and only about 10 percent have been evaluated for safety.”
Aside from the carelessness of Americans when it comes to understanding what
they are consuming, the chemicals we see in daily products seem unavoidable. Natural
cosmetic lines are difficult to find, often because they are bought out by large
corporations. A prime example is the recent buyout of Burt’s Bees Natural Skincare
company by Clorox. If you don’t believe me, try finding a single product in your local
drugstore that doesn’t contain parabens, talc, formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate, parfum
or toluene. All of ingredients are far too common, as they have been linked to
reproductive problems, cancer, skin irritation, allergies and immunotoxicity. To avoid
these health concerns, I suggest that you kiss the following brands goodbye: L'Oreal,
Maybelline, Covergirl, Revlon, Tresemme, Pantene, Neutrogena, Old Spice, the list goes
on...
For my fellow cosmetic lovers, this is not the end. There are still several ways to
maintain your hygiene and looks while avoiding cancer! Firstly, there are several holistic
products with great quality that can be found in everyday stores like Whole Foods and
Vitamin Cottage -- Mineral Fusion, ZUZU and Honeybee Gardens are some popular
examples. Also, several high-end makeup lines have started to avoid typical chemicals
are sold in Ulta and Sephora beauty stores; Josie Maran, Korres, Tarte, and Bare
Minerals to name a few. For those of you who may be thinking, “natural cosmetics
sound great, but I can’t afford them,” my first suggestion would be to download the
EWG Skindeep app. This app allows you to look up almost any product regardless of its
price, and provides a rating for its toxicity on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 to 2 being considered
good), and explains the risks associated with that product. Therefore, the price of a
product does not necessarily define how good it is for you; in fact, some cheap products
are less toxic due to the simplicity of their ingredients. Thanks to this app, I’ve been able
to hold onto a few of my cheap drugstore products without fear of health problems or
bankruptcy.
If there’s one thing I can leave you with, it is to be an informed consumer. Look
into the ingredients behind your everyday products, and make sure they are not making
decisions about your health for you.