In today’s market, “organic” and “natural” just aren’t good enough. A product may have organic ingredients, but still contribute to dry skin. It may have natural ingredients, but cause allergic reactions. It may be organic and natural, and still contain hormone-altering ingredients. So how can you tell what’s safe and what’s not?

Here are a few key things to watch for.

Ingredients used. This is probably the most important thing when it comes to safety in personal care products. What ingredients are used? Are there any that could be potential hormone-disruptors, like phthalates and preservatives? Have any been connected with other health hazards? Are some of them harsh on the skin, like sulfates, or actually drying to the skin, like petroleum products? If you’re looking for products with safe ingredients, take my Ingredients to Avoid list with you when you go shopping. I’ve made it easy for you!

Potential for reactions. Some ingredients, though they may be generally safe, have a higher potential for causing allergic reactions than others. Some essential oils, for example, may actually be harsh on the skin, or cause allergic reactions in some people. Some preservatives, like ureas, are well established as encouraging the development of contact dermatitis, while others, like parabens, are often reported to cause rashes. Sodium lauryl sulfate can cause eye irritations and allergic reactions. Avoiding these ingredients, particularly if you’re sensitive, is key to staying safe.

Type of preservatives used. There’s no doubt that personal care products need some kind of preservatives. Otherwise they become contaminated with microorganisms, and that’s definitely not safe. But what type of preservatives are used? Ureas (which can form formaldehyde), parabens, and some other types have been linked with health problems, but still they’re used in a wide variety of products. Safer options are those approved by organizations that set high standards for safety, like ECOCERT, NaTrue and the Soil Association.

Thoroughness of the testing. Manufacturers of personal care products don’t have to gain FDA approval before they put their products on the market. That means that their safety testing is totally up to them. Do they actually test the product before they sell it? How extensive is that testing? Do they test it in the lab to be sure it remains free of microorganisms and that it remains stable over time? Do they conduct consumer testing to see if the product is satisfactory to users? A program of rigorous testing helps ensure a safe and effective product.

If you’re curious about how “safe” your products are, try these few tips:

• Buy from reputable brands known for their safety, like Kahina Giving Beauty, Jurlique, RMS Beauty, Waleda, Sophyto, Marie Veronique Organics, and others.
• Read labels, always, read labels!
• Organic is a good start, but just because it says organic or natural doesn’t mean it’s safe. Look a little deeper.
• Know yourself—what are you allergic to? Do you have sensitive skin? Use my Ingredients to Avoid list, and be extra cautious with harsh ingredients.
• Check out the website of the company you’re buying from for more information on their policies.
• Check your favorite products against the Safe Cosmetics database.
• Shop at locations known for carrying safer products.

Are you seeking safe personal care products? Do you have suggestions?

Photo courtesy calignosus via Flickr.com.

Great. You’re convinced, but now you may be saying: Just how am I supposed to make heads or tails of these things? I can’t even pronounce half the words!

Don’t worry. When you’re looking at labels, just follow these few tips.

1. Check the first five-to-eight ingredients. Ingredients are listed according to their concentration. (The only exception is if the product contains an ingredient classified as a drug, or an “active” ingredient—like Retin A or zinc oxide. Then that ingredient will be listed first, regardless of concentration.) The product contains the most of the first ingredient, and the least of the last. So even if a product brags about its vitamin C content, if vitamin C is one of the last ingredients, you know that there’s probably not enough in there to do you any good. Not only that, but according to Life123 author Heleigh Bostwick, “…the rule of thumb is that about 90% of the skin care product is made from the top 33% of the ingredients.” That means if the product lists 25 ingredients, at least 90% of it consists of the first eight. If you can’t pronounce them (or if they’re ingredients you should avoid), pass the product by.

2. Toxic ingredients accumulate. Based on this information, you may be thinking, “Well, okay, so if I’m supposed to avoid parabens, but the parabens are listed last on the ingredient deck, then surely they are present in such small amounts that they won’t hurt me?” This is actually what manufacturers think, and the reason the FDA hasn’t taken any action to disallow these ingredients. But studies have found parabens in the tissue of breast cancer patients, and remember—you use many personal-care products on a daily basis, and most of them will have parabens or other potentially toxic ingredients. Multiply that “little bit” times your shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer, toner, face cleanser, night cream, eye cream, makeup, and more—used 365 days a year, for over 80 years—and you end up with significant buildup.

3. Take the words “natural” and “organic” with a grain of salt. When you’re looking for less toxic formulas, organic products can be a good place to start, but always check the label. Unlike the food industry, which has standards products must follow to claim “organic,” the cosmetic industry has no such standard—unless you see an organic seal. Most seals do come with certain requirements. (Read our post about organic labels.)  But if the product just says “organic” or “natural,” that’s no guarantee. Make sure the ingredients echo the claim.

4. Brush up on our ingredients to avoid. Some companies try to make ingredients sound better than they really are. For instance, many will list sodium lauryl sulfate (a harsh cleanser) and qualify it as “from coconut oil.” Don’t be fooled. The product isn’t coconut oil. They take an alcohol from the oil and process it through a chemical reaction that can result in impurities like dioxane 1,4.

5. The more ingredients you can pronounce, the better. Manufacturers are learning that natural herbs and essential oils have many properties that are good for the skin. So when you’re reading the label, if you see things like “aloe, orange extract, olive juice extract, patchouli essential oil,” and the like, you’re better off than if you read “bis-diglyceryl Caprylate, Ceteareth-12, methylparaben and sodium laureth sulfate.”

6. Check the expiration date. When using truly natural products, pay attention to the ‘use-by’ date. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, you want to be especially careful not to use expired products, to lower your risk of infection. Instead of stocking your cupboards with too many products (which is no bargain if they expire), buy more only when you’ve used up what you have.

If you’re in doubt about an ingredient, check our list of those to avoid, go to the cosmetic database, or try the Smart Skin Care glossary. In a short amount of time, your friends will be coming to you for advice on their favorite brands!

Please pass along any other helpful tips on reading labels.

Photo courtesy Kevin Boyd, via Flickr.com