Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out (32 page)

skin irritant.

PROPYLPARABEN: skin and eye irritant; endocrine disruptor

linked to breast and ovarian

cancer; environmental

contaminant.

QUATERNIUM-7, 15, 31, 60: formaldehyde releaser; can cause

skin and eye irritation; linked to several cancers (see

FORMALDEHYDE).

RESORCINOL (m-hydroquinone, euresol, 1,3-benzenediol):

strong skin irritant, linked to

adenomas in animals, suspected

to trigger skin cancer in humans,

environmental toxin.

RETINYL PALMITATE (Vitamin A Palmitate): linked to skin cancer, shows reproductive toxicity,

and causes DNA mutations.

SACCHARIN: suspected human carcinogen; causes liver, kidney,

and bladder damage in animals,

as well as reproductive damage

and birth abnormalities.

SELENIUM SULFIDE: used in antidandruff treatment, this

chemical is toxic to human nervous system and is a possible

human carcinogen limited for

use in cosmetics.

SODIUM METHYLPARABEN: endocrine disruptor; caused mild

brain damage in animals; skin

irritant causing itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering

of skin; causes

depigmentation of skin; banned

for use in European Union.

SODIUM MONOFLUOROPHOSPHATE: nervous system toxin;

harmful if swallowed during

teeth bleaching; causes convulsions, proteinuria, osteoporosis,

and changes in DNA in animals;

restricted in Canada.

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE: skin irritant, water contaminant,

may be contaminated with carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.

SODIUM SULFITE: immune system toxicant; eye and skin irritant;

emits toxic gas when

contacts with acids; dangerous

for asthmatics; causes stillbirth, muscle weakness, and brain degeneration in animals.

TALC: even when it contains no asbestos, was proven fibrogenic

(causes tissue injury and fibrosis), skin and lung irritation.

TETRASODIUM EDTA: contains formaldehyde; cytotoxic and

genotoxic in animals; strong

skin and lung irritant in humans;

most widespread poison

to waterways.

THIMEROSAL (Thiomersal, Merthiolate): contains mercury,

which is a strong toxin to skin,

nervous and immune system;

causes cancer in animals; environmental toxin.

THIOGLYCOLIC ACID: contains mercury, strong human skin

irritant; causes itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering

of skin; lung allergen;

restricted in cosmetics; banned

in Canada.

TOLUENE (methylbenzene): skin and lung toxicant; accumulates

in fat tissue; soil contaminant.

TRICLOSAN: endocrine disruptor, affects thyroid hormoneassociated

gene .expression,

caused fetal death in animals;

strong skin irritant; environmental toxicant

TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA ): causes lymphoid, kidney, and

renal tumors in animals; may be

contaminated with carcinogen

1,4-dioxane; skin and eye irritant even when used in low

doses.

TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE: this nail color ingredient is a human

immune system toxicant and

neurotoxin.

VERBENA
(Lippia citriodora)
: banned for use in fragrances

based on strong evidence of

human toxicity.

XANTHENE (AKA106, CI 45100): found unsafe for use in

cosmetics in the United States;

caused cancer and various organ

mutations in animals.

ZINOXOL: this odor-reducing chemical is a strong immune

system suppressant and a known

neurotoxin.

SOURCES

Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); European Union: Classification & Labelling; Health Canada: List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients; EPA Water Quality Standards Database; EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants; National Library of Medicine; CHE Toxicant and Disease Database; Scorecard. org Toxicity Information; U.S. Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics; International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

APPENDIX B

Going to make your own natural beauty products? Here are some suggestions to get you started:

NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Mountain Rose Herbs
(
www.mountainroseherbs.com
)

Dried herbs, hydrosols, clays, honey, vitamins, and other ingredients for a beauty enthusiast. One of the oldest and most trusted resources for all things green and wholesome.

Texas Natural Supply
(
www.texasnaturalsupply.com
)

Vitamins, clays, antioxidants, ready-blended bases, and natural preservatives for organic and natural skincare, haircare, and makeup products delivered worldwide and with great customer service.

From Nature with Love
(
www.fromnaturewithlove.com
)

A wholesale supplier of natural ingredients used in skincare, hair care, aromatherapy, massage, and spa products, as well as herbal preparations, soap, and candle-making materials, and potpourri.

Ingredients to Die For
(
www.ingredientstodiefor.com
)
Despite the macabre name, this website sells an astonishing selection of vitamins, pre-blended formulas, and organic and seminatural base formulas for cosmetic enthusiasts in very small quantities.

Essential Wholesale
(
www.essentialwholesale.com
)

Basic ingredients, oils, butters, waxes, vitamins, essential oils, mineral pigments, and other ingredients to make your own natural beauty products and makeup.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON HOW TO MAKE SKINCARE, MAKEUP,
BODY CARE, AND SOAPS

Green Beauty Recipes: Easy Homemade Recipes to Make Your Own Organic and Natural Skincare, Hair Care and Body Care Products
by Julie Gabriel (Petite Marie Books, 2010)
Organic Body Care Recipes: 175 Homemade Herbal Formulas for Glowing Skin & a Vibrant Self
by Stephanie Tourles (Storey Publishing, 2007)
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health—Beauty—a Safe Home Environment
by Valerie Ann Worwood (New World Library, 1991)
Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Traditional Handmade Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Handcrafted Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
by Anne L. Watson (Shepard Publications, 2007)
The Naturally Clean Home: 150 Super-Easy Herbal Formulas for Green Cleaning
by Karyn Siegel-Maier (Storey Publishing, LLC , 2008)
Homemade: How to Make Hundreds of Everyday Products Fast, Fresh, and More Naturally
by Reader’s Digest (Readers Digest, 2008)
Return to Beauty: Old-World Recipes for Great Radiant Skin
by Narine Nikogosian (Atria Books, 2009)

Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy
by Kurt Schnaubelt Ph.D. (Healing Arts Press, 1998)

The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals that Are Destroying Your Health
by Randall Fitzgerald (Plume, 2007)
Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry
by Stacy Malkan (New Society Publishers, 2007)

No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics
by Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2010)
Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things
by Rick Smith, Bruce Lourie (Counterpoint; Reprint edition, 2011)
Food Additives: A Shopper’s Guide to What’s Safe & What’s Not
by Christine Hoza Farlow (KISS For Health Publishing, 2007)
Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power
by Mark Schapiro (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009)
The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being
by Nena Baker (North Point Press, 2009)

APPENDIX C

Recommended
Natural Beauty Brands

When I was writing
The Green Beauty Guide
in 2007, a similar appendix was a lot easier to write, as there were maybe ten reliably green beauty brands. Today, we are spoilt for choice when we choose to go natural in skincare, and therefore, I would rather suggest a brand than a particular product—there are just too many of them, fortunately, to choose from.

I have handpicked the following brands because their products did not contain synthetic chemicals, petrochemicals, harsh preservatives, or artificial fragrance at the time of writing in April 2012. However, product formulations can change, and a pure product can turn into a “green-washed” one overnight. So always do your homework before purchasing!

100% Pure
(100percentpure.

com): innovative makeup products

tinted with fruit and vegetable

pigments as well as

natural and organic skincare

products—including ice creamflavored, naturally scented baby

washes and shampoos.

A’kin
(
www.purist.com
): pure and organic skincare and hair

care products enriched with antioxidants and botanicals from

Australia.

Alima Pure
(
www.alimapure.com
): lovely mineral makeup

without any nasties.

Alqvimia
(
www.alqvimia.com
): the twenty-five-year-old natural

and organic skincare line from

Spain specializing in aromatherapeutic body products and

fragrances.

Amazon Beauty
(
www.rahua.com
): presents a natural hair

care brand Rahua that is free

from chemicals and full of Amazonian plant extracts.

Antipodes
(
www.antipodesnature.com
): certified organic

skincare featuring organic avocado oil blended with exotic New

Zealand plant extracts.

Apples & Pears
(
www.applesandpears.com
): lovely lip balms

with beeswax made entirely by

hand. Ideal for sensitive, dry, or baby lips.

Aromafloria
(
www.aromafloria.com
): specializing in aromatherapeutic

products for skin

and mind.

Babybearshop
(
www.babybearshop.com
): stocks lovely

baby skincare products that are

also good for mommies with

sensitive dry skin.

Badger Balm
(
www.badgerbalm.com
): is one of the pioneers

of the green beauty trade.

They make the most effective

skin balm and, more recently,

the most luxurious natural antiaging sunscreen, as well as zinc

oxide sun creams for children.

Balm Balm
(
www.balmbalm.com
): started with a simple concept,

to offer a multifunctional

balm to go on lips, lids, cheeks, and anywhere you like. Today,

Balm Balm also added singlenote

natural fragrances to simplify

our lives even more.

Barefoot Botanicals
(
www.barefootbotanicals.com
): is a natural skincare line with scientific edge. The brand name was

inspired by the ancient Chinese

tradition of barefoot doctors

who traveled from village to village, supplying remedies and

spreading wisdom.

Brown Earth
(
www.brownearth.co.uk
): supplies unrefined organic

shea butter (probably the

best body moisturizer on the

planet) as well as black soap

(great for acne) and essential

oil-based bath products.

Dr. Alkaitis
(
www.alkaitis.com
): offers organic cleansers,

masks, and moisturizers prefermented in the lab to increase

skin compatibility.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
(
www.drbronner.com
): my trusted favorite for years. Their soaps clean skin, hair, body, and
dishes without any dryness or acrid smells. In fact, you can use one soap (my choice is Baby Mild

Liquid Soap) for head-to-toe

cleansing and you won’t even

need a conditioner or a moisturizer.

This brand is a self-appointed

natural skincare

industry watchdog, so rest assured you are washing or shampooing

yourself with the cleanest

product possible.

Dr. Hauschka
(
www.drhauschka.com
): one of the pioneers of organic

and natural skincare.

Their exfoliating cleanser paved

way to the whole natural cleansing trend. We love their moisturizers and tinted face oils, while

their body oils are simply

irresistible.

Fresh Therapies
(
www.freshtherapies.com
): makes one stellar

product: EDEN Natural Nail

Varnish Remover, which is free

from acetone or other dangerous

chemicals. Smells delicious and

actually helps moisturize your

nails.

Ecosoapia
(
www.ecosoapia.com
):the UK’s answer to Dr.

Bronner’s natural liquid soaps,

although they are a lot more

expensive.

Elysambre
(
www.elysambre.com
): a French organic makeup

company that sells their powder

foundations and blushes in gorgeous refillable packaging. Turn

to them for chic shades of natural nail polishes and runwayworthy