There are three significant ways chemicals and toxins enter our body; inhaling, ingesting, and absorption. As many of us go about our day, we use various products that together could lead us to high toxic levels in our bloodstream. Companies all over the world could be using these harmful ingredients like parabens, formaldehyde, coal tar, oxybenzone, phthalates, alcohol, fragrances, toxic chemicals, and PFAS that could be causing cancer. The chemicals in these products absorb into your body.
A June 2015 study by Oregon State University found that even though some chemicals are not harmful in small amounts, they may increase the risk of cancer in combination with other non-carcinogenic chemicals working on "different pathways, organs, and tissues relevant to cancer." One of the scariest revelations of the study is that these combinations are NOT regulated.
Did you know that laws in the US governing cosmetic safety haven't changed since 1938? Out of some 62,000 chemicals approved for use in the US, only about 300 are tested for safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now monitors 298 environmental chemicals that have been found in humans, including many used in the products you probably use in your home every day.
The good news is that there are organic and natural alternatives available, and we have profiled seven organic, cruelty-free, gluten-free, natural products below. You can do your part by limiting the number of toxins your body is exposed to.
1. Alteya Organics is known for its rose-related products and adheres to the USDA Organic standard. They use a rigorous process for selecting, distilling, and storing the raw ingredients for quality and potency. Their skincare line is always free of “parabens, petrolatum, paraffin, dyes, mineral oil, and other chemical preservatives.
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| Did you know that it takes up to 25 synthetic chemicals to make 1 artificial dye? Many are made from coal tar and can contain arsenic and lead. |
2. Miessence has been creating organic, toxin-free skincare for nearly 20 years and offers products that are created with raw, 100% active ingredients, and therapeutic herbals by using food grade emulsification, cold extraction processes. Even better the products are certified to international standards which, if you don’t know, are typically much stricter than the US standards. Products are handcrafted on a monthly basis so they are super fresh. They are also sustainable as they have a 110% carbon negative footprint offsetting more than they emit.
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Did you know that triclosan is a synthetic pesticide that causes liver damage and the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Is it in your toothpaste and deodorant?
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3. Biossance skincare products are clean and non-toxic. The company is committed to creating nontoxic skincare by using the highest standards in the industry so that it is good for you and safe for the environment. The company takes it a step further with its sustainability promise, which puts the planet first by using vegan, non-toxic formulas, compostable boxes, and renewable sugarcane. They have also partnered up with the EWG (Environmental Working Group) which is dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. EWG has a strict product verification program where their science team verifies ingredients in consumer products that are safe.
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| Did you know that formaldehyde is a type of VOC and known carcinogen that are common preservatives in products? |
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| The probiotic gel moisturizer is a weightless gel that helps balance redness and reduce the appearance of pores. It soaks into your skin fast leaving it feeling hydrated with a dewy and even finish. |
4. SanRe is a family company that thinks past the saying “you are what you eat” and believe that just as important as that is there saying “you are what you absorb, apply and beautify yourself with,” continuing with “one doesn’t refrain from eating toxins only to place them upon their skin.” Products are produced in small batches, crafted, tested, improved, finalized, and produced by the company. Not only is the company focused on pure products but they also believe in “Earth First.” By limiting chemicals from packaging, using wind energy, eliminating extra cardboard packaging, using organic free trade suppliers, and Earth-friendly ingredients they aim to protect the Earth and keep it a toxin-free as possible.
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Did you know that parabens are a synthetic preservative common in many personal care products? They are linked to a multitude of health risks including cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, and skin irritation.
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5. Drifting by the Sea is by Colleen Miller; a certified herbalist and licensed esthetician with a B.A. in plant and soil science. She carefully develops her organic skincare line using herbs, fruit, vegetable oils, mineral-rich clays, steam-distilled essential oils, and nourishing plant butter. Not only is she focused on clean ingredients but her skincare line is environmentally friendly. All her skincare uses native plants in Florida like saw palmetto, bee balm, cocoplum, and seagrape without pesticides or fertilizers.
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| Did you know that sodium lauryl sulfate has been linked to skin and eye irritation, organ toxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and ecotoxicology? The manufacturing go these also leads to a highly toxic and carcinogenic byproduct called 1,4 dioxane. |
Fresh new handmade soap made with natural and safe ingredients.
Skin Vapor Serum is specifically formulated to help decongest skin, reduce swelling, ton/firm the neck area, and encourage detoxification of the lymph nodes.
Coconut Rose Cleaning Milk is creamy and leaves your face feeling soft, clean, and smooth. It's extremely gentle and pure with a fresh scent.
Calendula Primrose Face Cream is a creamy moisturizer without the heaviness or grease. It actively hydrates your skin while making it appear smooth and lifted.
Eyebright Overnight Regenerative Serum is an infusion of tropical oils that awaken the tissue around the eyes.
