How to Shop for Healthier Personal Care Products and Minimize Toxicity

I remember turning thirteen and being so excited because I could finally start exploring the world of makeup. I often considered questions like, “How much does this cost? How does this make me look? or How long will it last?” over wondering “Are there healthier personal care products available?”

Along with makeup came picking out my own personal care products. I still recall the basket I put everything in, and the discussions with friends over which products worked, what the new trends were, how to get the look for less, and which box dye was the right color for the season (it changed often y’all!).

As I said earlier, healthier personal care products never registered, and the one thing my friends and I never talked about, was the effect of all the chemicals we were dousing our bodies with.

And why would we? The beauty industry certainly doesn’t highlight possible side effects. And many of us assume there’s nothing wrong with the synthetic chemicals and preservatives we use daily.

Besides, they would have to let us know if it were harmful, right??? Wrong!

*This blog post contains various health information. Nothing is intended to be, nor should it be construed as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any supplement(s) discussed and/or listed should be reviewed by your health professional before using. If you have a medical concern, please consult with an appropriately-licensed physician. If you think you have a medical emergency, contact your doctor immediately. Full medical disclosure here.

The beauty industry is not very regulated. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services: 

“The law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market, but there are laws and regulations that apply to cosmetics on the market in interstate commerce.”

“Companies and individuals who manufacture, or market cosmetics have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their products. Neither the law nor FDA regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients. The law also does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety information with FDA.”

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? I’ve never had a noticeable medical reaction to my makeup or shampoo.” And I hadn’t either. Sure, I might’ve developed a rash from a certain face lotion or felt itchy from one brand of body soap, but nothing to make me think healthier personal care products were needed.

It wasn’t until our first daughter was born with several environmental and chemical sensitivities, that I realized the effects of everything I’d been using – and it needed to change.

An organization I use consistently for reviewing both household and healthcare/beauty products is the Environmental Working Group.

For beauty products, they offer Skin Deep®. You simply enter the name of the product, brand, or ingredient you want to review. Individual products contain a list of ingredients, any concerns with the ingredients, the rating of each ingredient, as well as an overall rating for the product. Ratings/scores are based on a 1-10 scale with 1 being the best.

Skin Deep® shared this information while explaining why they started:

Personal care products are manufactured with 10,500 unique chemical ingredients, some of which are known or suspected carcinogens, toxic to the reproductive system or known to disrupt the endocrine system. Although some companies make products that are safe to use, others use dangerous ingredients, like coal tar and formaldehyde, both of which are human carcinogens, and lead acetate, a developmental toxin.

The following is a brief explanation of how they come up with scores:

“Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.”

EWG VERIFIED™ is a mark, that companies receive after adhering to Skin Deep® standards. This helps consumers quickly identify which brands offer healthier personal care products.

Think about how many products you use on a daily basis and how, what may seem like a little amount, quickly adds up. Multiply that by how many days a week you use them, multiplied by months, years, etc. All of these products we apply topically to the skin.

Skin is meant to be a barrier to keep harmful things out, but it also acts like a sponge, absorbing whatever is put on it. Furthermore, many things absorbed by the skin, continue traveling, which can allow them to get into the blood stream and/or organs. What we put on our skin matters!

Following are some examples of products I used to use every day. I’m not sharing to cause panic, make anyone feel guilty, or belittle any brand. My intention is simply to help open your eyes and give you something to ponder.

Some of health concerns listed with these products are: Cancer, Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity, Allergies & Immunotoxicity, and Use Restrictions.

Shampoos:

Pantene Pro-V Volumizing Shampoo   Biolage ColorLast Shampoo Scores of 5 and 6 respectively. Numerous health concerns.

Body Soap:

Caress and Dove Scores of anywhere from 3 to 8. All with health concerns. 

Makeup:

Maybelline Mascara Physician’s Formula Blush Clinique Foundation Scores of 5 to 8. Again, with health concerns. 

I am certainly no expert in the law, chemistry, medicine, or otherwise! But I have learned to become an “expert” in researching which products I feel comfortable using and listening to how my body reacts to said products. 

When I first started switching to healthier personal care products in 2014, I didn’t notice a huge change. My hair didn’t suddenly looked model good and my face didn’t become radiant or blemishes free. HOWEVER, I certainly noticed a difference when I tried using my old products again as a test. 

For example: with eye makeup my eyes itched and watered, with foundation my skin felt sensitive in places it never did before, with shampoo and conditioner I started breaking out wherever the ends of my hair laid, and the body wash…ugh the body wash… I ended up showering all over again with the natural soap to get rid of the severe itching and burning sensation. 

The way my body reacted to the old products was enough to grab my attention and take things seriously. If you or someone you know struggles with sensitivities, look up what you’re using on the Skin Deep® website and see if there is something better. You might also find, that even though your product has a good rating, your body is reacting negatively to a certain ingredient. 

Information Overload!!!!!!!!! I get it. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and considering how many products we use it’s also easy to procrastinate or ignore. Here’s a helpful tip page from Skin Deep®. Focus on one item at a time.

I started with body wash, shampoo, and conditioner since everyone in the household uses them. Then face lotion, and finally, various makeup and hair care products.

Here’s a list of my own personal favorite healthier personal care products here.

Interested in getting more bang for your buck while switching to healthier personal care products? Take a look at your physical health and eating habits too! I’ve found the more I heal my insides (gut health), the less products I need.

Go back to the basics and check out my posts on Gut Flora and the Gut Lining to find out why healing from the inside out is just as important. Remember, it’s not just about using something natural – it’s about protecting and increasing your health!