RESOURCES
Converting to Green Beauty
- Why and How?
Table of Contents
Why Natural?
An act of Defiance
Green beauty fans are often criticized as anti-science, overly-fearful, neurotic etc. Some even believe that green-products are overpriced and are only curated for the rich. But what these critics are not seeing is that the decision on choosing green beauty products itself is an act of defence.
It is defending the system that has held its own interest above all consumers – and the industry that is fighting to eliminate the basic regulations that are protecting us as consumers. It unview the growing rates of cancer, allergies, autoimmunity, obesity, and more importantly, the chemical body burden.
It strives not only to fear harmful ingredients, but to fear ignorance. Fear a system that has led us to have a false sense of confidence on all these products and brands. The system can and must change. And you as the consumer – are the one with the power to do so.
The Dangerous Assumptions
- “There are law to protect us against harmful products”
- “If the label says “natural” it must be safe to use”
- “Only a little bit won’t harm anyone”
- “I won’t be able to understand the ingredient list”
- “Hypersensitive skin friendly, so it must be safe”
As much as we all wish to believe in all these assumptions – Unfortunately, you need to rely on yourself on what you’re willing to allow on you and your baby’s body.
A little bit of bad thing adds up
If you have the assumption that harmful ingredients used in our daily products are too mild to cause any health effects. Have you ever considered the cumulative effect, day after day?
There are so many products that we use in a day, from facial wash, tooth paste, shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash, deodorant, lotion, serums, eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, loose powder, bronzer, blush, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, lipsticks, hand cream and the list go on. The same goes to our baby – baby shampoo, face cream, nappy cream, baby oil, wet wipes, tooth paste. And that’s six points of exposure on their delicate skin and body – not just today. But Every Single Day.
Resources
Here’s a list of useful links, apps, and information to guide you on your green beauty journey. All the best!
Living the Chemical Age:
How an Ounce of Prevention can Protect Your Family from a World of Toxins
A useful source for information to motivate you to make positive changes for your family and the planet.
The Body Toxic
Reviews on how we are running on a collective chemical fever that we cannot break. This book digs deep into how it is accumulated in our body and how we are affected by them.
Understanding Ingredients
The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
With a database of over 69,000 products and counting, the truth behind the products are just a few clicks away. Key-in the product name to see an overall rating or explore individual cosmetic ingredients.
CosDNA
A product and ingredient database that reviews each ingredient for its function and safety. Giving a rating of 1-9 to determine it’s risk.
Think Dirty App
Find out how clean a product really is just by scanning the barcode through your phone.
The 5 steps to make the right choice
1) Stop reading marketing wordings – pay attention to what’s on the label instead. Beautiful words such as “natural”, “dermatologist-tested”, “hypersensitive skin friendly”, “gentle” “hypoallergenic” are just marketing tools and mean little.
2) Remember that regulations set to protect us as consumers, may not be as strong as you’d like them to be. While the European Union bans over 1,300 ingredients in consumer products, Canada bans over 500 ingredients in consumer products, but Malaysia only has a list of 50 banned ingredients. This has led the industry to be largely self-regulated. It is on you to determine what you are willing to put on you and your baby.
3) Understanding which ingredients are harmful. If you have been using conventional beauty products and are feeling discouraged about the change, believe me you CAN make a difference. Just start by looking out of these ingredients
- Fragrance
According to the regulation, the word “fragrance” is considered proprietary information and manufacturers are allowed to not review the secret ingredients. In other words, manufacturers could potentially use the word to avoid disclosing non-appropriate ingredients. Look out for brands that are transparent in disclosing all ingredients.
- Parabens
This commonly known ingredient is found in all sorts of products – from lotion to shampoo. It mimics estrogen, hence is known to disrupt its normal production within the body.
- Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Easily found in shampoo, conditioner and body wash. This is a form of chemical preservatives and is known to cause skin allergies.
- Formaldehyde
Is known to be a carcinogen. It can be represented in the form of DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, imidazolidinyl urea and more. It is a form of preservatives in daily used products such as shampoo and bubble bath. It is also known to cause asthma and developmental problems.
- Triclosan and Triclocarban
These have been linked to hormonal disruption in the thyroid and can be transmitted through breast milk. Usually used as antibacterial agents.
- Phthalates
These chemicals are commonly found in undisclosed fragrance ingredients. It is known to be linked to hormonal disruption and birth defects.
4) Don’t get scared by complicated ingredient
While some ingredients are familiar like almond oil, jojoba oil and aloe vera. You might also find other ingredients that sound scary at a glance, such as disodium cocoamphodiacetate – which is non-toxic and non-irritating. Don’t get intimidated by these names. There are resources that can guide you to understand the ingredient list, such as the EWG database and ThinkDirty app.
5) Most important of all – Be empowered to make choices that are right for you. Don’t compromise for less. While it is important to know what you don’t want on the ingredient list, it is also important to look for what you want – natural, organic, and other positive qualities that you will enjoy.
Taking Charge
Green beauty is about taking charge, and engaging with beauty and wellness on your own terms. Here at Senstory, we encourage you to make a difference by choosing beauty products that respect your body and intelligence.
