I have very very sensitive skin, and it's rare to find something that doesn't make my face look like a strawberry or the skin peel off my armpits (sorry, gross but true). So when I find a product I can live with, I don't want to find out that they test on animals or that it contains something that will give me cancer. Nevertheless, I've been glued to Skin Deep (a great site that ranks ingredients from 0-10 based on the level of toxicity), my eyes widening in horror at all the sick things I put on my skin every day.
I'm pretty low maintenance. I only really use moisturizer, deodorant, and some concealer, but let's see how they shape up:
The biggest disappointment, the lotion that I put on my face in the morning and at night, Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion For Sensitive Skin, gets a rating of 5 from Skin Deep --"Moderately Hazardous" -- but contains DMDM Hydantoin (a 7, "highly hazardous." It's a "known human immune system toxicant" that's restricted in Japan.)
Let's see what they say about it: "DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative. People exposed to such formaldehyde-releasing ingredients may develop a formaldehyde allergy or an allergy to the ingredient itself and its decomposition products. In the U.S., approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser and the frequency of contact allergy to these ingredients is much higher among Americans compared to studies in Europe." ICK!
Guess what else contains DMDM Hydantoin? My "clinically proven" moisturizer from Suave. It "delivers age-defying moisture." Maybe it's the fromaldehyde?
I have no less than six deodorants in my cupboard. One would work for a bit, then I'd start to develop an allergy to it, then I'd buy something natural like Tom's of Maine, which wouldn't work or the smell would start bothering me. I want to smell like clean laundry, not patchouli or lavender or sage. Finally I discovered Arm & Hammer Essentials, that calls itself a "natural" deodorant" with "natural protection." They make it sound like something you could stumble upon out on a walk in the woods. Mother nature's bounty!
The ingredients aren't horrible, but getting down to the bottom of the list is Triclosan (rated 7 - "highly hazardous"). This one's prohibited in Japan and Canada and is known to cause endocrine disruption even in small doses. Oh yeah, and it's also a known irritant and has been shown to cause cancer. Just that.
I feel your pain. I really hate my daily struggle between my desire to attain optimal health and longevity and my desire to benefit from and fit into modern society. I used to use 100% natural products, or as close to natural as I could find. Sometimes I smelled like a grubby hippie, because I did go through a grubby hippie phase around the same time. Now that I want to smell fresher (although I don't mind if that fresh also smells like sage), and now that I wear makeup most days, I've run into a conundrum. It's handier, prettier, and cheaper to wear drugstore makeup instead of the natural makeup my sister and mom use, but I hate knowing that most of the crap I put on my face is undoubtedly trying to give me cancer. I've found an uneasy balance right now, using mostly-natural shampoo and chemical-laden hair gel, mostly-natural lotion and conventional makeup. I figure in the future I can go back to $20-a-tub natural mineral makeup, but since I wear it most days now I can't really afford to indulge that side of me. But I do still smell like sage on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteHaha Elizabeth, I'm sure you smell lovely. When I said "sage" I was just plucking a random herb out of midair.
ReplyDeleteYikes, $20 tubs of natural mineral makeup -- I'm in the same boat. We should put on our chemist goggles and start a new AFFORDABLE natural beauty line. Doesn't it seem like concoctions made of things you can find in your garden should be CHEAPER than all that complicated unpronounceable stuff?