By Liz Thompson on November 17th, 2009
Though the US may not regulate the cosmetics industry as rigorously as Europe, things are moving in the right direction. On November 5th the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted 12 to 1 in favor of heavier scrutiny by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) when it comes to organic labeling by personal care product manufacturers, holding them to the same guidelines as food producers.
The USDA holds strict standards for organic food products but up to this point cosmetics and personal care products have been very loosely regulated in the US. The new recommendation will require cosmetic manufacturers who use the term “organic” on their labels to either meet certain requirements, reformulate products that do not meet these requirements or cease use of the organic labeling.
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By Leah Karpus on November 4th, 2009
Our society is suffering from estrogen overload. No, I’m not referring to Sex and The City reruns—estrogen overload refers to the increasing amount of estrogen in our environment, our food and our bodies.
“Good” Estrogen
Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, is responsible for normal body processes in women such as secondary female sex characteristics, menstruation, fertility, protein synthesis, bone density, metabolism and much more. Actually, there are three kinds of estrogens in the body: estrone, estradiol, and estriol, which all have specialized roles to play at different points in a woman’s life.
Although estrogen levels are greater in women, estrogen is also needed for libido and maturation of sperm in men.
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By Liz Thompson on June 19th, 2009
You know there are certain ingredients that you don’t want in your cosmetic products. But you may not know all of the name variations or even exactly why certain ingredients are harmful.
Well, leave it to Stephanie Greenwood at Bubble & Bee Organic to come up with an easy, convenient and (even) fun way to keep you in the know on toxic ingredient education. With “Today’s Chemical” (Stephanie’s new chemical ingredient education service) you can ask a question about toxic ingredients in cosmetics, learn about chemicals and get recipes for homemade beauty products. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on March 13th, 2009
People seem to be jumping off the soy boat as quickly as they jumped on as more research is revealed on this once thought super food.
We all know of soy’s good attributes; contains significant amounts of essential amino acids, omega-6 fatty acids, may have a protective effect on the brain and cardiovascular system and is a good source of protein.
The flip side of this coin is that soy is also rich in isoflavones, called genistein and daidzein, which are potent phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens, sometimes called “dietary estrogens”, are naturally occurring non steroidal plant compounds which can have estrogenic effects on the body. Because of this, women with breast cancer or a history of the disease should be aware of the risks associated with the use of soy.
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By Liz Thompson on February 26th, 2009
Many tend to think of going green as being more expensive. This idea may come from a tour of their local green market or a glance at a high end online retailer of organic products. But this does not necessarily have to be the rule. As a matter of fact, going green can go hand-in-hand with saving money.
That’s right, you can actually save a little green while switching to a more sustainable and organic lifestyle.
Let’s start with the most obvious choice; food. To make your eating habits healthier and more environmentally sound does not mean you have to purchase all of your food from a health food store, which is usually more expensive. Most large supermarkets now have a wide selection of organic products at rates comparable to conventional food products. The first step is to know what is most important to buy organic. Produce, meats and dairy are at the top of the list. If your grocer doesn’t stock these items, make your usual purchases and swing by the organic grocer on your way home to stock up on apples, eggs and milk. It may be one more stop but well worth it.
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By Liz Thompson on February 6th, 2009
As adults we know what is good for us. And, of course, our job as parents is to look after our kids; teach them manners and respect, make sure they get enough exercise, eat a healthy diet. But do we take as much notice of which personal care products they are using?
A study done by The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in 2008 on adolescent exposure to chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products revealed some alarming statistics. In 20 teen girls aged 14-19 16 chemicals from four chemical families were detected. These chemicals – phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks – are linked to potential health concerns, including hormone disruption and cancer.
Most everyone by now has heard of parabens (widely used synthetic preservatives) and the harmful effects they can have on our health, including links to breast cancer. This study by the EWG is the first to expose statistics for parabens in teens. And the results are disturbing, with two types of parabens detected in each girl tested.
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By Liz Thompson on January 23rd, 2009
With everyone going green these days it is often hard for consumers to distinguish a product that is truly safe from one that is just making that claim. It is perfectly legal, and often practiced, to use terms like safe, natural and organic on a cosmetics product label. So how can you tell if you are buying a safe product?
First, “natural” simply means that one or more of a product’s ingredients have been derived from a natural source. This is really no big deal if it is also full of harmful chemical ingredients. And as for using “organic” on a cosmetics label; Organic = 95% of the ingredients must be organically grown, the remaining 5% may be non-organically produced ingredients, and Made with Organic Ingredients = must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, the remaining 30% may be non-organically produced ingredients. That remaining 5%-30% is the dangerous gray area where cosmetics manufacturers can use nearly any ingredient of there choosing. The U.S. government does restrict the use of certain ingredients, but they are not many. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on January 14th, 2009
Advocates for safety in cosmetics have long been hoping for some good news on the regulation of cosmetics by the U.S. government. With standards in the U.S. being very loose and under regulated as compared to those of the European Union, it is about time someone step up and take a stand against all of the harmful ingredients being thrown into our cosmetics and personal care products.
Well, it looks as if Barack Obama may do just that. Cosmetics giants are sweating through their aluminum-based antiperspirants at the news of possible reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which gives the EPA authority to regulate certain chemicals. As of now, the cosmetics industry is excluded from the act, but changes in the law could require increased testing and reporting of chemicals used in personal care products. (more…)
By Liz Thompson on November 20th, 2008
Well, we all know that we don’t want to give our kids another pile of plastic for Christmas this year, but be careful with those stocking stuffers too. Little girls love lip gloss, lotion and bath gel, and with every teen superstar fronting a beauty brand, who could blame them. They can wear Hannah Montana lip gloss and Gabriella body glitter. But how harmful are these seemingly innocent products?
Most of these mass produced glamour girl products are made as cheaply as possible, which means petrolatum. That’s right, the ubiquitous petroleum so many cosmetics manufacturers love so well. Petrolatum is a known human carcinogen and should not even be a choice for manufacturers but, unfortunately still is at this time. Products containing this harmful ingredient often list Mineral Oil on the label.
Let’s move on to color. Those tantalizing shades of hot pink and grapey purple that no little girl can resist, especially when they are loaded with synthetic glitter, are as un-natural as their color. D&C RED, FD&C YELLOW AND FD&C BLUE are developmental and reproductive toxins, as well as neurotoxins and harmful to our organ system, as stated by The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database.
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