6. S.W. Basics is a good kind of basic. Focused on using fewer ingredients to create more potent skincare, all their products show you right on the box how many ingredients are in each product and what they are. The company focuses on sustainability, and in a blog post (linked on their about page), they discuss "beauty buzzwords” used for marketing purposes, and they don’t truly mean what one would expect them to. For example, the article reveals how the term natural is widely used but isn’t regulated by any governing body, so be wary of what others may call greenwashing. This is where companies use terms in marketing that make their products seem healthier than other brands, but their ingredients aren’t superior to the next. If you believe in the ‘less is more philosophy, look no further than S.W Basics.
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| Did you know that there are toxic preservatives that are very common in products claiming to be "natural" like methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone? Health concerns include skin irritation, skin allergies (contact dermatitis) and even possible neurotoxicity. Not to mention they are toxic to aquatic life. |
7. Good Chemistry is a cruelty-free, non-toxic fragrance made without parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, and propylene glycol. Their fragrances include essential oils, and exclusive blends of natural and safe synthetic raw materials. They work with trusted fragrance ingredient suppliers and partners who use solar panels that ensure that 100% of energy is renewable.
Good Chemistry doesn't use phthalates either, which are typically used in fragrances to make them last longer.
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| Did you know that fragrance chemicals can pass through eh skin and enter the blood streams? They are manufactured from petroleum and coal tar and classified as carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, skin and respiratory irritants. |
12 Other Skincare Brands For that Toxic-Free Glow
- 100% Pure creed, non-toxic, organic, vegan skincare products and cosmetics using biodegradable formulas. The team also operates using 100% solar power.
- Acure is an EWG-verified brand that creates skincare products without parabens, sulfate, and formaldehyde.
- Aromatica is an EWG-verified brand that uses raw ingredients and packages with zero-waste practices.
- Beautycounter is a company committed to advocating for more health-protective laws and for green chemistry legislation to protect both consumers and the environment.
- Botanic Organic is a plant-based, cruelty-free skincare line with products created from cold-pressed oils.
- Cannabliss Organic offers natural, cruelty-free products made with hemp oil grown organically.
- Juice Beauty is a vegan and cruelty-free skincare line with non-toxic ingredients in California.
- Meo Meow Tweet is a small company that creates vegan products with natural and organic ingredients. All products are made with unrefined plant oils and butter.
- OSEA offers products with organic seaweed concentrates combined with essential oils. It is non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free.
- Indie Lee was created after the brand's founder conquered a life-threatening brain tumor that pointed to environmental toxins as the culprit. An eco-friendly, cruelty-free skincare collection.
- Shea Brand is a Brooklyn-based company with products devoid of palm oil, manufactured synthetics, chemical stabilizers, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.
- Wildling offers lymphatic drainage and wrinkle prevention for minimization and uses sustainably wild foraged plans.
10 Clean Beauty Makeup Brands without Harmful Ingredients
- Alima Pure makes mineral pigments with no additives or fillers that irritate your skin.
- Au Naturale was created without synthetics, animal byproducts, or harmful chemicals.
- Ilia is an ethical brand that uses eco-friendly packaging and organic ingredients.
- Jane Iredale makes cruelty-free cosmetics and makeup brushes.
- Plain Jane Beauty is a brand that created a truly inclusive range of products for all skin tones. They use plant-based forums and sustainable business practices.
- RMS Beauty is formulated with food-grade ingredients in does not use harmful chemicals, synthetic preservatives, or synthetic vitamins.
- Tarte products are formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate, triclosan, synthetic fragrances, and other harmful chemicals.
- Thrive Causemetics is makeup formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and fragrance. Every product you purchase, they donate to help a woman thrive.
- Vapour Organic Beauty offers pure ingredients from the earth.
- W3ll People is a minimalist makeup with multipurpose products.
4 Ways to Indemnify Non-Toxic Beauty Products
- Greenwashing: The words botanical, clean, eco-friendly, green, hypoallergenic, natural, non-toxic, physician-approved, safe, and simple can be appealing claims used to make people believe that the product is more friendly than it really is. This is called greenwashing, and the first step is to avoid it.
- Read the Labels: Look for the worst offending chemicals like BHA and BHT, coal tar dyes, dibutyl phthalate and toluene, ethanolamines, formaldehyde, fragrance, hydroquinone, oxybenzone, paragons, PEGs, Sodium laurel or laureate sulfate, triclosan, and avoid them.
- Look for Certifications: When you see third-party certifications like Certified Vegan, Cruelty-Free, EWG Verified, Fair Trade Certified, Leaping Bunny, Made Safe, Natural Products Association, NSF/ANSI 305, USDA Organic, PETA Cruelty-Free, and Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care on a product you know it has met stringent requirements.
- Check for Ratings: The skin deep cosmetics database from EWG provides safety ratings on personal care products. They also have a healthy living app where you can scan the bar code on a product in the store.
Study Done on the effect of Chemical Mixtures: https://academic.oup.com/carcin/article/36/Suppl_1/S254/316933?sid=db47f5ec-47a2-4879-bf30-6da9c076003d#4239904
Article on how chemicals enter and are distributed throughout the body: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/TIB/entry.html