Do you know what chemicals are in your natural and organic products?
In my quest to live a more sustainable and organic lifestyle, one of my goals has been to uncover and discover personal beauty products that are organic and chemical free. You may wonder why I add chemical free to my qualifications. You may think organic products must be chemical free because they are organic, right? Wrong.
There are many personal care products that carry the organic label and claim they are “all natural and organic” but they are not chemical free. How can a product make this claim and contain synthetic chemicals? The government does not require the cosmetic industry to test the chemicals they put in their products for safety. Additionally the cosmetic companies are not monitored by the government thus allowing questionable synthetic chemicals to find their way into personal products.
Yet when it comes to labeling products and produce as “organic,” the USDA has instituted semi-stringent labeling standards on organic products, or products that contain organic ingredients. If a product has the USDA organic label with a 70% on the label this means 70% of the ingredients are organic. Potentially the remaining ingredients, or the other 30%, may contain or may all be synthetic chemicals such as parabens and laurel/laureth sulfates.
Why doesn’t the government require testing of synthetic chemicals? The National Toxicology program a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledges the risks shown in lab studies but states that the US population is exposed to theses chemicals at levels too low for the population to be at risk (Source, The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2005 http://www.safecosmetics.org/docUploads/Wall%20Street%20Journal%2Edoc )
The FDA’s website states,
“The regulatory requirements governing the sale of cosmetics are not as stringent as those that apply to other FDA-regulated products. Manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review or approval.”
Yet the question remains, does the government take into consideration repetitive, long term, exposure to these chemicals on a recurring daily basis? Scientists are now finding that the human body stores many of these synthetic chemicals for life and can not eliminate them. The skin is the largest organ of the human body and what you put on it is absorbed into the human blood stream. Just as you carefully pick organic fruits and vegetables, one should carefully consider the personal products you put on your skin and in your hair. If you don’t want synthetic chemicals circulating in your blood stream, just as you don’t with pesticides and toxic chemicals, don’t put them on your body or in your hair. Choose your personal products wisely and get to know the ingredients.
Kim Erickson author of Drop Dead Gorgeous states, “Some cosmetic chemicals accumulate in the body’s fatty tissues, where they can remain for years and damage your cells.” As an example, a study, reported in the January 2004 edition of the Journal of Applied Toxicology, found parabens the most common cosmetic preservative present in significant amounts in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tumors.
Something is just not right with these standards and practices. The USDA requires companies to pay large amounts of money to update their manufacturing systems so they can put the organic label on their product. Additionally organic farmers are required to pass rigorous tests that meet certain certification standards so they can get the USDA certified organic label. Yet the synthetic chemicals that are added to theses personal products are never tested for human safety. Something is wrong.
Lets take a look at a couple of synthetic chemicals that have come under fire, parabens and laurel/laureth sulfates. Unless you read and study product labels, you probably have never heard of these synthetic chemicals.
Parabens are used in many personal products as a preservative to extend the shelf life of products. Parabens are known to be toxic and cause allergic skin reactions. There are several types of parabens. You can recognize this chemical under numerous names such as Methyparaben, Propylparaben, and Sobutylparaben. Basically, any chemical name that contains the word “paraben,” is a paraben. These chemicals can be found in face and body moisturizers, body wash, cleansers, liquid hand soap, sunscreen, toothpaste, hairspray, mascara, etc. For a whole list of products that contain this chemical you can visit Environmental Working Group’s website. Whole parabens have been found in samples of breast cancer tumors but a direct scientific link has yet to be made (source: http://www.mywiseowl.com/articles/Parabens ).
Laurel/laureth sulfates/sodium lauryl sulfates is a detergent used in shampoos for its foam creating abilities. It is known to cause, skin rashes, eye irritation, and even hair loss. It is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation “comes from coconut.”
As a consumer, know you have a choice. If you want a truly pure chemical free product they are out there. You just have to know how to read labels and decide if you want a pure chemical free product. If you come across ingredients on a product label that you are not familiar with and they sound like they came from your high school’s chemistry lab, you should probably find out more about the ingredients in question. To do this you can go to the Environmental Working Group’s website. They will tell you if the chemical has ever been tested for human safety and what it is commonly used for.
