Toxic Beauty

Your cosmetics are covering up a dirty little secret...
         
According to research carried out a few years ago by Bionsen, a cosmetics manufacturer, an average woman applies up to 515 synthetic chemicals to her body every single day. Sounds impossible? Let's have a look then... An average shampoo contains around 15 chemicals, hairspray -  11, deodorant - 15, body lotion - 32, foundation - 24, blusher 16, eyeshadow - 26, lipstick - 33, nail varnish - 31, perfume -250.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, there are laws designed to protect consumers from dangerous chemicals in cosmetics. However, few people realize that there are a number of impurities found in the raw materials or used in the manufacturing process which occasionally might end up in the finished product, especially in bad-quality ones.  Obviously, the toiletries industry insists that cosmetics are safe (surprise, surprise!), and that the number of ingredients in a product, or whether it is natural or man-made, has no bearing on how safe it is. They also claim that chemicals in cosmetics are used in safe doses that can't harm us. What constitutes a safe dose for an average person, might not be so safe for a sensitive adult or child. Not to mention the cumulative effect of so many chemicals being used all over the body every day, for many years.

How you can protect yourself from chemical overload

• Reduce overall cosmetics use
• Switch to natural or organic products (A word of precaution - NATURAL on the label does not necessarily mean that the product is natural.)
• Read the labels on your beauty products with care  

Here is a list of Dirty Dozen Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid.
A handy shopper's guide that can be easily folded and carried in the wallet.

Easier said than done, I know, but it's do-able and quite enjoyable. Using beauty products consciously and mindfully can be a source of great joy. My personal journey of 'detoxifying' my body started over two years ago and since then I have been enjoying natural beauty products. I don't remember the exact day I decided to stop using commercial synthetic cosmetics, but what I do remember is that I didn't wait until my cosmetics finish. I gave them away or threw them in the bin,  and decided to make a fresh start! 

The most comprehensive source of information on cosmetics potential (un)safety is, in my opinion, Cosmetics Database by the Environmental Working Group*. It's a very useful tool, and most importantly, easy to use.

Reducing overall cosmetics use is not easy. It requires change of the whole mindset from trusting and unsuspecting to discerning and critical. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of effort is being invested to make us, customers, consumers, citizens, trust and believe what we hear and see in public media. Mass media, in turn, create the norm, the usual, the average, the standard and tries to silence any inner voice of doubt.

'If everybody is using it, it must be safe.' 'If it was unsafe, the government would do something about it.' These are most common comments I hear in response to my publicly expressed concerns about cosmetics safety. It makes me wonder where this trusting, innocent, unsuspicious, callow, gullible, childlike attitude comes from in this rather violent world...

* The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an American environmental organisation that specializes in environmental research and advocacy in the area of toxic chemicals. EWG is a non-profit organisation whose mission is "to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment." EWG was founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States.

Cosmetics Database

The Women's Environmental Network

David Suzuki Foundation