This blog is a continuation of my post, DANGER! Toxic ingredients in skin care products. If you haven’t seen it, go here. The FDA doesn’t help, despite admitting that some of these ingredients can be toxic in skin care products.
This blog will discuss what to look out for when switching to nontoxic skin products. It will also cover how to shop in-store, online, DIY, and other toxic issues that you should be aware of with different products.
A reminder: Affiliate links are available on this blog. You can buy anything from me and I may make a small commission, but it is at no extra cost to you.
How to choose non-toxic skincare products
Are Organic Labels Worth Our Trust?
First, a product labeled certified organic, organic or 90% organic is not the same thing. Anybody can claim that a product has organic qualities or be natural. To be truly organic, it must have the certification. Organic cosmetic products must conform to both USDA regulations regarding organic claims and FDA regulations concerning safety and labeling.
Organically grown plants don’t always mean they are safe for allergy or toxic. Organic products can be difficult to find and often have a high price.
Can Natural Labels Be Trusted?
“Natural” does not mean anything. Anybody can claim their product is natural. Instead, pay attention to ingredients and other certifications. Avoid highly commercialized products, as they can contain toxic ingredients.
Can We Trust Non-Toxic Labels?
To be considered “non-toxic”, a product must have been tested on animals and less than half of them were killed by it. (TOXIC FUNDATION).
Most people trust certifications
EWG – Environmental Working Group is one of the most useful resources. EWG – Environmental Working Group has been working since 1993 to monitor the safety of chemicals and advocate for safer products that will benefit people all over the country. Their website states that their team of toxicologists, chemists, and epidemiologists scrutinizes all products to ensure that they meet our highest standards (EWG Verified).
Other Databases & Certifications
These have not been used by me personally, but Think Dirty has a website where you can search products and an app that you can use for scanning products. You can also get certifications such as COSMOS Standard and Made Safe.
Purchasing Online – Nontoxic Skincare Products
EWG allows you to search for the best products. You can also type in any product that interests you and get a rating. The Skin Deep search database ranks products according to a range of 1-10. One is great and ten is terrible. I prefer to be in the 1-4 zone. To see how the rating system works, here is a link to a lotion I like: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/products/835166-everyone_Lotion_3_in_1,_Citrus_+_Mint/
These are products that I love and use.
Shopping in Store – Nontoxic Skincare Brands
Are you more likely to buy all your skin care products while shopping for groceries? This is how I usually roll. My favorite grocery store Woodman’s has a section dedicated to natural and organic products.
Here’s a list that includes Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Market, Good Harvest Market and Fresh Thyme Market. These places typically stock more non-toxic body care products. My local Farmer’s Market also has some great products. There are probably many other natural grocery stores out there, but these are the ones I have found. There might be boutiques that sell natural products.
What should you look for when shopping?
1. Look out for Natural/Organic aisles. Look for one aisle in your store. 2. EWG-certified products are recommended. It can look very small so be aware. Some products may not be labeled with this certification but still have very low toxicity. 3. Get the EWG App to scan your products. You can see the ranking of each product from 1-10. They have many products in their database, so not all products will be listed. 4. Read labels and read ingredients. You will find less toxic products labeled with words like “made without… sulfates dyes, parabens or phthalates” and other such phrases. These brands often contain ingredients like plant extracts and essential oils, as well as flower extracts, herbs, and so on. Despite having certification, the product may not be completely safe. Sometimes companies don’t list all of their ingredients.
Do it Yourself – It can be fun!
I have dabbled in DIY products. Although I was able to make my soap from scratch, it wasn’t my forte. I have also made lotions/hand creams that turned out terrible. I believe they were bad recipes.
I made my own chapstick, and it was a huge success! It’s still my favorite chapstick. It was quite a while ago that I created a large recipe that filled 50 bottles. Chapstick has been something I haven’t purchased in a very long time. Deodorant was my greatest success. It took me a long time to find the right deodorant. I finally made my own and it was a great success. D.I.Y. I.Y. skin care is not my cup of tea. The chapstick and the deodorant were worth the effort and were easy to use.
My other hobby is making essential oil roller balls for natural remedies or perfume. It’s basically essential oils in a carrier oil such as almond oil.
Vivaplex 6, Cobalt Blue, 10 ml glass roll-on bottles with Stainless Steel roller balls
6 pcs 10ml 1/3 Oz Glass Rolle On Bottles,Empty Glass Bottles With Stainless steel Roller Balls
How to find DIY Recipes
If you have the time, DIY skin care can be a great way to save money!
DIY Natural is a great place to start DIY products. You can find everything on her website. You can find lotions, masks, and face washes as well as toothpaste, eyeliner (and other products), hair sprays, shampoos, and soaps. (FYI, my poor lotion recipes are not from this website.
DIY Recipes often use essential oils.
Essential oils can be used as a replacement for perfumes.