You would be surprised at the uses of the synthetic chemicals commonly found in cosmetic and personal care products. The same chemicals used in these products are used in industrial manufacturing processes to grease gears, clean industrial equipment and scour a cement floor. Chemicals used to clean industrial equipment may not be the safest choice with which to wash one’s face. Some of these chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems that continue to rise in the human race.
To date I have found three skin care lines that are truly pure and the majority of the ingredients are organic. I will review these skin care products in an upcoming blog as I use them.
Tags: chemicals, cosmetic chemicals, organic personal care, organic products, personal care, personal care products
April 7, 2005 Laura Klein wrote the article: What Are You Really Putting On Your Body? At the end, she writes: “To date I have found three skin care lines that are truly pure and the majority of the ingredients are organic. I will review these skin care products in an upcoming blog as I use them.” I do not see LAURA’S review on these 3, only other people touting their own preferences.
Can anyone assist me by telling me where I can read Laura’s reviews?
What are the 3 products, since it has been over 3 1/2 yrs. since the blogging began? Thank you. Kathy
Bubble Goddess Bath Co. has the bath and body products that we have all been waiting for! All natural and organic bath and body products. They are made in Colorado and are all handmade products. Our promise to provide luscious products supportive of healthy skin, therapeutic muscle recovery, and emotional balance. We offer FREE spa parties, gift wrap, shopping through a personal consultant or right on line! Visit our website http://www.bubblegoddessbathco.com. Check out online using Ldove as your consultant or contact Lisa at lisa@bubblegoddessbathco.com
Relax!
It is, as someone in an earlier post said, very difficult to make an effective product with a reasonable shelf life without the use of chemicals. I think the best idea is to find one that is 95-100% natural & organic rather than industry standarad at 95-100% synthetic.
V. Blink
Erth Mineral Makeup
I have recently ordered products by Eden’s Kiss, Coastal Classic Creations, Martina Gebhardt, Terressentials, Primitive Makeup Co., Earth’s Beauty, Beauty Wise, and Real Purity brand mascara. These are the purest I have yet to find. Most are at Holistic Beauty which has samples for almost everything they sell. Beware of Ilike skin care products. I believe they are very deceiving. They talk about how active their natural ingredients are, but don’t list all of the ingredients on their website. When I finally got the list, I looked up several on Skin Deep and was appalled. Every ingredient in every product line must be scrutinized.
Your blog is very interesting. I love to read good blogs. Thank You.
Thanks for your insightful and informative post on natural skin care. I learned a lot and appreciate the fine information. Wishing you the best.
Article clearly explains the harm that synthetic chmicals and petrolium based ingredients cause. The word “organic” is somewhat ambigues for general public and needs to be explicitly defined by FDA because synthetic chemicals are also composed of carbon-hydrogen (majority) bonds; therefore, they can be defined as “organic. I think we should make clear to public that organic means = pestaside (any artifical chemcial) free grown botanicals that are used in personal care products. One must clearly label all of the certified organic ingredients on the product label before claiming “organic”. Natural does not neccessarly means orgnic. Visit our site http://www.zatiknatural.com which uses all natural ingredients and lists the organic certifyied ones.
We thank Maria Merker for her kind words about our company. Indeed, we work diligently everyday to avoid the misusage of the terms “natural” and “organic”. We had tired of all the companies who had overplayed the terms, so we formulated the best language we could: We do not use the word “natural” to describe constituent ingredients which are naturally-occurring on our planet, but which have trans-epidermal toxin delivery. For example, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are natural (i.e. naturally occurring on our planet), but they have trans-epidermal potential containing levels (albeit trace) of lead, mercury, and arsenic (also naturally occurring on our planet). We do not use the word “organic” to describe ingredients unless they are Certified Organic from the United States Department of Agriculture. Thanks to you all, on behalf of individuals everywhere who need, and must have, toxin-free products.
