What Makes Certain Products Non-Toxic?
What Qualifies Products as Non-Toxic?
Here are some tips on what you should pay attention to when selecting comestic products
What To Look For When Shopping For Cosmetic Products?
When shopping for lotion, shampoo or mascara, what is it that attracts people to the product? Is it the packaging? The product description? Or the scent? Maybe we had seen it in a magazine or heard about it from a friend?
As Dr. Shyamali Singhal, surgical oncologist states, “It can be hard to resist the pretty packages and enticing promises found on beauty products in stores today. Who doesn’t want ageless skin, ultra-shiny hair and perfect lashes? But underneath those impressive claims and that appealing fragrance, there are usually some pretty scary chemicals.”
What do the terms 'natural,' 'organic,' 'non-toxic' and 'hypoallergenic' really mean on beauty product labels? Which ingredients are the most important to look for?
Endocrine Disruptive Chemicals
Let us first research a little background about toxic beauty: since at least 2003., it's been hypothesized that parabens—a group of ingredients prevalent in cosmetics in the United States—likely disrupt the endocrine system. This is a particularly terrifying notion when we consider most people start wearing makeup around puberty when the endocrine system really kicks into high gear.
In 2013, a 3-day study called HERMOSA was done by researchers at U.C. Berkeley, in which they asked 1,000 girls from Latin backgrounds from the California town of Salinas to use cosmetics without potential endocrine disruptors. These included parabens, phthalates, triclosan, and oxybenzone. The researchers provided the cosmetics to the girls. At the end of the study, they found that there was a 25-45% decrease in the presence of endocrine disruptive chemicals in the girls' urine.
Unregulated Industry
A typical woman, to use that term, uses about 12 different personal care products, with over 100 individual ingredients on her body every day. Those ingredients are easily absorbed through the skin and can find their way into the bloodstream. That wouldn’t be a problem if the ingredients were healthy and safe. The real secret behind the beauty and personal care industry is that they are virtually unregulated and therefore are allowed to use untested chemicals in their products. Because of this, we’ve got hormone-disrupting ingredients in skincare, cosmetics containing lead and other heavy metals, carcinogens in shampoos, and many more harmful chemicals in products we use on our bodies every day.
Reading The Labels
Reading labels is a skill on its own. Dr. Singhal suggests looking for the worst offending chemicals and avoiding them. Here is the list of most common unsafe chemicals found in some products:
-Parabens
-Sodium lauryl or Laureth sulfate
-Fragrance
-Triclosan
-DEA & TEA
-Formaldehyde
-Oxybenzone
On the other hand, many products have claims printed on their labels, that seem to promise a safe product, free of any toxins, but actually, they mean nothing. Some of those claims are:
-Natural
-Organic (unless accompanied by a certification)
-Non-toxic -Botanical
-Clean
-Hypoallergenic or physician-approved
-Simple
Making Your Own Cosmetics?
Buying all-natural ingredients and making things like makeup, lotion, bars of soap, and household cleaning products may be the only way to secure a toxin-free environment. The internet is full of easy-to-follow recipes, and making products from scratch will mean we know exactly what we're putting on our body. So to sum things up, a "clean" product is one that claims to be made up of safe, non-toxic, and natural ingredients. Whether or not the product is actually safe for the body is up to everybody to decide for themselves. If a cancer patient only wants to use products that meet personal safety standards, they have to take some time to do the research. But, in all honesty, balancing cancer treatments and trying to take the time to make their own cosmetics, maybe too much to handle. This is why Dr. Singhal selected this line of products for Chemo Companions.
Certifications And Seals Of Approval
There are quite a few certifications and seals of approval that can be helpful in finding the products with the attributes that matter most– whether it’s product safety, natural ingredients, certified organic, or something else. When we see one of these seals on a product package, we know it has met a stringent set of requirements. Cancer patients should keep in mind that not all safer, better products use these certifications due to the expense and time it takes to earn them. Here is a list of seals of approval to look for:
USDA ORGANIC
Products must contain at least 95% organic ingredients
Standard created for food products (USDA has no authority over the production and labeling of cosmetics and personal care products)
Certifying agent’s name and address must appear on the label
EWG VERIFIED
Set of standards that demonstrate EWG’s strict criteria for safety
Products must score “green” (1 or 2) in Skin Deep database
All ingredients must be disclosed, including all fragrance components
Made Safe and other health trends for 2016
MADE SAFE
Products are screened for against a toxicant database for known harmful chemicals such as carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, heavy metals and more
Supply chain and other contamination risks are considered
Ingredients are examined for bioaccumulation, persistence, and general and aquatic toxicity. Goes beyond individual ingredients to certify the finished product
NSF/ANSI 305
Standard developed for personal care and cosmetics using organic ingredients
Formula must contain at least 70% organic content by weight
NATURAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
Standard created specifically for personal care products
Minimum 95% ingredients of natural origin
No ingredients with any suspected human health risks
No processes that significantly or adversely alter the natural ingredients
WHOLE FOODS MARKET PREMIUM BODY CARE
Stringent guidelines for ingredient safety, environmental impact, source and efficacy
Over 400 unacceptable ingredients including parabens, polypropylene glycol, sulfates, artificial fragrances and many more
Used for both private label and independent brands sold at Whole Foods Market
Labels Are Not Guarantees
Even if a company does get "organic" labeling, though, that's also fairly meaningless. Dr. Singhal stresses this: an ingredient's source does not determine its safety. For example, many plants, whether or not they are organically grown, contain substances that may be toxic or allergenic. This is why Dr. Singhal used her expertise and experience acquainted in years of working closely with cancer patients and taking notice of their special needs, to select these products for Hope & Beauty. Try out some of our bestsellers, like Chemotherapy Kit, including Creamy Cleanser, Hydrating Serum, and Perfecting Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 30. This carefully selected regimen will help calm, soothe and support skin under stress during chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The products included are free of many known irritants that can exacerbate some of the common dermatological side effects brought on by many cancer treatments.
