May 27

May 27 Clean Beauty Movement: What Does It All Mean?

Clean Beauty Movement What Does It All Mean?

The clean beauty movement has origins in the clean-eating trend. People started eating whole, unprocessed foods and focusing on labels because of an increased awareness that diet has implications for our overall health. We’re seeing a similar shift in the world of beauty. People are also considering ingredients, reading labels, and thinking about how particular products impact their overall health and their environment.” —Dr. Whitney Bowe

The conventional beauty industry is minimally regulated in America. There are only 11 cosmetic ingredients currently banned by the FDA, while in the EU, over 1,300 ingredients are banned! WOW! Beauty products may contain potentially harmful ingredients that can include known carcinogens, irritants, and health problems.

Clean

Clean Beauty products are free of toxic or potentially harmful ingredients. Clean beauty products are also eco-friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free.

Clean Beauty—and What it Means to Me

Clean Beauty for me is similar to Clean Eating. Try and choose beauty products without a long list of ingredients linked to harmful health effects. I have always been a big believer in keeping my beauty and makeup routine simple…keep ingredients simple too!

Ingredients to Avoid

PARABENS | FRAGRANCES | ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS | ETHOXYLATED AGENTS | FORMALDEHYDE | REFINED PETROLEUM | HYDROQUINONE | TALC | TRICLOSAN | SILICA | OXYBENZONE | PEGs | ETHANOLAMINES | CHEMICAL SUSCREENS | SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE | BHT |BHA

Parabens: Preservatives that extend the shelf life of your products but can still enter the body through your skin and hair, causing a host of issues with your reproductive system. They come in a number of different forms and are usually a small part of product formulations.

Synthetic Fragrance: The chemical compounds that determine how your product smells. Depending on the person and their body’s chemistry, any of these combinations can lead to irritation and allergic reactions.

Formaldehyde: In its purest form, this is a colorless gas that’s also used in paper and plywood. When used in cosmetics such as nail polish, it’s often converted to a gentler water solution and with the help of preservatives (like parabens) is released in small amounts to protect against contamination. Unfortunately, it also comes with a host of potentially dangerous side effects, such as skin irritation and even hair loss.

Aluminum: An ingredient most often found in antiperspirants to decrease sweat. In short, what it does is shrink or plug up the underarm pores and inhibit bacteria so they don’t secrete as much. Decades of research say that the ingredient is potentially linked to breast cancer since antiperspirants are applied so closely to lymph nodes near the breast and can also prevent the body’s immune system from freeing itself of cancerous bacteria.

Sulfates: This can refer to any of the following: sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, or ammonium laureth sulfate. Sulfates are surfactants, or molecules that attract both water and oil. So, when you scrub on your body wash or shampoo, sulfates help pull away the dirt or oil. And when you rinse it off, they also aid the water in washing it away. It basically helps boost the effectiveness of whatever product you’re using. Unfortunately, they can sometimes work so well that they also strip your hair or skin of all its natural moisture in the process, leaving it dry and damaged.