Everything You Need to Know About Clean Beauty Part 1
Before you begin reading this. I want to say, I spent most of my life never thinking twice about the “cleanliness” of beauty products. And even as non-toxic lifestyles began growing in popularity, I am someone whose first response was to roll her eyes and not take it too seriously.
That is, until, I became pregnant.
That was the first time I began thinking about what I was putting in my body, on my skin and around my house. I had a long list of “Things I Wanted to Research Before the Baby Arrived”. But, one look at the confusing ingredients list and potential side effects in our products and I decided it was much too much work to figure out in the season I was in. I switched to a homemade cleaner and that was it.
Clean beauty research went on the back burner.
That was 4 years ago. And it took 4 years of slowly learning and researching to not be overwhelmed and confused by the ingredient labels.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the ingredient labels on cosmetics?
Trying to navigate what you should and shouldn’t put on your skin and find what brands you can trust is difficult. Not to mention the struggle of decoding ingredient labels which is like learning a foreign language (which kind of feels like a way we are being deceived from the start). Every brand is going to tell you they have the best product for you, that is marketing. In reality, some of them are lying. Some products in the beauty industry are actually bad for your skin and have potential and serious side effects for your health.
There are two options…Deep dive into all the research and learn the information for yourself or find a brand you trust to have done the deep dives for you.
Through this blog series “Everything You Need to Know About Clean Beauty” I plan to present both of these to options you. First, I will give you the research and then, I will give you the brands which I believe support these standards of cleanliness. I have broken the research portion into 3 Parts: Red Flag Ingredients to Avoid (this blog post), Yellow Flag Ingredients to Use with Caution, and Green Flag Ingredients that are Great for Your Skin.
In this blog post, I will share the worst ingredients for your skin. Take from it what you can. It may be overwhelming if this is the first time you are learning these things, but I encourage you to read through it and allow it to be eye opening for you. If you want to skip all the research and just get to my specific brand and product recommendations, stick around for the future blog posts!
The US Regulation of the Beauty Industry
First, lets talk about why you can’t trust every beauty product on the shelves.
“Clean Beauty” or the non-toxic cosmetic industry has really gained momentum in recent years. This is great in that we have access to better products but not so great in that “clean beauty” has become a selling tactic where many brands advertise they are clean when they are not. This concept is called “Greenwashing” and it is problematic. But, it comes from a larger problem. The beauty industry in the US is currently unregulated. Which means anyone can claim their product is “clean” or “natural” without meeting a certain standard. Did you know even the word “organic” can mean nothing? It must be "certified organic” and contain the USDA Organic sticker to actually qualify as organic. With no standard or regulation to hold companies accountable, it is very challenging to navigate as a consumer. Particularly in the US market whose cosmetic industry has no problem using ingredients which many other countries have banned from their shelves.
This is why often you will hear people talk about EU standards in their beauty products because Europe has stricter ingredient standards and has banned many ingredients that US companies continue to put in their products. The FDA only bans 11 ingredients from cosmetics while the EU lists over 2,500 banned cosmetic ingredients and updates this list frequently.
Take a second to let that sink in.
As far as US regulation goes, the FDA puts the responsibility on each individual cosmetic company and on the consumer when it comes to using safety with beauty products. This creates a problem because:
I already shared that not all companies have the consumers best interest in mind and
Consumers are not informed and educated about what is in their products and what could be harmful about them (the whole “foreign language” ingredient label problem).
The FDA’s website states:
Under U.S. law, cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, do not need FDA approval before they go on the market. Cosmetic manufacturers have a legal responsibility for the safety and labeling of their products. “
This is why it is important to find a company who has high standards and one that can be trusted. A company who goes above and beyond to ensure they have the cleanest possible ingredients because “the FDA relies on each personal care company to regulate itself and the risks its products pose (Scott Faber, EWG)”. And unfortunately,
“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.”
Before I began learning about what was in my beauty products, I had the mindset, “if its on the shelves, it has been tested and is safe to use.” But with cancer and infertility on the rise in our society, we have to realize, that is unfortunately not true.
Personal care products companies do not have to register with the FDA, provide the FDA with ingredient statements, adopt Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMPs, report adverse events to the FDA, or provide the FDA with access to safety records. The FDA does not have the power to suspend registration or order recalls when products pose a risk of serious adverse health consequences or death.
This is the reason I want to empower you to be informed about what ingredients are in your beauty products. If you feel overwhelmed, I have been there. Start small and continue reading this blog post. Let the first step be learning about ingredients in beauty products that are hazardous to your health. You can begin to make changes little by little. And to make it a little easier for you, at the end of this blog post, I will offer you a FREEBIE to help you decode your ingredient labels!