Joseph Jackowitz
President & CEO
Coastal Classic Creations
http://www.coastalclassiccreations.com
Glam Nation Organic Skin Care is a great company. Their products are completely organic and chemical free. They are amamzing on the skin. http://www.glam-nation.com
I agree with you Maria. I was referred by a friend and I have fallen in love with the products. They are fabulous and make my skin look brand new without the chemicals. Glam Nation. Go Green!
Please cover the issue of hidden parabens in honeysuckle extract. The debate is underway on the Organic Consumers website. The following is an excerpt from their forum, although it can only be viewed if you log in, unfortunately. The front page of the current issue has a denial from an offending company. I have followed all of the links and read all of the supporting material and I am convinced that honeysuckle extract is a source of hidden natural parabens (which are not shown to be any less toxic than synthetic parabens.) Please read the original article and follow-up comments from the forum, and go to the site and view the denial there.) As follows:
More on Parabens: Greenwashing With Honeysuckle Extract
By Eliza Moriarty
Organic Consumers Association, 4/27/2009
For a refresher on parabens, here is an appealing article written for laypeople (find it at http://ezinearticles.com/?Paraben-Free-Org…mp;id=2024753.)
QUOTE
Parabens are in widespread use by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as an effective preservative. Parabens work to prevent fungal and bacterial growth in water based products, such as creams (a mixture of oil and water). Parabens are found in a variety of cosmetic products including moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, tanning solutions and even toothpaste.
Until recently it was thought that Parabens where safe due to their low toxic profile. However, new research has shown that the build up of Parabens in the body and their interaction with other commonly used chemicals may lead to hormone disruption and can lead to an increased cancer risk. It is very difficult to conclusively say whether Parabens are harmful. Any definitive study would likely take 10-20 years and would have to study the interactions of Parabens with a vast number of other synthetic chemicals. Paraben allergies are thankfully very rare. However, they do occur in a small number of people, and their reported incidence is increasing as people are exposed to Parabens in more of their food and cosmetic products.
Many companies dismiss the concern over Paraben usage as a media inspired scare story. However, those who are most active in rubbishing claims of Paraben health concerns either work for or are linked to companies that extensively use Parabens in their products. There are many alternatives to using Parabens in personal care products and consumers are seeking out “Paraben Free” skin care in ever-greater numbers. However, some manufacturers are cynically employing other chemical preservatives that are known irritants or have far great health concerns – such as Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate. So long as it doesn’t say “Paraben” on the label, they are happy.
Other companies continue to use Parabens, but describe them on the ingredients list as “Japanese Honeysuckle”, a natural source of Parabens but chemically identical to the synthetic variety. There are alternatives to using Parabens or other synthetic preservatives in personal care products – but these are often more expensive to source or require extensive changes to the manufacturing process.
And, from “Gaia Research”, in defense of parabens:
QUOTE
Contrary to popular misbelief, parabens are not diabolical chemical poisons invented by mad scientists to inflict havoc on human health. Parabens do have direct correlates in nature. In fact, all plants normally produce p-hydroxybenzoic acid, albeit in small quantities (Viitanen P et al, Plant Physiol, 136(4), 2004). Well-known plants known to significantly synthesise parabens as defensive chemicals against attack by micro-organisms include carrot, olive, cucumber, honeysuckle and ylang ylang (Bach M et al, Plant Physiol, 103(2), 1993); (Aziz N et al, Microbios 93(374), 1998); Smith-Becker J et al, Plant Physiol, 116(1), 1998); (Dweck A, “Natural Preservatives”, Cosmet Toilet, Aug 2003).
