While we were all bunkering down through this self-isolation, I decided to go through the archives of one of my favorite podcasts – Getting Curious, with Jonathan Van Ness. If you haven’t listened to this podcast before, then HONEY, you are missing OUT! As I was cruising the titles, I realized that I had completely missed out on an interview with Tara Foley – a mega-expert on the Clean Beauty industry.
As I’m listening, I realized just how little knowledge I had when it comes to the products I use every day: My shampoo; my facial cleanser; my shower gel; my body cream. This list goes on, because believe it or not, we put A LOT of product on our beautiful bodies.
How do you know what kinds of ingredients to look out for in your soap? A very good question, indeed.
Let’s talk a bit about what “Clean Beauty” is, first
The simple definition would be products that are created with non-toxic ingredients. Sounds easy, right? Well – when thinking of the products you use, how long do they sit… wherever you have them? The products that create stability, or their color, are not exactly natural. Ingredients that are not so great include parabens, phthalates, PEGs, ethanolamines, BHT, BHA… yeah, a bunch of words that just confuse me. But, here’s the thing – they can cause damage to your health that can run from basic skin irritation all the way to cancer!
So, I went on the Environmental Working Group’s website to see how my own products rated. I grabbed ALL of the products from brands like Lush, Kiehl’s, Phillip Thomas Roth, Joico and Urban Decay. I’m sad to say that many of my products were either not on the list or they didn’t have enough data for them to score. For example, you can see the results for my beloved body lotion, Lush Dream Cream, below:
To get an idea of what DOES rate well, I decided to talk to some of the brands on the better side of the EWG database. I wanted to know why their products are the better choice over companies who call themselves “Natural Skincare.”
RELATED: How To Achieve Beautiful Skin, Naturally
Starting from the Top…
I talked to Dena Fay, a Monat Market Partner. Monat is a line of natural hair and skincare products. I asked about their product Rejuveniqe Oil Intensive, which rated at a 2 (The EWG’s scale equates lower numbers with cleaner products) for their quality ingredients. I asked Dena what makes Rejuveniqe a better-quality natural product over other nourishing oils on the market.
Dena responded, “Rejuvenique is a blend of 15 pure oils from around the world. This unique molecular structure has small molecules that can penetrate and absorb deep into hair follicle and skin, making it weightless.” Because, “the molecules are smaller than other brands and absorb better into your skin and hair,” Monat’s specific formula’s natural ingredients are a healthier alternative as well as a better product.”
Wait… what’s on my skin?
My skincare products, which I believed to be on the higher natural ingredients scale, were not as clean as I thought they would be. They didn’t rate low. But, what I thought was “clean” also includes ingredients like fragrance, which is a skin irritant and can compromise people with allergies and cause immunotoxicity, which can cause suppression of the immune system. And, that’s something we definitely don’t want anytime, let along during a pandemic.
I also reached out to Maria Murphy, a Clean Beauty Consultant for Pure Haven – a company whose mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices for a healthier lifestyle. Looking to understand the difference in ingredients with my beloved Lush lotion, I asked Maria about their own Dream Cream.
Maria explained that, “Dream Cream is a blend of the safest all natural, nontoxic ingredients in a super-rich cream that banishes dry skin conditions + more. One of the ingredients used is organic shea butter, known for centuries as a superb moisturizer with exceptional healing properties for the skin. It’s naturally rich in vitamins and minerals that help to soothe, hydrate and balance the skin + promote skin renewal, increase circulation and accelerate wound healing. It’s beneficial for many different conditions, such as dry skin, stretch marks, itchy skin, skin rashes, eczema, dermatitis, chapped skin and more.”
The body’s biggest organ is our skin – so it matters to me that I’m rubbing a more natural product on it. The absence of the toxic ingredients paired with the benefits of truly healing skin is a positive move towards a healthy lifestyle.
RELATED: 9 Tips for Natural Beauty
Made up… of what?
For makeup, I consulted with Donna Curtis – a representative with Beautycounter – which has a wide selection of products that are EWG verified for skincare. That means they have the approval of having the best natural ingredients for your skin.
I can only imagine how difficult it is to create “clean” cosmetics. There’s pigment and the need for product stability. I wondered what keeps it from fading away quickly without a the less natural ingredients? I asked Donna, “how does Beautycounter do ALL that and get a large amount of their product verified by EWG?”
Donna states, “Preservatives are used in personal care-products to prevent the growth of bacteria and maintain the formula’s stability. Since this is essential, Beautycounter is dedicated to finding viable alternatives to existing preservatives using green chemistry. Our in-house chemists work tirelessly to find innovative preservation alternatives as well as to develop ground-breaking self-preserving formulas. We also serve as a founding member of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, a coalition of industry leaders who are working together on Capitol Hill to advance legislation that would fast-track greener and safer chemicals to the market.”
So where do you go from here?
If you’re curious about your own hair and skin products, start out with checking on the ingredients on the EWG website. It will give you an idea of what the products’ key issues are (if any!) and then you need to make a decision if you want to move to cleaner ingredients. If you are interested in learning more about the clean beauty brands I mention above, contact these representatives, or one who is in your area.
To Your Best You!
Jen
Jennifer Ginty is a certified image consultant and personal stylist with years of experience helping women and men define their own style with wardrobe organization and personal shopping. Jen has consulted with everything from casual wear such as jeans and tops to styling for the corporate world.
“I love what I do. Some may see my career as a luxury for other people, or maybe as “extra.” But it’s so much more than what you see on the outside. For my clients and for me.”
Style is a form of self care – a way to express yourself without even speaking. Through self-introspection and just having fun, you can bring out your true self effortlessly.
It’s about dressing for the way you live and feeling great about it.
Ever feel like you just need to make a few changes in your wardrobe or maybe you feel lost when it comes to what to wear? Jen is a certified image consultant and personal stylist with years of experience helping women and men define their own style with wardrobe organization and personal shopping.
