If you have ever checked out the about page of my blog you will know that my quest to live handmade means knowing more about the products I am buying and I am starting to think more about bath and beauty products. Yesterday I came across this database Called Skin Deep. Skin Deep is a cosmetic safety database published by the Environmental Working Group which gives specific bath and beauty products a safety rating based on their ingredients.
Photo from flickr by pinkpigs'
The Environmental working group is not the only organization concerned with cosmetic ingredients. Canadian Environmental guru David Suzuki and Natural Solutions Magazine have both published lists of ingredients to avoid when shopping for bath and beauty products.
According to the Environmental Working Group you should avoid products with ingredients that include:
- DMDM hydantoin and Imidazolidinyl urea
- Fragrance and dyes
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Parabens or “-paraben”
- “PEG” and “-eth”
- Sodium lauryl or laureth sulphate
- Triclosan and triclocarban
- Triethanolamine (TEA)
I have to say the majority of products in my make-up bag did not get good grades. Many of the products I use contain icky ingredients that I do not want my skin absorbing. My regular beauty and cosmetic regime is riddled with petroleum based substances and artificial chemicals I will not even try to pronounce. With all of this in mind I started digging and looking for safer alternatives to my current beauty products.
Here is a list of natural and organic cosmetic products, many of which are made here in Canada:
Do you have favorite all-natural products? I must admit I am new to many of these products and will be testing them out in the next little while. If you do have favorite products check out the Natural Health Magazine 2010 Beauty Awards and vote for your favorite!