Of course, this misses the point entirely. The parabens present in their whole, natural state do not have the paraben concentration necessary to provide preservation. The real problem at present is that Campo is producing a “honeysuckle” derived paraben that is concentrated and processed specifically for use as a preservative; further, isolated synthetic and natural parabens are bio-identical, and we have no evidence to show that concentrated natural parabens are any less toxic than concentrated synthetic parabens (presuming that Campo is not spiking their “natural” paraben preservative with synthetic parabens.) Since the INCI recommended for this concentrated paraben based preservative is ” Lonicera Caprifolium “, otherwise listed as Japanese Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle Flower Extract, Honeysuckle Extract, etc, unwitting consumers are fooled into assessing a label as miraculously innocent and pay premium prices to purchase what appears to be a wonderfully green product. More often than not, products that contain “Honeysuckle Flower Extract” (and truly, could any ingredient sound more gentle?) also make the false claim “NO PARABENS” all over the label and marketing materials.
Since I began making noise, a few have shifted marketing language to state, “No synthetic parabens.” Tricky.
Here is a marketing page for Campo’s Plantservative
http://www.campo-research.com/campo/products/plant.html
Also, please find the Campo Plantservative MSDS attached, and see:
QUOTE
16. Other Information
Uses as Cosmetic additive 0.4 – 1.0%
Supplementary Dietary/food use 0.01 – 1.0% (food preservation)
and
Recommended Mandatory Ingredient Listing of INCI name: Lonicera Caprifolium
Please refer to, “An Update On Natural Preservatives” Personal Care Magazine; September 2005, (Anthony C. Dweck BSc CSci CChem FRSC FLS FRSH – Technical Editor), excerpted as follows:
QUOTE
Japanese Honeysuckle extracts
A plant preservative that is based on the Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is available that is described as being a complex mixture of esters of lonicerin and natural p-hydroxy benzoic acid (Fig. 10). The commercial material from Campo is called Plantservative WSr, WMr INCI: Lonicera Caprifolium Extract).
Clearly this is a naturally occurring paraben, and we would expect this material to have antimicrobial properties. Lonicerin is luteolin-7-O-galactoside Fig. 11) (Chen et al). It has been reported Lee et al) that Lonicera japonica has anti-inflammatory activity and though not as potent as the normal benchmark of prednisolone, it would nonetheless be effective in treating inflammatory disorders. This factor makes the preservative very attractive, since it has benefits for its soothing properties and also has antimicrobial activity. There are not many preservatives that would have this dual benefit. I have not searched the literature to see whether other luteolin derivatives have been found to have antimicrobial properties, but the flavonoids are certainly well respected for their anti-inflammatory activity wherever they are found in plant materials.
The author, Anthony C. Dweck is a noted expert on parabens and defends their use, based upon their existence in nature.
Please see more about Dweck and parabens here: http://www.naturalingredient.org/Articles/toni1.html
Many others among us understand that there is a difference between a chemical component of a whole plant and a concentrated chemical compound used to preserve a product. I do not object to the use of a simple aqueous extract (tea) of honeysuckle, labeled as “Japanese Honeysuckle Extract”, but I do object to the misrepresentation involved in the use of Plantservative, labeled as “Japanese Honeysuckle Extract.” It is a highly processed and concentrated paraben extraction that may or may not be contaminated with synthetic parabens where is it manufactured in Singapore. I am particularly distressed by the fact that so many companies are evidently using the latter version of “Japanese Honeysuckle Extract” and simultaneously claiming “NO PARABENS” on their labels.
A follow-up comment from the author, posted in the Forum:
I am a product formulator myself and would be happy to tutor others through the “label sleuthing” process of determining whether it is likely that a specific product contains a simple honeysuckle infusion or Plantservative’s paraben preservative, listed as any of the folowing: Japanese Honeysuckle, Japanese Honeysuckle extract, Japanese Honeysuckle flower extract, Honeysuckle extract, Honeysuckle flower extract, Honeysuckle, Lonicera Caprifolium, Lonicera, or any other variation of the above phrases.
When I began contacting companies that are using this ingredient, several companies removed ingredient lists from their websites. One company in particular maintained ingredient lists on their website, but actually removed “Honeysuckle flower extract” from the posted ingredient lists. I did note that the ingredient is still included in their ingredient glossary as of this posting, however, and the accurate ingredient lists are still posted by other sites that carry their products. I did make a copy of the changes as they have ocurred, which is a disturbing exercise in “whitewashing” the “greenwashing.”
