It’s not easy being green…part 1

September 3, 2010, 9:42 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

Kermit the Frog said it for different reasons, but boy, was he right!

I am not ashamed to admit that I was a beauty product junkie. I loved all things that could “beautify” me. I had numerous make-up bags full of lipsticks, bronzers, shadows, pencils, mascaras…the list goes on. I used a different shampoo each time, because someone had a new, delicious scent. Lotions with bronzing capabilities and lotions with sparkle, lotions that smelled like you could eat it…it all enticed me. I was not a slave to brands…in fact, if it was less expensive, I’d just buy one of each colour! I have spent countless hours in the aisles and at the counters sniffing, testing, admiring, and buying. My obsession wasn’t consuming – but it sure was gratifying! I felt great smelling and looking nice.

When my husband first noticed he had scent sensitivities, and a few of the scents I wore would cause a very scary reaction, I had to start saying good-bye to some of my “friends”. Then one day, all the scents were gone. All of the air fresheners, all of the scented candles, perfumes, body sprays, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and soaps. I missed some of them dearly. Every so often when he was out-of-town, I’d dust the cobwebs off the Gain Detergent and do a load of laundry. Just like the commercial, I’d smell each piece of laundry while I folded it and thoroughly enjoying it.

Then I began my research on the scent-sensitivities afflicting my husband. Buh-bye Gain. It was very disturbing reading about scents and what they can do us. I no longer miss those items that used to bring me so much joy.

Chemical fragrances, or synthetic fragrances are mostly petroleum-based. If you see “fragrance” on the label, it usually means that the scent ingredients are unregulated and untested. Some research suggests that some of these chemicals act as hormone disruptors [causing defects in boys, and early puberty in girls], are cancer-causing carcinogens, and are neural damaging.

Ontop of scent, I have found other ingredients in my products to be just as damaging. I suggest reading labels. It may be time consuming, but I guarantee you’ll feel much better about using it. Although Canada itself doesn’t demand complete ingredient disclosure, my personal opinion is, if there’s nothing to hide, why not disclose it?? My personal rule of thumb is to not purchase if it doesn’t have an ingredient list.

The following list is taken directly from the book Ecoholic, by Adria Vasil. These are the Top 10 beauty product ingredients to stay away from.

Diethanolamine [DEA]: A suspected carcinogen common in shampoos, body wash and makeup. Cocamide DEA, MEA and TEA may be contaminated with DEA.
Formaldehyde: You might not see it on the ingredient list, but it is found in imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin and quaternium-15. Formaldehyde can evaporate into the air when the product is wet.
Parabens: All types of parabens [methyl, ethyl, etc.] hae been found to be estrogenic – they mimic female hormones. Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumor samples but haven’t been conclusively linked to cancer.
Petrolatum: Comes from non-renewable crude oil, kind of like tanking up at the pump. Not breathable. Mineral oil is also petroleum-based.
Phenylenediamine [PPD]: Also goes by the name of P-diaminobenzene. Found in all permanent dyes, especially darker shades, it has been tied to increase bladder cancer in long-term, frequent users.
Phthalates: You’ll rarely see this controversial family of hormone disruptors om labels. It’s often tucked away under the ingredient “fragrance”.
Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate [SLS]: Skin irritants; laureth is less irritating than lauryl, but can still cause dryness. Found not to cause cancer after much suspicion, but not everyone is convinced.
Talc: A powder found in everything from eye shadow and blush to baby powder and deoderant. Any talc that is contaminated with asbestos fibres is recognized as a carcinogen.
Toluene: This powerful solvent is found in nail polish. Long-term exposure affects the nervous system, liver and kidneys and contributes to smog.
Triclosan: An anti-bacterial chemical used in pretty much everything. It is building up in our rivers and sewage sludge and can turn into carcinogenic dioxins when exposed to sunlight and water.

If you are looking for safer alternatives to what you are using, please post a comment with your email address, and I will message you with a few alternatives that either come highly recommended through various eco-groups, and those I have purchased, tried and endorse.

I told you being green wasn’t easy! It’s a lot of reading between the lines. This is just the start of a multi-part series on beauty and body products for the entire family. At the end of the series, I will give a list of those products that I recommend, where to purchase, and the approximate price.