CHECK THE LABEL!
By Lauren Birtwhistle |
The Organic cosmetic business is booming. But do not be fooled by the organic label stamped on a bottle of lotion. There are loopholes that manufacturers use to sell their products to you as organic, even when they are not. In fact, you really need to become a label detective to make sure you are buying organic.
Why be so cautious? Your skin is your body’s first line of defense against environmental toxins of all kinds; but at the same time, it acts as a giant sponge. With over one billion pores, your skin generally soaks up whatever you put on it within 10-15 minutes. Remember that your skin is a living organ, similar to other organs like your digestive system. Thus if you are eating organic foods, but using synthetic and toxic skin care products, it really defeats the purpose of what you are trying to do.
The following is a list of organic certifying seals you will commonly find on cosmetic products claiming to be organic. Note that this list is in a particular order — from the best, most restrictive (95-100%) to the just OK (at least 10%):
1. USDA Organic (95-100% organic)
2. Australian Certified Organic (95%-100% organic)
3. European Union/Agriculture Biologique (at least 95% organic)
4. BIO/Germany (at least 95% organic)
5. QAI (at least 70% organic)
6. CAAQ/Canada (at least 70% organic)
7. Eco Cert (at least 10% organic of total ingredients)
But your detective work is not done yet. Remember that companies are often sneaky about getting themselves into that sought-after “organic category”. So you must also make sure that your beauty products do not contain synthetic additives in them. The only way to do this is to take the time to read the ingredient label from start to finish. After a while, you will become more familiar with the names of certain chemicals and your label reading will take less time. Below is a list of some of the most common synthetic materials used in beauty products:
1. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol
2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and related
3. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine)
4. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG 4 – 200)
5. Sodium Hydroxide
6. Triclosan
7. DMDM and Urea (Imidazolidnyl)
8. Parabens (Methyl, Butyl, Propyl, etc)
9. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
10. Mineral Oil
11. FD&C Color Pigments
12. Fragrances (synthetic fragrances will have names like “lavender fragrance”, because no lavender was even used!).
No reputable organic, natural or holistic company will use ANY of these because there are always natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Additionally, you simply cannot make a truly organic product using synthetic chemicals. So, even if the name or packaging lures you with words like “all natural”, “healthy”, “holistic”, “cruelty free” and even the very word “organic”, turn that package right around and let that ingredient label speak for itself!
References:
http://www.newstarget.com/022300.html
