Recently I have been paying more attention to ingredients. And not just in food. Have you ever thought about what makes your body wash sudsy? (Answer- it’s often sodium laureate sulfate) Or how your deodorant keeps you from sweating? (Answer- usually aluminum) I was living under a rock by assuming that all the big brands that I was purchasing my body care products from had my best interest in mind. They were obviously doing ample testing to ensure their products are safe for human consumption and produced in ways that would never harm the Earth. I mean they all must be compassionate, caring businesses with helping people at heart, right? Wellllll… maybe not. When I peaked out from under that rock I saw the truth a little more clearly. The big businesses, that shall remain nameless, really have their best interest in mind. How can we make a product for as little as possible and sell it for as much as possible to as many people as we can. Making money is their numero uno. In the USA, we live within a capitalist system being fed by consumerism. So just who exactly is looking out for the consumer? Hint: it’s not the FDA.
The consumer, that’s who. You and I must look out for ourselves (and each other by sharing what we know) and be our own advocates in this world. Even when it comes to making educated decisions about your body care and house hold products. So you might be thinking, “what the hell difference does it make what ingredients are in my body wash that make it sudsy… it smells good, does it’s job and doesn’t break the bank.” And maybe today it doesn’t make a difference, but in the long run it absolutely will. To both your body and our planet. Sodium laureate sulfate has been linked to cancer and does not break down easily. So while you may no longer see it once it spins down your drain it has been associated with harming aquatic animals. Aluminum blocks your sweat ducts and can be absorbed into your body through your skin with possible links to breast cancer. Not to mention the delivery of most body washes and deodorants are in plastic containers. But don’t take my word for it (remember, be your own advocate in the world), Google both of these ingredients, see what you find and decide for your self. It’s likely you’ll find both arguments on both sides. Some research supports the claims that these ingredients are harmful and some research calls these claims myths.
With conflicting research, I go with my gut. Is there a chance that sodium laureate sulfate and aluminum can cause cancer? If yes, eliminate as much as possible. I like the better safe than sorry policy, but hey, maybe you’re more a risk taker than I am. If you are willing to gamble with your health, more power to you. But if you air on the side of caution, there is still hope. You aren’t bound to lack luster body wash and a lifetime of B.O. You will need to do your homework and be willing to subject yourself to a certain level of trial and error though.
The first part of your homework is to set yourself some boundaries, both budget and belief focused. For example, I think paying any more than $20 for shampoo is outrageous, more than $5 per tub of toothpaste is equivalent to someone stealing from my purse and the use of absolutely any kind of chemical sunscreen is the same as conspiracy to commit murder of the Earth. With these boundaries in place it makes it so much easier to find what you are looking for and not feel like you are spending 3/4 of your paycheck on green products. Everyone’s boundaries will be different and will change with education and budget allowances, but you have to start somewhere and doing something is better than nothing.
Part 2 of your homework is to download the Think Dirty app (or another source for learning product cleanliness or lack there of). Think Dirty made my life so much easier and made the process of finding what I was looking for a snap. Think Dirty provides you with product ratings from 0 (clean) to 10 (dirty) based on the ingredients found in the product. It also gives you a shop button to make it simple to learn the purchase price of the product you are looking at. Sometimes I find what I am looking for online through the app and other times I am standing in the aisle at Target searching the product list on Think Dirty for the best option to purchase in real time. This is where trial and error comes into play. I try and look at reviews before I make a purchasing decision, but I have been subjected to some awful products. Deodorant that balls up in my armpits, body lotion that does not moisturize and toothpaste that claims to taste like vanilla mint, but are more like the taste of dirt being covered up with subtle hints of alcohol. It’s all part of your education.
You don’t have to go through your bathroom, toss everything you own that isn’t a 0 on the Think Dirty app and start from scratch. In fact, I’d would say that that is not a financially sound decision and will likely cause insanity. As you run out of products begin to replace them with items that live closer to 0 on the scale. I also don’t believe that if you aren’t living at a 0 for all products all the time that you are a failure. Personally, one of my boundaries is to live around the 3 mark. A few products I use are a 5, but most are a 0-3. Again, this goes back to the fact that I will not pay $50 for a tube of sunscreen. I pay $10 for one that contains zinc oxide (a mineral based sunscreen) and has a rating of 5, its about balance.
Speaking of balance, there are most definitely things I will not sacrifice. Things like coloring my hair and Botox. Are these the cleanest options? Hell no. Do I feel like they are necessary in order to feel my best? Hell to the yes. 100%. It maybe possible to find a cleaner hair color than the shitty box color currently use, but often they don’t work as well and can be way more expensive. When it comes to Botox there really isn’t a cleaner, cost effective option to quickly nix those forehead wrinkles. Some call it vanity, but I call it necessary. I am educated about their repercussions and have made a conscious decision.
There are ways to get the best bang for your buck, while also supporting your beliefs and health. Don’t for a single second believe that if its sold in stores that it must be safe. Be skeptical, read ingredient lists and question everything. Get educated then decide. Period.
Here are a few of my favorite, cost effective products that live within my boundaries:
1- Dr. Bronner’s Lip Balm in Lemon Lime
2- Biossance Skin Care Line
3- Jason Toothpaste
4- Basd Body Wash and Body Lotion
5- One Love Vit E Eye Balm
6- 7th Generation Tampons (yep, you even have to consider what’s being shoved inside you 3-7 days of the month)
7- Neutrogena SheerZinc Sunscreen SPF 50 (this is one of the dirtier products I use)
A Pinch of Opinion 