Love the skin you're in, naturally.
Do you know what makes your body wash foam, or what gives your lipstick that deep red hue? As the largest organ in our bodies and the barrier to everything external, skin is vital to our health and wellbeing. How it looks is often a reflection on and affects how we feel.
We are ‘sold’ an expected image, but we all know we come in so many different forms there is no ‘perfect’, only beautiful people. BUT by being sucked into that sales pitch are we risking our health and damaging the environment on which we rely to survive? Is there a way to reap all the benefits without the damage (including to your bank balance!)?
“As we are now living longer, we are accumulating levels in our bodies that are much higher than ever before, so there is a much larger number of people with higher levels of these chemical mixtures than ever before and we do not know what the implications are of it”
Well, skincare is a minefield of toxic grenades, unethical bombs and hidden ingredient enemies! We are not experts (read that bit again please) so this is not an exhaustive guide and we strongly recommend you do your own further research. Not least because everyone’s ‘why’ is different and you should pursue the issues that matter to you most – it is the best motivation for making those lil changes :-) So grab a cup of Steampunk’s finest and read on… if you’re all ready to make a change, skip straight to the Lil tips on what you can do :-)
Everyone deserves to look and feel their best, and we can without:
Toxic ingredients
Generating plastic waste
Testing on animals
Damaging our health
Damaging the environment
Spending a fortune!
According to research by Bionsen, a UK deodorant maker, an average woman puts on about 515 different synthetic chemicals on her body per day. This number is staggering but when you start to list what you put on your body in your evening and morning routines you can see how it starts to mount up. We use cleansers, toners, moisturisers, serums, deodorants, toothpastes, shave creams, shampoos, conditioners, after shaves, hair styling products, lipstick, foundation, mascara and many other personal care products which leave us exposed to hundreds of chemicals.
“Let me ask you this, thinking about a couple of the ingredients that are actually in these products: have you ever dreamed of rubbing petroleum derivatives and silicone on your face with a dusting of some of the non-stick particles from your frying pan and a splash of endocrine- disruptive compounds, thinking ‘Yum’? Just what your dull skin needs right?”
Alexx rightly also points out that chemicals aren’t the bad guys here - everything is made of chemical elements or compounds (mixtures thereof), you included. It’s those that are toxic to us and the wider environment we are most concerned with.
The main nasties to look out for in the ingredients list are the endocrine disruptors. These mess with your endocrine system – the one that makes and manages hormones – in men, women and children. Once they have passed through us they also mess with similar systems in other creatures – mostly in our rivers and oceans. The ones to check the ingredients list for are[1]:
Parabens - a group of compounds widely used as an antifungal agent, preservative and antimicrobial in creams, lotions, make-up and other cosmetics, including underarm deodorants. Linked to hormone disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation. The EU has banned five parabens from cosmetics but not the most common ones used in cosmetic products – methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. However, it has restricted the amounts of these that can be used in products.
Triclosan and triclocarban can be used as an antimicrobial in soaps. Its use in toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorants, cosmetics and hand soaps is only restricted by the EU whilst, last year, the US banned its use in liquid soaps and bars of soap. Triclosan, which is classified as a pesticide, can affect the body’s hormone systems – especially thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism – and may disrupt normal breast development. It is very toxic to aquatic organisms – just think what you might be putting down the drain. Widespread use of triclosan may also contribute to bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents. Many companies, but not all, have stopped using it now thankfully.
Phthalates - A group of hormone-disrupting chemicals that are most commonly used to make PVC soft and flexible but are also found in cosmetics like nail polish and hairspray, and in synthetic fragrances. Phthalate exposure has been linked to early puberty in girls, a risk factor for later-life breast cancer.
Other Synthetic fragrances - commonly used in personal care products and often contain as many as 200 ingredients. These ingredients are, however, considered to be trade secrets, so companies don’t have to tell us what they are. However, studies suggest a number of possible negative effects of the compounds used to create them including immune system damage, a cause and trigger asthma attacks, hormone disruption, which can affect development and fertility, a potential neurotoxin (chemicals that are toxic to the brain, increase in the proliferation of oestrogen-responsive breast cancer cells, toxic to aquatic life and can accumulate in the food chain.
SLS and SLES (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and Sodium Laureth Sulphate) Two of the most widely-used detergents and foaming agents in shampoos, liquid soap products and toothpaste are sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES). SLS is known to be irritating to the skin and can cause scalp problems when frequently applied as part of a shampoo. The Skin Deep website gives SLS and SLES hazard ratings of 1-2 (low hazard) and 3 out of 10 (moderate hazard) respectively. The website states that research studies have found that exposure to the ingredient itself, not the products that contain it, have indicated potential health risks. In my opinion, it’s not an ingredient we need and has little impact on the effectiveness of the product so let’s skip it.
