How To Be Beautifully Sustainable

Many of us look at food labels every day, but not many people look at labels
when shopping for skin care or beauty products. The skin is your largest organ and sixty
percent of what you put on your body is absorbed into the bloodstream. Next time you go
shopping and look at a beauty label, you will find that not all of the ingredients listed in
your beauty products are as pretty as they seem.
Can you pronounce 4-phenylenediamine or triethanolamine? Neither can I. Indie Lee
founded her own all-natural skin care line after discovering that she had a fatal tumor
most likely caused by environmental toxins. Her rule of thumb is that: If you cannot
pronounce it, it is not good for you.

Many of the ingredients in our skincare and makeup were banned in Europe for
causing or suspected of causing cancer, genetic mutations, birth defects or reproductive
harm. They are also harmful to fish and other wildlife.

Except for about a dozen ingredients here in the U.S., the industry is pretty much
allowed to put whatever they want in their beauty products, said Indie Lee. Worse still,
subtle marketing campaigns and fancy packaging encourage consumers to buy into a
product's efficacy and safety even though those products might very well be inefficacious
and unsafe.
The easiest way to be sure that what you are putting on your skin is not harmful is
to use the principle that less is more. This does not mean that you have to sacrifice
quality, efficacy or your health. There is a plethora of glamorous, high-end, chic, and
great quality sustainable beauty brands that are not only good for you and good for the
environment.
Tarte formulates their makeup and skincare products without parabens, mineral
oil, formulated phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfates, and even without gluten. I particularly
love their line Amazonian Clay foundations, bronzers and blushes, eye liners and
W3LL People is an all-natural organic beauty makeup line. They make their
makeup toxin-free, in small batches, with 100% premium natural and organic ingredients.
Their slogan is: Hippie tested. Diva approved. I love their foundation, lip stains and
mascara.
Josie Maran makes pure, 100% organic argan oil-infused, eco- friendly skincare
& cosmetics that enhance natural beauty. I love the Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon as
well as her 100% Pure Argan oil for hair and Argan oil light for your face.

Boscia is one of the world's first preservative-free, botanically-based skincare
lines. They make one of the best B.B Creams and have great cleaners and masks.
There are many other great sustainable beauty brands out there. As sustainability
awareness grows, so does the sustainable beauty market. Stores like Sephora, Blue
Mercury and Whole Foods sell a variety of options. Just make sure to read the labels.
Sustainable beauty activists have come up with a list of the Dirty Dozen ingredients to
keep an eye out for:

Ingredient Used in Harm
1. BHA and BHT

Moisturizers and
makeup
Endocrine disruptors and may cause cancer.
2. p-phenylenediamine Hair dyes Potential to cause cancer and may be contaminated with
heavy metals toxic to the brain.
3. DEA Moisturizers and
shampoos
Can react to form nitrosamines, which may cause cancer

4. Dibutyl phthalate

Nail care products. Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant.
5. Formaldehyde A variety of
cosmetics.
Slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde, which causes
cancer.
6. Parabens A variety of
cosmetics
Suspected endocrine disrupters and may interfere with male
reproductive functions.
7. Parfum (a.k.a.
fragrance)
A variety of
cosmetics

Fragrance ingredients can trigger allergies and asthma. Some
linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. Fragrance is also used to
mask other harmful chemicals.
8. PEG compounds

Cosmetic cream
bases
Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause
cancer.
9. Petrolatum

Hair products, lip
balms, lip sticks
and moisturizers.
Can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
which may cause cancer.

10. Siloxanes A variety of
cosmetics
Suspected endocrine disrupter and reproductive toxicant
(cyclotetrasiloxane).
11. Sodium laureth
sulfate
Shampoos,
cleansers and
bubble bath.
Can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which may cause
cancer.
12. Triclosan Toothpastes,
cleansers and
antiperspirants.
Suspected endocrine disrupter and may contribute to
antibiotic resistance in bacteria.