The most frequent question I get asked by friends, family, and customers is how to know if the products they are using are actually safe or good for them. With so many brands on the market and numerous organic/green certifications, it can be tough to decipher what's truly clean. So to consolidate the information in our 3-part consumer education series, here are my top clean beauty do's and don'ts to help you shop smarter.
1. Packaging
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DO: Look beyond labels! Just because you see the words natural, organic, or ethically sourced on a label doesn't mean the product is necessarily nontoxic or good for you. Unfortunately, many of these products still contain harmful ingredients hidden amongst the "clean" ones so always (ALWAYS!) read all of the ingredients. Tip: The fewer ingredients a product has the better.
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DON'T: Be duped by pretty packaging. What looks great and expensive, isn’t always great for you!
2. Ingredients
- DO: Know your ingredients! Learn the most toxic ingredients to avoid and why. Tip: Trust your gut. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, don’t use it.
- DON'T: Buy products that have a never-ending list of ingredients! Less is more with truly organic products. As with cooking, a few great ingredients go a long way. My general rule of thumb is 10 ingredients or less, but find a number that you're comfortable with and go from there.
3. Research
- DO: Be choosy! This is your health (and money!) we're talking about here. Do your research to find the brands that speak to you and that are openly transparent about their ingredients and practices. Tip: Take advantage of free resources like Safe Cosmetics, Nontoxic Revolution, and the EWG's Skin Deep Database.
- DON'T: Be overwhelmed. We can't remove every product from our lives overnight. Start small by eliminating those that pose the most risk (i.e., the products you use daily or leave on your skin the longest) and go from there.
4. Trust
- DO: Educate yourself! Find out exactly what's in your products and look into the practices of your favorite brands. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more you can change. Tip: The harder these answers are to find on a company's website, the warier you should be of trusting them. Transparency is key!
- DON'T: Trust brands blindly. Remember larger companies spend a lot on psychological research as it's their job to market and sell their products. It's our job as consumers to decide where we place our trust. Brands are changing overnight—or being bought out—so it's important to keep an eye out for changes, even for brands we love.
5. Spread the Word!
- DO: Start a conversation. Share what you learn with others and get the people you know talking and thinking about where their products are coming from, how they're made, and what’s in them. Tip: The more consumers demand toxic-free products, the greater the supply will become.
- DON'T: Lose hope! While it might seem that many products on the market are more harmful than good, the clean beauty market is growing, which means there are great options out there. You just have to dig a little deeper to find them! I suggest shopping local at farmer's markets and fairs so you can meet the makers of your goods directly.
Love + Light,
~Smita :)