I invite everyone interested in “label sleuthing” to join me here with questions, tips, and observations!
A follow up quote from Amalie, posted in the Forum:
As a small manufacturer of USDA certified organic body care, I am relieved that OCA is providing a forum for a discussion of hidden parabens. I have reviewed the data and, as a formulator, am convinced that the Plantservative honeysuckle preservative in question cannot possibly be a simple CO2 extract of honeysuckle as claimed by Grateful Body. The MSDS and documentation for Plantservative is available online, and a review of those materials clearly states that it is a broad-spectrum anti-microbial and behaves as any synthetic paraben. No known whole plant extracts or materials provide anything resembling the industrial strength preservation claimed in the Plantservative documentation. Additionally, if CO2 honeysuckle extract were as effective as Plantservative, every personal care manufacturer interested in producing USDA certified organic products would be willing to pay a very high price for a USDA OG CO2 honeysuckle extract. It would be the end of all of our formulation challenges!
In regard to the May 14, 2009 issue of Organic Bytes, there is one very important error. I do request that OCA send a correction immediately, or in the very least, specifically correct the error in a visible location the next issue of Organic Bytes.
Under Headlines and Issues of the Week, OCA states:
QUOTE
1) Coming Clean News of the Week: Grateful Body Refutes Claims That All Honeysuckle Extracts Contains Parabens
In last week’s issue of Organic Bytes, we linked to an article where organic supplier Eliza Moriarty made the claim that products using honeysuckle extract as a ‘natural’ preservative are simply hiding parabens in their products. This week, USDA organic personal care product leader, Grateful Body, says those are false claims and shows documentation that its products have been tested free of parabens, despite the use of honeysuckle extract. Let the debate begin!
I am surprised by the mistakes. It does illustrate the fact that even some OCA staff members have difficulty distinguishing between USDA certified organic and inauthenticated organic claims in the personal care marketplace. Grateful Body has NO third party certification and does not produce USDA certified organic body care.
While Grateful Body modifies most ingredient names with the word “organic”, it does not specify the certifying body, so we don’t know if they refer to USDA, Eco-cert or any other program. Grateful Body claims some ingredients are “organic” when the ingredient doesn’t exist as an organic ingredient. Grateful Body also claims to use no synthetics. (They claim “organic xanthan” for example, which cannot be organic. It is an allowed synthetic.) In the absence of a third-party certifier, organic claims by body products manufacturers have no meaning. Any company that wishes to prove its organic and clean ingredient status may do so at any time by cleaning up their ingredient decks and earning the USDA seal of approval. Any company that is not eligible for the USDA seal is certainly not a leader in USDA organic body care!
Unfortunately, when OCA describes Grateful Body as “USDA organic personal care product leader,” it offers meaningful credibility to a company that has not earned it, misleads consumers into believing that their products are USDA organic, and undermine OCA’s own Coming Clean Campaign in regard to hidden ingredients! As a manufacturer of USDA certified organic products, it also undermines my company’s position in the marketplace when I must compete with companies that aren’t meeting the USDA organic standards, but are credited by OCA as such.
Additionally, the description of Eliza Moriarty as an “organic supplier” is inaccurate. I am on an organic industry listserve with Eliza and am familiar with her work. She is an experienced phytochemist, researcher and professional organic body care formulator, and is also a certified Organic Processing Inspector. She’s an organics advocate with a sharp eye for “greenwashing.” From our mutual positions as natural products formulators, the documentation speaks for itself, as does the action of the preservative in question.
As Mr. Dweck (international expert on parabens and former Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science) states, Plantservative is clearly a natural paraben. I see that the quote taken from “An Update On Natural Preservatives,” Personal Care Magazine; September 2005, (Anthony C. Dweck BSc CSci CChem FRSC FLS FRSH – Technical Editor) has been removed from Eliza’s OCA article. I have a copy, as follows:
QUOTE
Japanese Honeysuckle extracts
A plant preservative that is based on the Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is available that is described as being a complex mixture of esters of lonicerin and natural p-hydroxy benzoic acid (Fig. 10). The commercial material from Campo is called Plantservative WSr, WMr (INCI: Lonicera Caprifolium Extract). Clearly this is a naturally occurring paraben, and we would expect this material to have antimicrobial properties.
