[ Go to other articles ]
Mainstream products
This is a massively tangled subject! The problem with most personal products, apart from the possibility of having been smeared in the eyes of rabbits, is that they often contain a cocktail of industrial chemicals. To make matters worse, most of these chemicals have a variety of names and many completely different ones sound very similar. To add injury to insult, there is scant understanding of the health and environmental effects of many of the chemicals used, with often no idea of their cumulative effects. Toxicology is not an exact science: for instance, one of the main reference points for deciding safe exposure limits for humans is the dose at which half the rats that were fed the chemical died. Honestly, it’s often that basic.
Remember that many products that claim to be the elixir of youthful beauty are actually the opposite: they age skin and can be toxic. I heard the other day that the only thing that actively moisturises skin is urine: worth thinking about!
It is also worth noting that the average woman applies upwards of 175 different chemicals to her body and hair every day. Men and children are rapidly catching up as well, so there is no reason for them to feel smug either.
So, without a PhD and a lifetime’s research, what can I suggest? Well, firstly, try not to use anything that has been tested on animals – for cosmetics and body products, this must surely be unnecessary by now. Use fewer products and less of the products you do have. Water alone is often better for your skin than detergents (surfactants are basically detergents too), or use natural cleaners like lemon. Make sure that any palm oil in the product comes from a sustainable source, rather than a bit of trashed rainforest. This is still in its infancy, so it might be a good idea to avoid palm oil when in doubt.
The chemistry of mainstream cosmetics is horrendous. Lots of the chemicals used are benign (such as the mighty ‘aqua’, AKA water), but others can cause cancer, irritation, birth defects, growth defects and destroy the nervous system. It might not always affect us, but there are some pretty mixed-up Dog Whelks out there due to water pollution. Most detergents, cleansers, toothpastes and the like do not have to foam to work; the foaming bit is added artificially and can be quite bad for the environment.
As a rough and ready guide, think about avoiding the following: methyl-, propyl- and butyl-parabens, Disodium EDTA, Propylene glycol and petroleum jelly (petrolatum), any phthalates (eg dibutyl phthalate), Sodium laureth/sodium laurel sulphate, Toluene, Triethanolamine, Butyl acetate, Butylated hydroxytoluene, Coal tar, Cocamide DEA/lauramide DEA, Diazolidinyl urea, Ethyl acetate and Formaldehyde. To be fair, some of these and quite a lot of other nasties are banned from cosmetics in the EU, but there are a fair few that have so far slipped through the net.
Lastly, packaging is also an issue. Try and use stuff that minimises packaging: you’re paying for it and it’s only there to entice you to buy. The Swedes apparently used to take the toothpaste tubes out of the boxes, then throw the boxes on the shop floor until they stopped putting them in boxes. Well done them. Labelling schemes to look out for are the BUAV rabbit for animal free testing, the vegan sunflower and the Soil Association three-legged curly sign for organic certification.
Other products
Essential oils and herbal remedies can be a great alternative to chemical based products, but beware! Some are toxic if misused and some can cause bad reactions in some people. Most of these products are excellent if used sensibly, but there are some real quack cures out there, so be a little careful.
Try using DIY body care products, such as honey and rosewater for dry skin or sage leaves for cleaning teeth (see Granny's Recipes from the Women's Environment Network) – it might all seem a bit eco-loony at first glance, but give it a bash as it’ll be fun to try and it might work wonderfully.
Women get through lots of tampons and towels per year. So, how about going for organic cotton ones? You can also get washable towels, reusable tampons (sustainably harvested sea sponge ones sound the most tempting) or make your own. There are also cups, which catch the menstrual fluid for periodic emptying and reuse – probably not for the type of woman who prefers an applicator.
Deodorant and antiperspirant can be bad for you, especially the latter which blocks pores. Why not try the natural alternatives (often herbal) or the deodorising stones? I am a little suspicious about the stones, as they are apparently made from alum or similar. Alum is great for stopping bleeding from shaving cuts, so I can’t help wondering what it does to ones pores? If you know, please drop me a line or talk about it in the Forum.
Toothpaste can contain toxic foamers, preservatives, abrasives and excess fluoride. Salt and bicarbonate of soda is a very effective alternative, if not particularly appetising. There are several commercial varieties of eco-toothpaste, from sea salt to coconut. Yummy.
What to do
How long is a piece of string? My personal thoughts on the subject are: try not to buy animal tested products, use products with natural plant extracts rather than manufactured chemicals, use less and play around with the DIY idea. Also, why not go militant and demand less packaging? Mimic the Swedes!
There are lots of ethical and eco alternatives in the Shop area, many of which are excellent and well worth using, and a few of which are frankly nuts but worth buying at least once for the laugh. I am sure the Community will have more on offer.
For more information see Granny's Recipes & Getting Lippy, both from the Women's Environment Network. Living Ethically have exhaustive lists of chemicals to avoid in cosmetics, and endangered plants to avoid natural extracts from.
Good Guide is an interesting American site that is highly rated. It gives 'mine-to-landfill' ratings of various personal care products for an ethical, ecological and health combo. There are many USA/UK crossover products so this site is worth a quick peek, but it is heavily based on corporate accountability measures and so tends to rate companies more on their management systems than actual performance.
[ Back to top ]
Subcategory articles and related topics