How To Eliminate Toxic Ingredients in Skin Care
and Cosmetic Products
There is nothing new when we say what you put on your skin has an impact on your health. However, the skin care and cosmetics products that we can use commonly are not free from harmful chemicals. Some of the chemicals used in these products are found to hurt health and damage skin long-term severely.
The study named ‘Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics,’ shows that some of the common cosmetic products such as mascara, foundation, lip care, and eye care products contain a high level of harmful substances.
Unfortunately, there are only 11 ingredients that are banned by law in the USA. FDA approval is not required for skin care and cosmetic products and ingredients other than color additives before they go on the market.
The good news is we have a few science-backed certification and rating systems that can help us to understand the toxicity of the ingredients in your skin care or cosmetic personal care products. There are two online resources you can use to check, research and understand what is in the majority of your skin care or beauty products. They are:
- The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database
- The Think Dirty app.
The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit working on consumer guides to educate on the hidden health dangers in food, water, and everyday products. They introduced the Skin Deep database in 2004 and it has been one of the top resources to learn about the toxicity in skin care and cosmetic and personal care products.
To get access to the database, just google EWG or check-in through the EWG Healthy Living App. Through the app, you can scan the barcode of the product and get the details from the database. You can download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
The EWG database rates product ingredients to help consumers to know the potential health hazards of products. Furthermore, it shares notes about the data availability on various ingredients used in products and whether the product is tested on animals or not. The EWG staff scientists compare the listed ingredients with the data available from government agencies, industry panels, academic institutions, and other credible bodies to evaluate the products and determine their toxicity.
Criteria for EWG Verification
Apart from product ratings, they provide a verification called EWG Verified for best-rated products. The database has given ratings for more than 79,000 products in the skin care, cosmetics and personal care industry. Around 2,000 products meet the strictest criteria for transparency and health and these are EWG Verified.
There are three major criterias for a product to be EWG Verified. They are:
- Full Transparency: The product must meet EWG’s standards for ingredient disclosure on the label, and provide full transparency to EWG, including fragrance materials.
- No Hazardous Chemicals: As per EWG rules, the products should not contain any ingredients that are specified on the ‘Unacceptable List’ formulated by EWG. It should not have any products with ingredients that cause health, ecotoxicity, and/or contamination concerns.
- Good Manufacturing Practices: Moreover, manufacturers should follow good manufacturing practices to improve the safety of the product and prevent contamination.
Think Dirty App
Think Dirty App was launched in 2013. It is a for-profit company that is funded by non-profit organizations with no affiliations with the beauty industry. You can find reviews and assessments of more than 68,000 products in this app. You can download the Think Dirty App on your iPhone or Android phone from an Apple or Android app store.
The team behind Think Dirty claims to be mission-driven though they charge brands for product reviews. Also, the brands have to pay a fee for their products to be evaluated. The company’s internal team evaluates products on certain stringent criteria to determine the rating.
Criteria for Ratings and Certifications on the Think Dirty App
The team at Think Dirty App determines the health impact of products based on various peer-reviewed scientific studies, and data from governmental and non-governmental organizations. They assess each ingredient listed on the product label and determine the level of carcinogenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergenicity, and immunotoxicity of the product.
After a complete assessment of each ingredient, the company gives a rating scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest level of potential health hazards. To get verified by the Think Dirty App, there is an additional vetting process and the rating should fall between 0-3. The ratings of the products are evaluated and changed based on product reformulations against the latest studies.
Build Trust with Professional Relationships
You can also build a relationship with a company and get to know the quality of their product ingredients, and where they are resourcing their raw materials as some companies may not choose to be a part of EWG or Think Dirty. Any product recommendations made by me, or in my online shop have been vetted by me, and I stand by them.
Summing Up
Most of the ingredients used in skin care, cosmetic and personal care products not only pose a risk to and can damage our skin and overall health, but also negatively impact environmental sustainability. Before choosing a skin care, or cosmetic or personal care product, make sure you check the ratings and reviews from reliable sources like EWG or Think Dirty, or ask for my professional advice.
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