The Basics of Beauty and Cosmetics: Why I Choose Eco-Friendly Products

Looking back, I can recall some of my favorite childhood shower products. Like the L’oreal for kids shampoo that smelled like watermelon and had an eye on the side of the bottle that looked like a flounder or some other kind of fish. I’ve had sensitive skin since I was a kid so I always used Suave hypoallergenic liquid body wash, which still came in a variety of scents from fruity floral to rich vanilla. Then in high school when we all go through that glorious phase we call puberty and pimples emerge, I started using face washes with the little exfoliating beads to help “bust up clogged pores” or whatever gimmick was on the container. There was no consideration that these everyday products I was using to stay clean were possibly bad for me, the environment, or animals.  

When I got to college, studying environmental science, one of my first classes was a full academic year long course touching on all the different components of environmental science. One of the chapters focused on environmental toxicology, ranging from chemicals found in everyday products like soaps and house cleaners to the types of pollutants emitted from production plants. I was drawn to the former, and completely blown away by how companies were getting away with putting these things into products. From BPA in the plastic lining of my favorite canned pasta sauce to the fragrances, often carcinogenic, added to my shampoos and body washes.

We studied about the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, and how of the 80,000+ chemicals in production, over 50,000 of them were grandfathered into the TSCA. While the EPA has the authority to review new and existing chemicals for safety, testing is not required by corporations. Therefore, it can be challenging to identify which chemicals are most harmful and should be regulated, rendering the TSCA ineffective and toothless¹. There are nonprofits dedicated researching individual chemicals and products for toxicity, most notably the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

I wish I could recall the quote I learned in college, or even who said it, but it was something along the lines of “nature is like a knitted blanket, you cannot tug an individual thread without lifting the others around it.” Essentially, nothing in nature acts independently, including humans. The chemicals we use in everyday life enters the world around us through water, the air, through soil, even our own waste. The little microbeads in face washes, now banned, slipped through screens at wastewater treatment facilities and ended up in our waterways and aquatic life. The BPA, a hormonal endocrine disruptor, from the lining of my favorite canned pasta sauce leaves my body and enters into our water systems. The pesticides we spray our crops with can also contain endocrine disruptors and have been shown to impact genetics of frog populations².

While extensive testing is not required, there are some basic tests that products need to undergo to ensure safety for the consumer. Historically, beauty and cosmetic products have been tested on animals, from mice and rabbits to cats and dogs. It was in college that I really started using cruelty free products, learning that I could vote with my dollar and choose companies that don’t test on animals and generally have safer ingredients. Take it a step further and now there are companies with vegan and organic ingredients, and packaging made entirely from post consumer recycled materials.

I want to acknowledge how lucky and grateful I am to live in a place that has clean water, that I have the ability to shower daily, and afford luxurious items such as beauty and cosmetic products. I realize this is a privilege I have, as many regions of the world don’t have immediate access to clean drinking water, let alone for bathing in. This actually brings me to my next point about eco-friendly products. Much of the time, these eco-friendly companies not only choose ethically sourced safe ingredients, but many of them donate portions of their profit to charities that relate to their products.

At the end of the day, there are so many beauty and cosmetic brands working to make a difference by choosing quality ingredients, not testing on animals, and giving back to communities in need. So next time you’re browsing through the makeup and skincare aisles, take a look at the back of the bottle to see if your favorite products measure up, and if not, consider trying out something new!

What are the take aways:

• While the TSCA is responsible for the regulation of chemicals in the United States, it falls short in many ways, in part due to the number of chemicals grandfathered in and legal hurdles required before ability to regulate chemicals
• Chemicals in our everyday products enter the environment through a variety of avenues, negatively impacting air and water quality and harming wildlife
• Opting for products that are certified cruelty free, vegan or plant based, and/or certified organic is a great place to start making your beauty and cosmetic routine more sustainable

Citations

1. OFF THE BOOKS II: MORE SECRET CHEMICALS : TSCA. (2016, May 9). Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/research/off-the-books-ii-more-secret-chemicals/tsca
2. Hayes, T. B., Collins, A., Lee, M., Mendoza, M., Noriega, N., Stuart, A. A., & Vonk, A. (2002). Hermaphroditic, demasculinized frogs after exposure to the herbicide atrazine at low ecologically relevant doses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,99(8), 5476-5480. doi:10.1073/pnas.082121499