[1] Ethical Consumer Toxic Chemicals article
A word on natural fragrance & essential oils
Essential oils are often a key component of natural products for both scent and effectiveness. As with any substance in high demand, essential oil harvesting can also have negative impacts on people and the environment with some such as Sandalwood listed as endangered plant species – learn more here
Palm oil
Palm oil and palm oil derivatives have become an important component in many personal care products. In particular, it is used for its viscosity and as a skin conditioning agent. For example, palmate, is an ingredient in many skincare products and is mostly made from palm oil. It is often used as a way of adding vitamin A to food or skincare products. Palm oil plantations, as we are all well aware, have caused the destruction of vast tracts of important forest habitat destroying carbon, capturing tress and the homes of thousands of species – the orangutans being the face of palm oils destructive nature. Avoiding palm oil completely may result however in a shift to other oil producing crops such as cocoa and shea butter being mass grown in different parts of the world causing even more widespread damage. Sustainable palm oil use, as certified by RSPO, therefore seems the preferable approach. Supporting sustainable farmers and producers to do it well and avoiding further environmental damage. It’s a hot potato we’ll come back to but to learn a bit more check out this guardian article
Animal Testing or ingredients
Although the testing of cosmetics on animals has been banned in the EU, this is not the case everywhere else in the world. Whilst the company making your product for sale in the UK may not test it on animals if they are selling to markets, such as China where animal testing of products is required by law they will still be carrying out this practice. Check out Ethical Consumer for company rankings and look out for the Leaping Bunny and Cruelty Free symbols on products. Vegans will want to avoid animal derivatives in their skincare products. Ingredients to watch out for include honey, beeswax, silk, collagen and lanolin. Look out for brands that are certified by the Vegan Society and the Vegetarian Society.
Plastic packaging
“Global plastics production has reached 380 million metric tons in 2015, with around 40% used for packaging. Of the 906 chemicals likely associated with plastic packaging, 63 rank highest for human health hazards and 68 for environmental hazards according to the harmonized hazard classifications assigned by the European Chemicals Agency within the Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP) regulation implementing the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System (GHS). Further, 7 of the 906 substances are classified in the European Union as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT), or very persistent, very bioaccumulative (vPvB), and 15 as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC). ”
In 2018 it was reported that 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, bulked out by the use of complex lids, multi-layered boxes and cellophane, much of which is superfluous, non-recyclable and ends up in our landfills and in our oceans. Push hard for a change both in your bathroom and in government policies!
The UK government made huge strides in banning microbeads in 2018 and last year the Scottish Government banned plastic stemmed cotton buds (a similar ban on cotton buds will be implemented in England this year.
So what the flip can you do?
1. Stop buying the stuff you don’t need and focus on the inside
I know we’ve heard it before and we know it’s the truth, but what we eat and drink will have far more effect on our skin that most beauty products AND we know that expensive lotions and potions can’t undo the damage our diet could be inflicting. Keep it fresh and unprocessed, cut back on the alcohol and caffeine and drink that water. Don’t buy products in the hope they will deliver miracles – it is quite honestly a waste of your time, money and hope.
“First, trim the fat. Stop buying useless crap – the stuff flashy multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns convince you to buy. Perfumed body wash, razors with strange aloe strips surrounding the blades, toners, astringents and a different soap for your hands, body and face – you don’t need most of it. Reducing the amount of beauty products you use means less shopping, less cost, less packaging waste, fewer thrown-out plastic bottles, and fewer questionable chemical compounds being absorbed into your skin. ”
2. Try D.I.Y
For the stuff you do need, try to make as much of it as you can. Creating your own products ensures you have almost complete control over the ingredient and the manufacturing and packaging process, it’s also great fun! You can create soaps, scrubs, toners moisturisers, face wipes and exfoliators and much more from simple store cupboard ingredients. Check out some natural recipes here or search online – there are thousands out there for everything you can think of!
3. Shop natural
For the stuff you can’t make (or for those of you well-intentioned folks who just know there is no way you’ll ever be found whipping up a batch of homemade body cream) let someone else work their magic. We have fabulous, knowledgeable makers right on our doorstep producing gorgeous and effective products. We have chosen to stock a selection of natural skincare products we love for the quality of their products, their careful selection of ingredients, their efforts to reduce plastic packaging, keeping it natural with a close eye on their supply chain. Check them out here
4. Shop plastic free
Plastic packaging, bad for us and totally sucks for the planet and can be avoided. Look out for refillable aluminium or glass pots and bottles that will be used over and over or repurpose them for another use. For instance, my travelling tooth-tabs go in a well washed deodorant tin. Some manufacturers accept returns for a discount off the next purchase. If you haven’t already, switch your cotton buds, cotton wool, plastic exfoliators (and anything else plastic in your bathroom cabinet). If you really can’t avoid the plastic try to avoid complex mixed material containers ((how much of the cost as gone on the container anyway?!) and make sure you recycle it appropriately. Only 50% of Brits are recycling their bathroom waste (as opposed to the 90% of kitchen waste recycled) simply because it’s more inconvenient.
5. Know your stuff.
For anything you can’t make, can’t buy natural there’s a wonderful gold mine of a site called Cosmetics Database. This non-profit site, run by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an absolute mine of information on products ingredients. EWG staff scientists take the ingredients found in more than 75,000 popular health and beauty products and cross-reference them with information found in more than 60 toxicity and regulatory databases. EWG then comes up with a 0-10 safety rating for each product and provides links between individual ingredients and studies which have proven possible organ toxicity, reproductive issues or carcinogenic effects. They don’t cover everything but the big brands are well covered.
Check out our top tips for natural skincare here
It’s never too late to start making those Lil wins
#dolilthings