If Grateful Body tested Plantservative and found no synthetic parabens, it merely tells us that it has not been spiked with synthetics. It does NOT tell us that it is not a natural paraben, and it certainly does not indicate that it is a whole plant extract. The “industrial strength” preservation action of Plantservative very strongly indicates that it is a highly processed and concentrated natural paraben.
I hope OCA will correct the misstatement in the May 14 issue of Organic Bytes, lest Organic Consumers believe that Grateful Body is USDA certified organic and give undue credence to their products and their claims.
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I just tried the cream concealer from Glam Nation and it is wonderful. It is organic and chemical free. It goes on smooth and leaves your skin smooth. Love it. Check it out at http://www.glam-nation.com
what do people think ab astara skin care or sophyto skin care? has anyone heard of livia skincare it claims its raw organic.
No matter how you slice it, there simply is no way around needing to preserve skin care products and, as the consumer becomes more choosey about what they will and won’t put on their skin, so does the manufacturer become sneakier about declaring what really it is they have put in their product. If a company wants to put Japanese Honeysuckle in their product, they should make the extract themselves, using a simple tincture process. That is what we do. The material simply goes from our organic garden, into the extract jar with the extract medium of choice, then a few weeks later through the tincture press and into the bottle, ready for adding to our formulations. We tend to not rely on external sources for making our extracts. You really don’t know what you’re getting!
I found a company called Livia Pure Skin Care. I tried travel sizes for a month and then switched back to eminence. NOT EVEN CLOSE to the results I experienced w Livia!! They’ll email you the list of ingredients if you request….. I am HOOKED! Livia is worth it!
I used to be an Oil of Olay user for years. Loved the product. However, when I wanted to make that switch to a more natural product, I found that Made from Earth’s skincare line provides the same benefits.
Three little drops of the organic Vitamin Enhanced Moisturizer is all you need to cover your face. The jar can last at least three-four months depending on frequency of usage.
The Vitamin Enhanced Moisturizer (from Made from Earth) is very emollient, but has actually helped my skin clear up. It smells great but not perfume-y. I did a search on the ingredients and found out that this skin cream has a lot of the same stuff as some really expensive creams that cost well over $100. I love it!
Laura,
Very well researched and very well written. It’s so important to make sure the products you use are safe. I’ve been researching ingredients and products since 1991 and have a list of ingredients rated according to safety, as well as guaranteed safe and healthy products on the market today. You can find more details at http://www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com
Great blogging! I’m so glad so many of you pay attention to the ingredients in skin care products, how refreshing! I discovered an absolutely amazing natural skin care line called L’Bri Pure n’ Natural. This skin care line is as natural as it can be for being man made and aloe vera is the very first ingredient (not water like most skin care lines). In addition to loads of organically grown aloe barbadensis miller, L’Bri contains vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals. No parabens, sulfates, artificial colors or scents. Free samples are available on my website. Check it out, I’d love to know what you think!
Although it might seem hard to find truly pure, natural and organic skin care products, you really can find the best of the best on the Skin Deep website (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).
Cheers!
Alchemilla Pure, Organic Skin Care
Although it might seem hard to find truly pure, natural and organic skin care products, you really can find the best of the best on the Skin Deep website (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).
Cheers!
Alchemilla Pure, http://www.myalchemilla.com
I use to have really sensitive skin until I switched to organic stuff. The products I use to buy from the supermarkets would make my skin go red, angry and itchy. Probably the chemicals! So I’m watching out like a hawk for harsh ingredients and stuff. Recently I’ve been using cyren organics from http://www.cyrenorganics.com and my skin has calmed down dramatically. No redness, horay for organics!
I do like dr bronner stuff but their produycts dry out my skin like crazy! Which makes it feel raw and itchy. Alba botanica is okay. I don’t buy loccitane any more after I found out that they’re not truly natural!