Green Cotton

These days, America is all about going green. Companies are cutting back on their energy usage and reducing their carbon footprints, while consumers are demanding all natural products. But are these products always better for you?

One growing consumer trend is the purchase of all natural beauty products. Many women are going natural to avoid ingredients such as lead, mercury and petrochemicals, which may increase the risk of cancer if used often enough, according to Web MD. Not all natural beauty products are of the same caliber, however. While there are many resources on the web and elsewhere to look at the toxicity of skin and beauty products, one terrific resource is Skin Deep. Skin Deep has a robust database of nearly all the major skin care products out there, which ingredients are in them, and how toxic or harmful those ingredients are. Let’s take a look at four brands of natural beauty products and see how they compare: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty, Locctaine, The Body Shop, and Monave.

Photosource: www.carmindy.com/

Last year, Carmindy of What Not to Wear fame joined with Sally Hansen to create a makeup line called Sally Hansen Natural Beauty. This line is 100% paraben free, meaning it does not contain harsh chemical preservatives of any kind. The only ingredients are natural extracts, minerals and botanicals. Carmindy has been using only her new line on What Not to Wear and according to her website, she has “never seen such stellar results.” On Skin Deep, Sally Hansen Natural Beauty scores moderately OK. We recommend you check this database before making a purchase to see how your product-of-interest fares. Some are as high as 9 or 10 (which indicates the highest possible level of harm). Others are as low 4-5 (but bare in mind that 0 is the lowest, safest score so 4 is still not that great). Prices for these products range from approximately $5 to $15.

Photosource: www.usa.loccitane.com

Another line of all natural beauty and skin care products is L’Occitane. These products are made from over 200 plant elements and essential oils, with no parabens and no animal testing for skin care products. L’Occitane doesn’t stop there, however. By utilizing ingredients purchased from local suppliers whenever possible, they are reducing the amount of fuel they use as well as encouraging sustainable agriculture and harvesting practices. L’Occitane’s prices start as low as $1.50 and can run up to nearly $100.

On Skin Deep, L’Occitaine does not score too well. Not many of their products score below a five and many are 7 or higher. While the results of their products on one’s skin may be great, the potential toxicity of their ingredients is significant.

Photosource: www.thebodyshop-usa.com

The Body Shop is also a very well-known brand of natural beauty products. In fact, the Body Shop’s owner, Anita Roddick is one of the pioneers in eco-friendly cosmetics. The Body Shop was one of the first companies to seriously review and institute eco-friendly production and sourcing within the industry. However,  after reviewing some of The Body Shop’s current selection, we discovered that not all products contain 100% natural ingredients. So we recommend checking out the ingredients as well as reading on skin deep for details. Chemicals such as parabens and even Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide can be found in some products from this line of makeup, fragrances, hair and skin care. Because the government has not yet defined the term “natural” when it comes to these products, there are no regulations regarding what ingredients can or cannot be used. Thus, it is not illegal for products containing chemicals to be promoted as natural. Side effects for these chemicals are still being tested. On Skin Deep, The Body Shop scores have a wide range. Important to note as well, is that they have one of the largest selections of products (292 in the database). While many of their products go as low as 1 – 2 in terms of toxicity (meaning very low harm) some are definitely 8 or 9, so before you buy check the ingredients and if you can, check Skin Deep.

While The Body Shop’s products are not always free of artificial preservatives, the company does strive toward ecological sustainability. They offer a fair trade wage to their suppliers and use renewable resources. The Body Shop will also begin using containers that are made of 100% post consumer recycled plastic in the near future. Products prices can be anywhere from $2 to over $100.

Photosource: www.monave.com

The fourth and final brand of natural beauty products is Monave, last year’s winner of the “Beauty with a Conscience” award chosen by The Natural Solutions magazine. This line is not only paraben free, but 95% of their products are completely vegan. Monave does not test products on animals, either. The manufacturer is focused on creating a complete line of makeup shades for every skin tone, and also produces skin care and hair care items. Prices start as low as $2.50 for sample sizes of products and can reach $200. Monave’s products score amazingly well on Skin Deep as well! Granted that they have much fewer products (only 45) but they are almost all 0,1, and 2′s. So very safe!

Natural beauty products are not for everyone. Several plant based ingredients, including tea tree oil and lavender, can cause allergic reactions in some people. Be sure to read all of the ingredients carefully and happy shopping!

If you would like to try Sally Hansen’s Natural Beauty inspired by Carmindy, a coupon is available at www.sallyhansennaturalbeauty.com.

By Jessica Guerrasio