Every
company, it seems, wants to jump on the organic bandwagon. ‘Natural’ is the in
word coupled with ‘organic’. The only problem is that there are still a lot of
potentially harmful ingredients in these so called organic cosmetics. Let us
take a few glaring examples.
Fragrance
is still widely used. This is just a chemical cocktail and nobody is compelled
to reveal what is in the mix. Why? Because it is still regarded as a trade
secret. If you see fragrance on the label, then you know that it may be
suspect, unless it is clearly stated what is in there.
Another
shocking fact is that researchers found that there was a large percentage (85%)
of pregnant mothers who had at least one harmful chemical in their milk. This
included oxybenzone (usually in sunscreens). But the others ranged from
parabens, synthetic musk fragrances, pesticides, PCBs and phthalates.
Research by
the Mount Sinai School of Medicine also put oxybenzone
under scrutiny. What they found was not comforting at all. Low birth weight
in baby girls was the result of use of sunscreen by the mothers. But oxybenzone
is not only in 600 sunscreens but is also used in lip balm, moisturizers,
fragrances and lipstick.
We should
always be careful when looking at labels. It might be comforting to see some
natural or organic sounding ingredients on the list but if they are not at the
top of the list, then they are there in miniscule quantities. They are usually in descending order as
regards the actual quantities.
Another
suspicious ingredient is butylenes glycol which the EWG (Environmental Working
Group) regards as being a moderate hazard. Dimethicone is made of silicone
polymer and falls into the same class.
Given that
we are exposed to thousands of harmful chemicals in everything we touch,
breathe and eat, it is wise to reduce the exposure to as many as these as we
can and also help the environment while doing so. Study the infographic below and get an idea of
what is really going on with organic skincare. You will also be better informed
to make a wiser choice when it comes to deciding on safer skincare products.
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