Eco-Beauty Basics

Are you an eco-beauty? That might best be described as someone who consciously seeks out safe, natural beauty solutions, as opposed to chemical-laden, mass market products. Going green with your personal care is smart on many levels. You’ll not only be protecting yourself from absorbing potentially dangerous toxins, but you’ll be doing the earth a favor as well.

Many people simply assume that the attractively packaged personal care products they find in pharmacies, grocery stores, and high-end department stores are safe and beneficial. Often, the opposite is true. Would you believe that neither these products, nor their ingredients, are either reviewed or approved by the FDA before they’re sold to the public? Yet many contain a plethora of chemicals that pose a danger to both the environment and your wellness.

When it comes to personal care products, consider that your skin is highly permeable, absorbing up to 60% of what you apply to it. According to the Environmental Working Group, Americans may use up to 126 different ingredients daily─many of which promote health problems over time. In fact, applying chemicals topically may be even more dangerous than swallowing them since they enter your bloodstream directly.

Eco-beauty is all about becoming more discerning about the products you select, not only for yourself, but for your children as well. If you don’t typically study the labels on your hairspray, shampoo, body lotion, shaving cream, and other cosmetic items as closely as you do with food products, now is a great time to start. Some of the top ingredients to avoid are:

• Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate

• Synthetic Fragrances

• Parabens

• Formaldehyde

• Phthalates

• Propylene Glycol

• Dimethicone

• Triclosan

• Talc

In her book “Easy Green Living,” author Reneé Loux discusses the possible health risks associated with these chemicals in a smart, credible manner. Her book is a treasure trove of green beauty/lifestyle tips and information. Happily, if you’re ready to make some changes, you can find safe, effective alternatives in every personal care category with brands like Kiss My Face, Ecco Bella, Beauty Without Cruelty, Aubrey Organics, Aura Cacia, and Burt’s Bees, among others.

Greening your personal care routine may save you money as well, if you discover that less is often more. Here’s to the natural beauty in all of us!

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