Ingredient Databases & Apps
The best way to know if a brand is clean is to learn about their ingredients.
Many times I hear people citing apps and ingredient databases like EWG, Yuka, and Think Dirty as the way they decide what product to use. While these apps are helpful tools, I have found they are not always accurate. On occasion, I have found products that are clean listed as not clean and products that are not clean listed as clean. This could be because they do not take into consideration the percentage of the ingredient in the product, whether or not it is organic, nanoized/non-nanoized, how it is sourced, and whether or not it is third party tested etc. All these qualifications are essential in weighing the safety. Additionally, they do not give you the full spectrum of options. Many amazing small clean beauty brands are not represented while a few mainstream companies are continually promoted even though their products may not be as clean as the smaller brands.
I am not sure how it all works but there are some theories out there about brands being able to pay their way to appear more highly rated on some of these sites. Whatever the case, these databases are only a part of the picture. Ultimately, I believe it is important to first learn about the ingredients yourself and then, use these databases as helpful tools and discern accordingly.
Are you ready to get start learning about the ingredients in cosmetics?!? Let’s take the deep dive!
A Beginners Rule of Thumb
For beginners who are just starting to decode ingredient labels and find out whether or not a product is clean and a brand is trustworthy, follow this simple rule of thumb:
Does it have “fragrance/parfume” in the ingredients? If so, look for something else.
Fragrance is exempt from federal labeling requirements (Faber, EWG). In other words, there are hundreds to thousands of chemicals which can be used to make a fragrance that do not need to be claimed or written on the label. “The US Department of Health and Human Services claims there are more than 5,000 different fragrance chemicals that can be used in countless combinations” (A Healthier Home).” By labeling it “fragrance” the consumer is not informed about what is actually in the product. There are a couple of known compounds in fragrances that are phthalates which are linked to endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, fragrance is the number one cause of contact dermatitis (A Healthier Home).
“Many product containing “fragrance” – a word representing a secret mixture of up to hundreds of ingredients – may contain sensitizers, allergens, respiratory irritants, carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxic chemicals, or environmental toxicants. Even products labeled as unscented may have fragrance added to mask the smell of other ingredients.”
Sometimes the brand will specify that the fragrance they are using is an essential oil or “derived from natural fragrances”. To me, personally, this is still suspect, since it is easily possible to list the essential oils in the ingredients rather than saying “fragrance”. Due to the questionable nature of fragrance, many brands will go through the effort to list the essential oils used in their products instead of saying fragrance. I find it a more trustworthy approach to specify the ingredients that make up the fragrance, especially if it is truly only “a combination of essential oils”.
5 Red Flag Ingredient “Bundles”
Here, I have outlined for you “5 Red Flag Ingredients Bundles”. I have bundled them to put closely related ingredients together. It goes without saying, there are many more hazardous ingredients in cosmetics and skincare but these are common ones found in many beauty products (even products that say they are clean).
Knowing about these will be an eye opening experience so buckle up and get reading!
THE BIG “P’s” : PFA’s (short for Polyfluoroalkyl), Phthalates, Parabens:
PFA’s are known carcinogens. They are also called “forever chemicals” because they build up in the body, water, and environment (Breast Cancer Prevention Partners). Phthalates and Parabens are known for hormone disruption, have been proven harmful both the male and female reproductive system, and are also carcinogens. These three have been banned from the European Union but the US defers banning these harmful ingredients to retailers. For example: Whole Foods has banned any products containing these ingredients (Faber, EWG). But in many other US retailers, these hazardous ingredients remain in products on the cosmetics shelf, sometimes secretly so, like in the ingredient “fragrance” or in the plastic packaging.
TOXIC PRESERVATIVES: Formaldehyde, Butylated Compounds (BHA & BHT), MIT & CMIT, Phenoxyethanol*:
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. It is used in cosmetics as a preservative. Commonly found in shampoos, baby soaps, color cosmetics, mascara, nail polish and more. Sometimes it will be listed under the ingredient names: Paraformaldehyde orMethylene glycol. There are also a sub category of formaldehyde ingredients which are considered “Formaldehyde Releasing”. These ingredients release small amounts of formaldehyde at a time (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
Butylated compounds are also risky preservatives. These are listed as BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) on ingredient labels. These chemicals are linked to several health concerns including endocrine disruption, organ-system toxicity, and cancer (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
MIT (Methylisothiazolinone) and CMIT (Methylchloroisothiazolinone), more preservatives, have been linked organ system toxicity, specifically lung toxicity, and neurotoxicity (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
*Phenoxyethanol is a preservative in a lot of clean beauty products. Phenoxyethanol is not like the other ingredients in this bundle because it does not seem to directly cause toxicity to organs (except for infants), however it has some potentially hazardous contaminations. It is a common preservative and a member of the glycol ether family and is the product of the reaction of highly corrosive phenol with carcinogenic ethylene oxide. As a result, it may contain residue amounts of both. The American Society of Contact Dermatitis lists phenoxyethanol as one of its core allergens, even in concentrations as low as 1%. (Crunchi Banished List). I wouldn’t consider it red flag necessarily, it does not need to be avoided to the same degree as the others in this list. But, this ingredient is still questionable so when you find products that don’t use it or any of the ones listed above, I think that says something about how the company goes above and beyond with it’s clean standards.
TOXIC PIGMENTS: SyntheticDyes, Coal Tar, Carbon Black, Talc:
Synthetic Dyes are easily recognizable by their name. They are FD& C dyes and C&D dyes or the Color + Number compounds (for example: FD&C Red 6) you may be used to avoiding in food. Like Fragrance, these dyes can contain chemicals which are toxic and not disclosed to the consumer. These chemicals have been linked to cancer and have the potential for other health concerns due to heavy metal contamination with lead and arsenic.
Coal Tar is derived from burning coal and is a known carcinogen. “It is a complex mixture of hundreds of compounds, many of which are Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).” PAH’s are carcinogens, genotoxic (DNA damaging), and can lead to reproductive and developmental toxicity as well. Studies have shown coal tar can lead to skin tumors and neurological damage (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
Carbon Black is a dark black pigment in cosmetics like eyeliner and mascara. “It is produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-based products such as coal tar, and has been linked to increased incidence of cancer and negative effects on organs.” (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics) It also contains the contaminant, PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon).
Talc is a mineral powder that is commonly found in eye shadows, face powders, and lip sticks. It’s main problem is its contamination with asbestos. Talc and asbestos are often found growing near each other in the earth. Even if it says “asbestos free talc or cosmetic talc” it should be avoided because “Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that also can be toxic and carcinogenic.” (EWG).
PETROLEUM-BASED COMPOUNDS: PEG’s, Propylene Glycol (PPG)*,Mineral Oil
“Petroleum is often not fully refined in the US, which means it can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).” (Campaign for Safer Cosmetics). White Petroleum, however, has been refined and is safe for use.
Polyethylene Glycols (PEG’s) are petroleum-based compounds. PEG’s can cause genotoxicity (DNA damage) and they also have a higher likelihood to be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane which are known carcinogens. “In a study of personal care products marketed as “natural” or “organic” (uncertified), U.S. researchers found 1,4-dioxane as a contaminant in 46 of 100 products analyzed.”(David Suzuki Foundation). This is nearly a 50% contamination rate! Since this is just one study, the reality of contamination could be more or less but 50% is enough to say, it is not worth it.
*Propylene Glycol (PPG) is not be to confused with Polyethylene Glycol is a similar chemical to PEG’s, for this reason, it is a controversial ingredient. Not enough research has been done on it to confirm its safety. Its main known side effect is skin irritation (Crunchi Banished List). Similar to my listing of phenoxyethanol, it would not necessarily be red flag, as it doesn’t appear to be as toxic as the rest. But, if a brand avoids putting it in their products, it means they are thorough.
Mineral Oil like white petroleum is safe if it is refined properly, but how is one to know? Mineral oil is a “liquid mixture obtained from crude petroleum oil used as a skin moisturizer. It may contain various amounts of carcinogenic PAH’s and other petroleum contaminants, depending on the level to which it has been refined. There is consistent evidence that untreated or mildly-treated mineral oils cause cancer of the skin in humans.” (Crunchi Banished List).
TOXIC CLEANSERS AND EMULSIFIERS: Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate (SLES/SLS), Ethoxolated Ingredients, Ethanolamines (DEA,MEA,TEA), Triclosan
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and its close related compound Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) are the cleaning chemicals which are sometimes classified as PEG’s as they are they are either derived from petroleum or a plant based source (NIH). They are the ingredient that cause products to make sudsy bubbles in shampoos, soaps, face washes, and dish soaps. SLES and SLS share the common problem of contamination with the same toxic chemicals as PEG’s. “Depending on manufacturing processes, sodium laureth sulfate may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.” (David Suzuki Foundation) The hazard of these ingredients I have already explained above and like explained above, there is little information available to prove whether or not the contamination has occurred. “ They may be fine or they may be contaminated. It is unknown. But is it necessary? The real problem with these ingredients is that they are not needed at all for the effectiveness of the product. They are added solely for the marketing tactic, “people like bubbles and think they are cleaner when suds are present” (A Healthier Home).
