I mentioned a while ago that I've recently become much more aware of what beauty and bath products I use. Homemade body scrub was a simple and luxurious fix for the immediate issue, but it took some time to research which products will be allowed shelf space in my bathroom cabinet.
As far as cosmetics go, I trashed all the carcinogen*-containing products in lieu of healthier natural, vegan options. {Updates on which I love the most to come.} This was a great resource for weeding through my current makeup stash and saying goodbye to more than a few products. {Namely, my favorite red lipstick. That was a tough one to get rid of.} Just type in the name of your product or search by brand to find out the potentially harmful ingredients.
So I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal? Why should I pay more for natural or organic cosmetics and beauty products?
1. Our faces absorb approximately 60% of what we put on them, from foundation to eye shadow. The skin around your eyes is thin and highly vascularized {ie, lots of blood flow}, which makes an ideal environment for absorption. So those carcinogens in your eyeshadow are getting directly absorbed into your body.
2. The FDA does not regulate the ingredients contained in cosmetics and personal care items {only food and medications}. This means that known carcinogens are legally contained in many of our favorite products.
Other things:
Get involved in the safe cosmetics campaign.
For a general "guide" to conscious consumerism, this is a great article.
Get this app for when you're shopping and need information about products -- just scan the barcode!
What are your favorite natural beauty products?
xoxo
*carcinogen = cancer-causing chemical
copyright Hiking in Stilettos
2 comments:
now I'm scared. I have recently put a dent in the bank buying new products.
Ashley! I was totally getting ready to do a post like this! So perfect! Cath and I have been talking about this stuff for a while too (hand-in-hand with the ethical fashion muddle, isn't it?).
I've been searching for green/vegan/chemical-free equivalents here in the UK. I know it's a little easier because they are more strict than the FDA (couldn't believe how lax the FDA is!), but items seem a little more spendy here.
I also just started trying Josie Maran's make-up -- which I love! It's only available in the states, but I had Cath "smuggle" some over.
Thanks for doing this post! I can't wait to read more!
xoxox,
Lar
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