I’ve been wanting to write about this for quite a while now, and have finally managed to find the time to sit down and put my thoughts together. Firstly, I want to preface this post by saying that I am not an industry expert, nor an expert in cosmetics or chemical toxins. I have simply dedicated a lot of time to learning more about clean beauty, and our current beauty industry standards.
Even before starting as a consultant with Beautycounter, I spent a lot of time learning about the ingredients in my products. As someone who dealt with numerous unknown rashes, spent too many hours at the doctors office, the dermatologist, and more — I needed answers. After receiving allergy patch testing from Mass General Hospital in Boston, I found many of my answers. I received a laundry list of chemicals and product ingredients I was allergic to. Not only did I learn that these were common allergens for many, but many of them were actually known chemical toxins and ingredients that NEVER should be included in products in the first place. I was also told to stop using a normal razor, and to purchase a nickel-free one instead, because I had developed a nickel allergy. According to research reviewed and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Depending on the dose and length of exposure, as an immunotoxic and carcinogen agent, Ni can cause a variety of health effects” (Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020). I questioned why our razors were being produced using nickel in the first place, if so many people had such horrible reactions to the heavy metal. I have since then learned a lot about Nickel and the effects it can have on human health. (In case you’re looking for a nickel-free razor, Billie is a great brand:)
When I was little, I dealt with pretty bad asthma as well. After my mom started taking us to the chiropractor and threw out all of our Yankee candles and fragranced products, my asthma just about disappeared. I’ve alway known I'm sensitive to common chemicals and fragrances. As a teenager, I just pretended I wasn’t: because that’s so much easier, right? Not really. I paid the price when using products like Bath and Body Works body mists, scented lotions, etc. and burning smelly scented candles in my room on a daily basis. I paid the price, because I constantly dealt with horrible headaches, bad asthma, itchy rashes; you name it. These products were literally harming my health, and I turned a blind eye because I just wanted to be able to use what everyone else was using.
When I graduated high school, I started to pay more attention to what I was eating. I did a candida diet for a few months where I cut out all sugars, I tried the Autoimmune Protocol Diet, where I cut out nightshade vegetables and starches that increased inflammation. I was gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. I became fascinated by how and why I felt the way I did. The answers were in the food I was consuming, and the products I was using. Though I no longer follow any strict food diet or regimen, I do pay attention to the ingredients included in the foods I eat, and lead a balanced lifestyle when it comes to diet. I know what makes me feel good, and what doesn’t.
However, when it came to products, I became fascinated by WHY so many ingredients in our products were not regulated by the FDA. Chemicals and contaminants linked to cancer can be found in food, water and many other everyday products. However, no category of consumer products is subject to less government oversight than cosmetics and other personal care products. Although many of the chemicals and contaminants in cosmetics and personal care products may pose limited risk, exposure to some has been linked to serious health problems, including cancer.
Since 2009, 595 cosmetics manufacturers have reported using 88 chemicals, in more than 73,000 products, that have been linked to cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. As consumers, we use a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products. Few consumer products contribute as many chemical exposures as cosmetics and other personal care products. “Each day, American women use an average of 12 personal care products that contain 168 different chemicals. Men use an average of six personal care products that contain 85 different chemicals. Many of these products are applied directly to the skin, the body’s largest organ, where ingredients can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream” (Faber, EWG, 2020).
A recent story some may be familiar with, is the Class Action complaint recently filed in New York against Sephora USA Inc. The complaint alleges “that a number of cosmetic products tagged “Clean at Sephora” are loaded with synthetic ingredients, including some known to cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.” More specifically, the case contends that “a significant percentage” of the items bearing the “Clean at Sephora” seal contain ingredients “inconsistent with how consumers understand” the term “clean.” The lawsuit says that as a result of Sephora’s “false and misleading representations,” certain items are more costly than similar products that are “represented in a non-misleading way.” The suit points out that Sephora’s Saie Mascara 101 contains “numerous synthetic ingredients, several of which have been reported to cause possible harms.” Per the complaint, the mascara’s predominant ingredient is a compound of glycerol and stearic acid that’s manufactured via a chemical reaction and sourced as a bioproduct in biodiesel production.
So what do I do if no one is regulating my products? The short answer is, right now it’s up to us. Today more than ever, we need to be conscious consumers, especially when it comes to the products we’re putting on our skin, and the food we’re putting in our body.
The reason I love Beautycounter and am passionate about advocating for them is because they are completely transparent when it comes to their ingredients. Any beauty brand can call themselves clean— but can they back it up? Beautycounter can, and it all starts with safety. Since their launch in 2013, Beautycounter has set the highest bar for safety in the beauty industry. The company’s Never List is chalk full of 1,800 questionable ingredients that are never used in the formulation of BC products. BC also goes above and beyond to screen and assess every single ingredient they use against their strict safety standards. “What’s left is an ever-evolving toolbox of clean, sustainable ingredients that we use to create innovative formulas that deliver results—safely.” I am so passionate about my work with Beautycounter because I know that they are a brand that can be trusted. I also know they are one of very few beauty brands that actually advocates for cosmetic industry legislation. Beautycounter has spent more than 10 years advocating for legislation that would allow the FDA to: screen ingredients for safety; require more transparency from brands; clearly define widely used but under-regulated terms such as natural; and recall products that harm consumers. I can trust that Beautycounter products are not harmful to my body, I won’t be breaking out in rashes, and I won’t be asthmatic from chemical fragrances included in the products: and for that, I am thankful.
Once I started learning more about clean beauty & clean food, I ditched the Bath and Body Works. Now I walk by B&BW stores when shopping and cringe thinking of when I used to spray the chemical, fragranced, toxic mist all over my body. I am thankful for the awareness being a curious individual and becoming a consultant has brought me, and I am eager to keep getting cleaner and safer beauty into the hands of more people.
If you’re interested in making the switch to safer beauty or cosmetic products, please reach out or follow me on Instagram, where I share lots on Beautycounter as a whole!
And remember: supporting companies that are truly working to maximize transparency will keep them up and running to continue fighting a battle we shouldn’t have to fight, but unfortunately do. Consumers deserve federally regulated, health-protective safety standards when it comes to the products they are using.
References: