Natural Skin care Products - Are They Safe?

Did you know that some of the most POPULAR natural skin care products on the market still contain toxic chemicals?

Does that surprise you?  Would you continue to use them knowing they contain ingredients linked to asthma, allergies & cancer? Most people assume that natural skin care products are safer for health, but that unfortunately is not always the case.

Many of us look to trusted brands to help us make purchasing decisions in our home. From the laundry detergent that we use to the personal care products we choose. We trust companies to provide us with products that work but that also protect our health and the health of our families. 

And in reality, most people don’t even think of the safety part… it’s just a given… we believe products we buy in the store or online, especially NATURAL skin care products, are not going to harm our health.

In this day and age of “organic” & “natural” being such a part of our culture, we automatically assume that these trusted brands are providing safer solutions, especially when they use these buzz words on their products.  But I’m here to tell you that is unfortunately not true. 

Today, my day job is to educate consumers on the importance of looking into the safety of the products they choose. To help them find safer solutions that actually work and are better for the environment.  But just a few short years ago I was probably where you are today. 

Most people believe that companies have our health in mind when creating their products.  But hopefully after reading about my discovery of some very dangerous ingredients in the natural skin care product I was using on my twin boys, you will begin to shift your mindset and start to question the safety of the products in your home.

My personal experience with finding questionable & harmful ingredients in the natural skin care products I was using on my kids.

A few years ago I was giving my boys a routine evening bath with a “natural” body wash.  After I scrubbed all the playground dirt off of them, I decided to take a look at the ingredients. 

Normally I wouldn’t think about flipping the bottle over and looking at the label, especially on natural skin care products.  But this day in particular was different. 

Earlier I had met a woman who casually mentioned that the terms “natural” & “organic” do not mean anything in the personal care industry.  She said that it’s perfectly legal for companies to say a product is natural but still include harmful & questionable ingredients in their formulas.

I couldn’t shake what she said.  Was that really true?  Could companies market to consumers with words like “natural” & “organic” and put ingredients in their products that weren’t that?  As a research junkie, I began to look into this to disprove the woman I had met earlier that day. 

I found out 3 pretty astonishing facts when it comes to the personal care industry, including natural skin care products

 1. There had not been a major update to the law governing the $65 Billion Personal Care Industry since 1938.

2. Only 1.5 pages of law are currently responsible for regulating this massive industry.  

3. Only 11 ingredients have been banned from being used in products sold in the United States, compared to 1400 ingredients which have been banned or restricted in the European Union.

This information put some MAJOR doubt in my head about the safety of the products I was using.  Especially the ones for my precious boys.  So that evening I was compelled to research each ingredient in the products I was using. 

What I found made my head spin.  The natural skin care products we were using contained MULTIPLE ingredients linked to health concerns. 

Some of the ingredients I found were linked to asthma (which both of my boys had).  One ingredient irritated eczema (which my son Jack has).  And lastly there were a few ingredients that had been linked to cancer. Needless to say, I was pretty ticked off!

What should you do if you find harmful ingredients in your personal care products? 

As soon as I realized the products we were using weren't safe like I thought they were, I went on a search for ones that were. 

I was introduced to the Environmental Working Group as a resource for finding safer solutions and eventually stumbled upon Beautycounter. They were the only company I could find that was providing both high-performing & safer solutions.  Plus, they actively work in Washington to change the laws governing the personal care industry. **This is not a sales pitch for Beautycounter.  Although I do love them & trust their products for our family, what I really hope is that you begin researching the ingredients in your current products and start looking for safer alternatives.

Over the years I have set a new standard for our family.  

The products we use on a daily basis must fit these 3 criteria. 

1. Our skincare products must WORK (what’s the point if they don’t actually do what they’re supposed to do?).

2.  The products we use must be significantly safer, ideally supporting companies who are setting a new standard for safety & transparency.  Thank goodness there are companies and products out there that fit the bill, but not nearly enough.

3. Our household products must be better for the environment.  They should use less plastic, contain less harsh chemicals and use packaging that is easily recyclable.

BOTTOM LINE: Don’t just trust companies for providing safe products, do you research and if you don’t have the time or want to put in the effort, reach out to friends/family members or follow bloggers (like me! 😜) that you trust to help you switch to safer.

I know if can be very overwhelming thinking of going through all of your skincare products.  Just take it one product at a time.  I started with the products I was using on my kids, so start there.  Soon enough, you'll have found safer alternatives to most of the products you use on a daily basis.  

It's about progress, not perfection.  So do your research, make switching to safer products a priority and you'll be on the right path!