Personal Care Products

Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on your shampoo, lotion, eye shadow, or shaving gel and wondered what those cryptic words meant?  I honestly didn’t care until about 6 months ago, when I stumbled upon some information on “Parabens“.  Boy, have I been paying attention since!

This is a bit of a controversial area, so if you choose not to read any further, at least save this link to the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” website.  This is my current go-to site for researching any product I might think about putting on my body.  This non-profit has done a ton of research on the ingredients in over 25,000 products to help you make better decisions when buying and using skin, haircare, and other products.  I’d love to hear your reaction after you look up a few of the items currently in your medicine cabinet.   I personally was most shocked by the ratings for the Aveeno Baby Lotion that we’d used on Rip since she was an infant.

The bottom line:  Currently, companies can put just about any ingredient into the personal care items that we use, and the government does not require pre-market safety tests for any of these ingredients!  It is a self-regulating industry (an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one), meaning that YOU as the consumer have to look out for your own safety by researching what you buy and use.  For more information on the FDA’s involvement, or lack thereof, click here.  For more on why this matters, click here.

What are some of the potential risks of using products that contain “iffy” ingredients?  At this point, the experts really don’t know because there are insufficient studies on the long-term effects of these ingredients.  Here’s a blurb from the EWG’s site on this subject… 

“Cosmetic ingredients do not sit tight of the surface of the skin — they are designed to penetrate, and they do.  Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including industrial plasticizers called phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue, and persistent fragrance components like musk xylene in human fat. Do the levels at which they are found pose risks?  For the most part, those studies have not been done.  But a recent study showing feminization of human male babies in the U.S. linked to a common fragrance component (diethyl phthalate) joins a small but growing number of studies that serve as scientific red flags when it comes to the safety of ingredients in personal care products.”

Of course, this subject is under “Recycling and Being GREEN“, so I must touch on the environmental impact of personal care products.  Again, from EWG’s website…

“A growing number of studies in the field of testing that targets what are known as “PPCPs” — pharmaceuticals and personal care products — finds our personal care product ingredients in rivers and streams across the country. And some ingredients have been linked to impacts in wildlife – those that target the hormone system, for example, that have been linked to feminization of fish and other aquatic life.”  To read more, click here.

Yes, it’s all pretty vague right now, until further studies define what is and is not a dangerous ingredient.  In the meantime, I have felt it important to limit my exposure and my family’s exposure to certain ingredients, whenever possible. 

So, what should YOU do?  That’s entirely up to you.  As with anything, arm yourself with information and make an informed decision before buying any products that will go on or in your body (or a family member’s body – Ripley and James have all new products in their cabinets, too).  Here are a few good links to get you started.

The Green Guide’s list of the Dirty Dozen  ingredients to avoid is quick and informative (although it has a published date of 2004). 

For an up-to-date list of Cruelty Free companies, and a list of companies who DO conduct animal testing, click here. 

All kinds of scary things about Sunscreen — what’s in them, protection levels, etc. 

Here is Skin Deep’s list of What Not To Buy.

Here are a few links regarding those dreaded PARABENS that began my whole quest for safer products.  (Parabens are man-made preservatives found in the majority of your personal care products – grab a few products from your medicine cabinet and look for propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, or any other ingredient that ends with -paraben):

Cosmetics, Parabens, and Breast Cancer

Hidden Dangers in Skincare Products

Keeping Well Preserved: Cosmetic Preservative Makers Offer Alternatives as Widely Used Parabens Come Under Scrutiny  

The Truth About Parabens  - This is from a manufacturer’s website, but it is interesting.  For more on Terressentials’ take on preservatives and other ingredients, both good and bad, go to their ingredients guide.

Paraben Dangers in Skincare Products  - Also written by a manufacturer, MyChelle, whose face care products I would recommend to anyone living in dry climates.  The Fresh Eyes product is amazing for anyone with dark circles or puffy eyes.

You might be wondering what products I am now buying for myself and my family.  I’ve begun a list and will keep updating as I add new products.  Click here to see my list.  You can also access the list by clicking the Lawren’s product list link under Recycling and Being GREEN/Personal Care Products on the right hand side of this blog page.