Educating Myself, or, The Beginning

I do not pretend to know too much about politics, and I certainly am not even vaguely versed in trivia, sports, or "real" fashion trends.  However - there are (should I say, 'were') two areas where I did a little more reading than the average person - that was food/healthy eating, and beauty products.  All I mean by beauty products is that I was interested in products, I would do a lot of research before buying a new face wash, shampoo, or mascara.  I feel like I have tried and experimented with a lot of different brands that make different claims.  I have liked making product recommendations, and always found personal satisfaction when a friend found a recommendation to her liking as much as I did.

I consider myself somewhat of a skincare/bodycare/makeup "junkie" and have stashes in a few different places in my house. What I was wholly unaware of, however, was the lack of protection we have from the large makeup and skincare companies. Over the last few years, I did pick up on some of the hot button "no-no" ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. I "knew" they weren't advisable - but I have to admit that I would hear those words, but I did not search ingredient lists to make sure they weren't there.  I also did not know the risks those ingredients posed - and how many more nasty chemicals constitute the majority of my most well loved products. I remember noticing when shampoos would advertise that they were "paraben free" or "sulfate free" and thinking well that's nice but I think I am only starting to appreciate that more now.  However, the last few weeks have become the beginning of a new understanding for me.

Unlike the EU and Japan (among a few other countries), "the FDA doesn't review cosmetic ingredients for their safety before they hit the market. An industry-funded panel, known as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), not a government health agency, reviews the safety of cosmetic ingredients in the US."*  Due to the complete lack of regulation, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has stepped up to become a resource.   EWG is"an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability. EWG is a non-profit organization whose mission, according to their website, is 'to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.' "**

EWG's most current noble effort is going towards Proposition 37 in California, to require foods that contain any genetically modified ingredients (GMO's) be labelled. More than 40 other countries including China already require this. Anyways - don't get me started on GMO's! 

A tote bag from EWG.

EWG started the Skin Deep Database to help consumers understand the toxicity of the products they are putting on their bodies.  

Here is their own self description:

"We launched Skin Deep in 2004 to create online safety profiles for cosmetics and personal care products. Our aim is to fill in where industry and government leave off. Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish. The U.S. government doesn't review the safety of products before they're sold. Our staff scientists compare the ingredients on personal care product labels and websites to information in nearly 60 toxicity and regulatory databases. Now in its eighth year, EWG's Skin Deep database provides you with easy-to-navigate safety ratings for a wide range of products and ingredients on the market. At about one million page views per month, EWG's Skin Deep is the world's largest personal care product safety guide."

To date, Skin Deep contains information and online safety assessments for over 75,000 products and almost 3,000 brands, not to mention the safety profiles on individual ingredients. I know that sometimes the chemical talk goes over my head, so their 0-10 safety rating (with 0 being the safest) is extremely useful and straightforward.  

After doing a few checks and some general research, I was appalled at the profiles of the chemicals in my products.  Many of the chemicals that are put into lotions to leave our skin "soft and supple" are the same chemicals used to make plastics soft, or are even found in pesticides. Some of the worst examples are outlined in this informative video below. 

For example, the first example highlighted in the video is for Propylene Glycol (+ Ethylene Glycol/ Butylene Glycol): it is the primary ingredient in Anti-Freeze/coolant!! The precautionary measures on the anti-freeze bottle say in bold letters "do not drink, do not breathe in vapour, and avoid skin and eye contact" - and it's found in many of our popular skincare products - and even cookies! Contact with these chemicals may cause brain liver and kidney malfunctions!!!

All of this has propelled me into a bookworm once again with a new mission - to arm myself with knowledge about these products, the chemicals, the side effects, and new ways to protect my family's health and bodies. 

I hope you'll join me in this journey - and let me know your thoughts! Are there chemicals you watch out for? Have you heard about this before? I am sure many of you have, and I can't wait for us to learn from each other.

-- Marina

*Wording taken from the book "Super Natural Home" by Beth Greer, Page 75

**Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.