As a conscientious parent, you have probably bathed your baby girl in safe, natural products, wrapped her up in organic cotton blankets and fed her organic fruits and vegetables. But what about when she turns 9, 10, 11 and starts playing with makeup? Where are the natural products then?
Though adults can now find, with some effort, safe personal-care products that contain few toxic ingredients, the tween scene continues to be dominated by brands full of propylene glycol (a hormone disruptor); sodium laureth sulfates (harsh on skin); and DMDM hydantoin, a skin, eye, and lung irritant. Add to that the sparkly packaging dancing with idols like Hannah Montana and Hello Kitty and your own plain-colored organic products will never compete, no matter how much you plead.
Fortunately, things are changing. We’re thrilled to hear of some new things happening for the well being of girls who are not yet full-blown teeneagers, but are starting to experiment with being young women-the “tween” set. “Good For You Girls” has hit the shelves, a brand of skincare for teens and tweens that combines natural and organic ingredients and avoids toxic chemicals like parabens, petrochemicals, dyes and irritants, and synthetic fragrances. Finally, young girls have a choice in the products they buy!
Another one-Sparklehearts-makeup, bath, and beauty products that steer clear of chemicals, avoid animal testing, and stay away from artificial colorants. Better yet, these companies know their audience-you’ll find no plain-Jane packaging with little color and pizzazz. Colorful pink and yellow labels that appeal to young girls help make the sale.
Young girls are more at risk from all the toxins we find in most mainstream products, as their bodies aren’t as able to detoxify. We mentioned in an earlier post how the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found 16 chemicals in the blood and urine samples of 20 teen girls-including phthalates, triclosan, and parabens. Young girls are still growing, and since they’re going through puberty, they’re just starting to develop reproductive systems. Hormone-altering chemicals present in the blood stream could be particularly harmful. Tween and teen girls also use more products than adults as they go through a period of experimentation, exposing themselves to over 100 different cosmetic ingredients.
Many girls in the tween years know little about the dangers present in the ingredients in personal-care products, but some are starting to change that, as well. An organization called “Teens Turning Green” (TTG) is a student-led movement educating other teens about eliminating toxic exposure. Started in 2002 as “Teens for Safe Cosmetics,” the group has grown to encourage teens to look for greener alternatives, with grassroots efforts that raise awareness. They’re also working with natural beauty companies to create new TTG products.
We invite you to support these companies and organizations by introducing your teen or tween girl to the new options available in safe products. With the power of our purchasing dollars and our voices, we are changing the marketplace, and can help continue and expand such changes so that more of our young people have the option to live safer, healthier lives-through the teen years and beyond.
Has your teen or tween girl tried some of these new, safer products? What did she think?
Photo courtesy K. Walls via Flickr.com.
