You’ve probably seen all kinds of advertisements and articles about natural beauty products and how they are ‘healthier’ and ‘safer’ to use. Groups such as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics offer many resources explaining why we shouldn’t use conventional beauty products; the reason almost always comes down to the ingredients in them.
Many Canadians are shocked to learn what companies can get away with putting in our creams and lotions, hair and skin products and even essentials like toothpaste. But because many of the products that come in to Canada originate in the United States, these goods are approved by the FDA, which means that our friends south of the border are calling the shots when it comes to what is going on our bodies.
It probably won’t surprise anyone to know that many drugstore brand companies want to distribute their products as much as they can for the lowest price possible. This means that companies may be compromising on the quality of the ingredients or may choose to use controversial chemicals that are sold on the market for a low cost. While they might be making a big profit on this model, the health of consumers is being put at risk.
One of the best ways for a company to sneak something that has a bad reputation into a beauty product is to cover it under the ‘fragrance’ label. Because the fragrance of a product can be considered a company secret, manufacturers don’t need to disclose these ingredients; some researchers have found up to 19 chemicals hidden under the word fragrance!
But deception isn’t the only side effect of the mass produced beauty market. Researchers have trouble when it comes to predicting long-term health effects, but current scientific observations are showing patterns that are linked to many ingredients found in conventional beauty products.
Here are a few reasons why it is a great idea to make the switch to natural beauty products:
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You don’t want to develop an allergy
Scented products are a big problem at stimulating a person’s allergies; event natural scents like lavender and camomile can trigger a reaction. But other ingredients are at fault as well, one example being sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). This chemical works as a foaming agent, and can be found in shampoos, dish soaps and hand soaps. Companies use it because many people from a young age are taught to believe that lathering foam is equivalent to cleanliness. However, Environment Canada has categorized SLS as a skin, eye and lung irritant, and it’s sister compound, sodium laureth sulphate, isn’t much friendlier to the human body.
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You want to take care of your bodyStatistics Canada helped to publish a paper in 2013 that estimated 2 in 5 Canadians will have cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 4 Canadians will die of cancer. Those are scary numbers, considering how big a country Canada is.
No one could outright say that a certain product causes cancer, but researchers are identifying an increasing number of ingredients used in beauty products that have carcinogenic properties, or, promote the growth of cancer cells in the body. One example of this is 1,4-dioxane. This is a scary chemical, because it is not listed on ingredient labels and manufactures do not conscious put it in products; it is a chemical created when other ingredients like the previously mentioned sodium lauryl sulphate and PEG compounds mix together.
However, not all carcinogens are hidden. Many preserving agents in beauty products have been classified as ‘endocrine disruptors’. This means that they toy with the balance of hormones in the human body. One of the worst culprits is the well-known family of parabens; you’ll see them listed on bottles with their various prefixes (methylparaben, butylparaben, etc). Parabens are known to mimic the hormone estrogen in the body, and high levels of estrogen are very often correlated with best cancer tissue.
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You might want to have children somedayWhile you may not be ready for parenthood right now, many people take comforting in having that choice in the future. But with the continued use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the decision may not be up to you.
Another hormone that can be affected is testosterone, the male sex hormone. Lower levels of testosterone in the body are linked to a low or damaged sperm count in men, which greatly impacts future fertility.
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You know that what goes around comes back around
Even if you make the switch to healthier beauty products, it doesn’t mean you’re safe from harsh chemicals. Whether washed off or excreted from the body, almost all beauty products end up in wastewater systems, and eventually, back in the lakes, streams and rivers where our drinking water is sourced.
The worst offender is microbeads, which are small, plastic particles found in facial scrubs and toothpastes. These beads do not decompose and are too small to be filtered out by wastewater treatment systems. This means that they either end up accumulating in the environment, in an organism or yes, in your bottled water.
Are you convinced yet? It can be tough to throw away a great-smelling lotion or an expensive, name-brand lipstick, but when it comes down to it, your health is more important. If you want to take care of your body without compromising on your beauty, check out our tips below:
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Study up: Knowing which ingredients are harmful and which are good will help you to make informed decisions when deciding on your beauty buys. This article from blogger Katherine Martinko is a great start.
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Learn to speak chemist: While not for everyone, a little know-how in organic chemistry and how substances are named will take you far when reading labels of beauty products.
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A brown label with a leaf logo does not make something inherently ‘good’: Words like ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ means nothing without a seal of approval. Always check the back of a bottle for a stamp from an organization like USDA.
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Use less: Even if you think you need it, using less products is always a great place to start. Try going a day without aluminium-filled mascara and try a little extra eyeliner instead. You might find a great new look that poses less of a risk to your health.
Look in plain sight: Many grocery and drug stores are beginning to offer more healthy and consumer-conscious options. ‘Natural’ sections that offer gluten-free and organic products often have a selection of soaps, lotions, hair care, skin care and toothpastes made by companies that have chosen not to include harmful chemicals in their recipes.