There are other Ethoxylated Ingredients which may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane like SLS and SLES. These ingredients usually have chemical names including the letters “eth” (laureth, steareth, ceteareth.).” (David Suzuki Foundation)
Ethanolamines(DEA, MEA, TEA) are clear, colorless, thick liquids used for emulsifying and ph balancing. They increase the risk of asthma and skin irritation. Their main problem however is their potential to break down in the product and form nitrosamines which are linked to cancer. (Crunchi Banished List).
Triclosan and Triclocarban are used as a antibacterial additive in soaps, cleansers, deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics and more. The risk of these comes down to how much our society uses them. The antibacterial and hand sanitizing craze is causing an accumulation of this ingredient that goes beyond safe use. “Widespread use with few regulations has led to concerns regarding their effects on humans and the environment, such as endocrine disruption, bioaccumulation, and the emergence of bacteria resistant to antibodies and antibacterial products.” (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). Some other potential health implications include autoimmune diseases, liver function impairment, and thyroid impairment (A Healthier Home).
BONUS: Ok, I know I said I would do “5 Ingredient Bundles” but this last fun fact is too disturbing to leave out. Did you know some cosmetic products contain Teflon? Yes!!! Teflon like the non-stick coating that is on pots and pans. It apparently helps to provide a smooth sleek finish in your cosmetics. It can be found in any thing from foundation to powder to lipstick to lotion. If you want to see if it is in your products, look for these code words: Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, or DEA-C8-18 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
A Note on Contaminations.
Apart from the hazardous and toxic ingredients in our beauty products, another concern is the amount of exposure to heavy metals and pesticides presently found in cosmetics. Beauty products have been found to be contaminated with traces of heavy metals and pesticides. These heavy metals come from the minerals in the ground and pesticides come from the crops that are used to make the beauty products. “Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum, zinc, chromium and iron are found in a wide variety of personal care products including lipstick, whitening toothpaste, eyeliner, foundations, sunscreens, eye shadows, blush, concealer, moisturizers and nail color” (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics). Some common ingredients which may be contaminated with heavy metals: Color Additives (like D&C Red 6), Cotton Seed Oils, Rice derived ingredients, and Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and Iron Oxide (unless specified as “non-nanoized” which is not toxic). (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics).
How can you avoid these contaminations?
Third Party Testing is an additional process of testing for hazardous contaminations and quality assurance. Certain brands will specifically test for heavy metal and pesticide contaminations. Another great way to avoid pesticide contamination is through buying Certified Organic.
These contaminations are big deals but there is only so much you can do as a consumer to ensure these contaminations are not present. Looking for brands that are “Certified Organic” and “Third Party Tested” is the best way to eliminate the problem of contamination with the toxicity of heavy metals and pesticides.
To Learn More about Ingredients to Avoid…
If you are interested, you can read more about the main toxic ingredients in cosmetics and skincare by checking out these sources: The Dirty Dozen: 12 Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid , Top Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics , EWG’s Toxic 12 Chemicals and Contaminants, and Crunchi’s Banished List.
A Tip If This Has Stressed You Out…
Take a deep breath! When it comes to the toxicity of the products you have been using, there isn’t likely one product responsible for any given health problem. In such low quantities, each product is most likely “safe enough”. The problem has come from the combination of many products using red flag ingredients whose accumulated effects have put our bodies above the safe amount. So, no, you don’t need to throw everything in your bathroom closet away today.
Start making clean switches one or two products at a time.
Eventually, like me, 4 years from when I began my clean beauty journey, your collection of skincare and make up will look entirely different!
Decoding Ingredient Labels FREE PRINTABLE!
Congratulations on making it this far in the blog! I hope you found this information helpful!
Once you know about those Red Flag Ingredients, the next step is to decode the other ingredient names which disguise those Red Flag Ingredients. I have made this FREE PRINTABLE for you…
“The Red Flag Ingredient Decoder” is a list to help you translate your beauty products ingredient labels. To download, enter your email below.
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This was my MOST heavily researched blog post. Tell me what you think in the comments!
And come back for Everything You Need to Know About Clean Beauty Part 2 which will be published soon!