If you are reader of this website, then you are probably committed to living a greener life in a greener world. Perhaps you have made strides in recycling your cans, eating more organic food, or driving less and walking more. But, do you know that the shampoo you are using may contain formaldehyde or that the lipstick you buy contains lead? Do you know that your lotion may contain cancer-causing agents? Yes, the lotion you put on every single day to nourish your skin may, in actuality, be causing your body harm. According to the book, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of The Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan, this is the sad truth about the personal care products we use. Women are the major consumers of personal products, but men are consumers as well. This issue affects our bodies, our families, as well as our global community.

First, let’s address the issue. Through Malkan’s extensive research, she has written a scientifically based and socially responsible book about the fact that the cosmetic industry is NOT regulated by the FDA and that there are dangerous ingredients in our personal care products. Many major companies claim that using “low levels” of toxic chemicals in beauty products is safe. This is a great concern of mine, and I addressed this question in an interview with Malkan. She states, “Their argument is that hazardous chemicals are safe to use as long as the levels are low. The problem with that logic is that none of us is using just one product at a time, and the low levels of toxic exposure are adding up. My view, and the view of many scientists, is that we need to be concerned about the repeated exposures to the multiple toxicants found in personal care products.” Think about how many products you use on your body a day! This is a scary reality.

Now you know that there are dangerous chemicals in your products. But what are they and how can you avoid them? According to Malkan, “The best advice is: simpler is better. Choose products with fewer synthetic chemicals, shorter ingredient lists, and avoid synthetic fragrance. I look for marker chemicals. If a product contains fragrance, parabens, sodium laurel/laureth sulfate, PEGs, diazolidinyl urea, petrolatum, or things like that, I don’t buy it because I know the company could be making a higher quality, less-toxic product.” There are also phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, and dioxanes in our products. The problem is also that they are not always listed, but rather cleverly hidden under the term fragrance. This is a term of which to be wary.

Now that you are aware of the names of these chemicals, you can further research them in the book Not Just a Pretty Face. Also, there are two excellent websites that Malkan recommends visiting: The Compact for Safe Cosmetics
and Skin Deep. Go into your bathroom closet, look at the products you use, and research them on these sites. Are they safe enough for your body? Could you buy from a more responsible company? We all want a quick answer to this question, but the truth is we have to be willing to do the work. Malkan does not buy products from: “Avon, Estee Lauder, Revlon, L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble and the others who are not responding to legitimate concerns about toxic chemicals.” Although Malkan does not want to endorse specific companies, I would put my stamp of approval on Burt’s Bees, Kiss My Face, and all the companies of the products I have reviewed on Leafygreen.info. I now have slowly started to replace many of my personal items with safer alternatives.

Lastly, what can we, as consumers, do about it? At the end of my interview I asked Malkan this question and she replied, “We need to boycott, lobby, write letters, educate our daughters, talk to everyone we know about what we are learning – we need to reclaim our health, our environment and our democracy.” My advice is to first buy this book, next, reevaluate your products, and last, educate others about the “ugly side of the beauty industry.” Horst Rechelbacher, founder and former owner of Aveda, states in the book that, “Cosmetics should be safe enough to eat.” The philosophy behind this statement is the goal Malkan hopes we can one day achieve.

Thank you to Stacy Malkan for her tremendous insights and research on this significant topic!

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