I recommend that you find a quality essential oil brand. Essential oils are used in natural products to eliminate the use of perfumes and other fragrances. However, some people may be allergic to essential oils. Before applying the oil to any product, always test it on a small patch of skin. Also, make sure to check if the oil needs to have been diluted before it is applied to your skin.
Young Living Essential Oils and doTerra Essential Oils are some of the most well-known brands. Although I won’t go into too much detail, not all oils are the same. You should check if the oils are pure and undiluted. You won’t get good quality if they are very cheap. Read reviews and see what they do to ensure quality products.
Wellness Companies
Many companies offer a complete line of makeup and skincare products on the internet that are free from toxic chemicals. I tried to find safe ones, but I couldn’t resist falling into a rabbit hole. This is not something I enjoy. They can sometimes be quite expensive or require subscriptions. If you have a large family, subscriptions may be an option.
The bottom line is to make sure that they have been scientifically tested and checked for ingredients. Also, read customer reviews. I’ll share any I like with you if I find one!
Toxins to Avoid: Toothpaste and Makeup.
Parabens, dyes and sulfates are just a few of the toxins you should be concerned about. You should also be aware of other ingredients in hair sprays, makeup, toothpaste, and other products.
Toothpaste contains dangerous ingredients
You should avoid fluoride and whitening when choosing toothpaste. Fluoride is not harmful if you don’t get exposed to it a lot. Fluoride is a common element in our water supplies. The safety of fluoride is the subject of much debate. This is a debate that Dr. Axe does a wonderful job of addressing. View this: Fluoride is Bad for You Fluoride is not just in water.
Tooth whitening toothpaste has its risks. Tooth sensitivity can result from using whitening toothpaste with higher levels of peroxide. Too much use can cause tissue damage. It is extremely sensitive for me to toothpaste that is whitening. It causes irritation to my gums, and a cold sensation.
You should also be aware of other ingredients in toothpaste, such as Diethanolamine, Sodium lacryl sulfate and PEG’s (or Polyethylene glycols), Triclosan and artificial colors. These ingredients can cause hormone imbalances, cancer, liver damage and kidney damage. View more details here.
These are the best Toothpaste options that I have tried
Makeup contains dangerous ingredients
The biggest obstacle to identifying the potential dangers hidden in makeup labels is the fact that not all ingredients are listed (Selby 2022). Research shows that PFAS is found in half of the most popular cosmetic products, but it is not listed on the ingredient labels. Multiple health problems can be caused by PFAS, including cancer. Parabens and phthalates are also dangerous ingredients in makeup.
Because Mineral Fusion was all I needed, I haven’t tried many makeup products. These are the makeup products that I use:
The dangers of commercial hair dye
POISON CONTROL website: Hair dyes can be toxic even when they are properly used. It is well-documented that skin damage and allergic reactions can occur (Dominguez). Hair dyes can contain up to 25 ingredients that could be damaging to your skin.
P-phenylenediamine and Ammonia are harmful ingredients in hair dye. Learn more about the dangers of toxic chemicals in hair dye here: Safer Options and Toxic Chemicals in Dye.
Are you looking for natural hair dyes? This is the EarthDye hair dye that is chemical-free. This is cool: Hairprint uses the most recent green chemistry to restore grey hair to its natural color. It employs benign, nontoxic molecules to produce better results than synthetic chemicals made SAFE (2018).
It’s summer! Make sure to check your SUNSCREEN for the right ingredients. Cancer can also be caused by the sun.
Where do you start?
I switched to less toxic products as I used up my products. I did have some products that I didn’t use very often and I just tossed them without replacing. These were mostly small items such as makeup, scented lotions and other small products.
It is possible to make a list with all the products you need to replace and then add them to the list. As a reminder, you could tape all the products that are due for replacement with a piece or tape. You could also throw away all products that are not needed in a particular category (bath, makeup, lotions and hair products), and then replace them with the same category.
UP NEXT: A blog about Indoor Air Toxins & Chemical Cleaners
References:
Lina. FORCE of NATURE/NON TOXIC PRODUCT GUIDES – How to Find a Non-Toxic Toothpaste (And Three Of Our Favorites!). Retrieved from: https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/choosing-non-toxic-toothpaste/
Selby, Karen. (2022, April 12). Asbestos/45% of people worry about toxic makeup — should you? Retrieved from: https://www.asbestos.com/featured-stories/makeup-toxicity-survey/
Dominguez, Karen. POISON CONTROL/Concerns about Hair Dye. Retrieved from: https://www.poison.org/articles/hair-dye
EWG Verified/Why EWG ™? Retrieved from: https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/about-the-mark.php
MADE SAFE/Toxic chemicals in hair dye and safer options (2018), 19 January. Retrieved from: https://www.madesafe.org/toxic-chemicals-hair-dye-safer-options/
TOXIC FREE FOUNDATION/Certification. Retrieved from: https://thetoxicfreefoundation.com/certification
How to replace dangerous skin care products The Wellness Resolution
