Killer Looks - How to Find Safe Personal Care Products
Two of the most important steps you can take for good long-term health are to:
- Make sure you’re getting your body’s cells the nutrients they need to function well.
- Avoid exposure to toxins that can damage cells and/or interfere with your body’s ability to use nutrients.
With regard to the first step, good nutrition, through both diet and supplementation, is obviously key.
With regard to the second step, one of the common sources of potential regular toxin exposure is through personal care products, e.g.:
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Hair Care - shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, gel/mousse
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Skin Care - soap, lotion, deodorant, shaving, sunscreen
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Oral Care - toothpaste, mouthwash, teeth whitener
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Nail Care - polish, remover
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Cosmetics - eyeliner, lipstick, mascara
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Fragrances - perfumes, many products above
Today there is no law requiring personal care and cosmetics products to be safety tested before being sold.
By law, the government cannot mandate safety studies of cosmetics products or their ingredients, and only 13 percent of the 10,500 ingredients in personal care products have been reviewed for safety by the cosmetic industry’s own review panel. For virtually every product on the market, safety decisions are made behind closed doors, guided by an industry-funded panel, without the benefit of peer-review or independent pre-market safety testing.
Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group, a consumer watchdog organization, has put together an extremely useful database called Skin Deep that has safety ratings for over 25,000 different personal care products.
It’s definitely worth checking out. Find the products you use and see how they rate. You can search by product name, category, brand, etc.
You might be surprised to see what chemicals are potentially in the products you’re using. Everything from endocrine disruptors (e.g., phthalates, parabens) to heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead) to carcinogens (e.g., petroleum byproduct contaminant 1,4-dioxane). The database can help you to make safer product choices for you and your family.
Note: If you find the database useful, consider supporting the non-profit Environmental Working Group and/or signing the petition on the Skin Deep main page asking Congress to take action to help make personal care products safer.
Image: Environmental Working Group
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