Photo by Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash
The beauty industry is a $62 billion+ industry. But, to the surprise of many, the majority of the products out there are questionable when it comes to safety and how they really affect our health.
You would think that an industry so large would be well-regulated, with multiple safety measures set in place to keep us, the consumers, from buying products laced with harmful ingredients and toxins. But, despite the fact that this is a multi-billion dollar industry, this really isn’t the case. In fact, it can be extremely difficult to find safe beauty products, or products that do not contain harmful ingredients / toxins.
So what are toxins exactly and why should we care?
Toxins are chemicals that can harm cells or organs, cause neurological damage, and/or alter our biological systems. Toxins, or toxic chemicals, can enter our bodies in a variety of ways. In the case of beauty products, toxins can enter our bodies through our skin, and even fingernails and toenails, when applied topically, and through our airways when we inhale particles from powders and sprays.
That’s why, in this post, I wanted to share 3 not-so beautiful facts about the beauty industry, in hopes of spreading the word about this questionable industry. Let me be clear, though. When I say beauty industry, I’m not just talking about makeup, or cosmetics.
I’m talking about ALL personal care products, which includes makeup but is not exclusive to it. I’m talking about our body wash, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, aftershave, hair gel, hair spray, perfume/cologne, and all other products that we use daily to maintain our hygiene and appearance.
Download My 5 MUST-HAVE Smartphone Apps Guide Here
So here are my 3 not-so beautiful facts about the beauty industry:
#1 There Has Been No Major Federal Law Passed to Regulate the Industry Since 1938
Yes, you read that right. Not since pre-World War II, 80 years, has a major law been passed in the US to regulate this multi-billion dollar industry. And the law that was passed then is only approximately 1.5 – 2 pages in length.
Since then, approximately 85,000 chemicals have been introduced into commerce. Now not all of these are used in the beauty industry, but more than 10% are (around 10,000). And of these chemicals, only approximately 10% have ever been tested for the effects on human health.
Only approximately 10%. That’s astonishing, and terrifying, to me!
The European Union bans, or restricts, the usage of approximately 1400 chemicals in their products. Canada bans, or restricts, close to 600. Here in the US, we ban, or partially ban, 30……..and a few years ago it was only 11.
What this means is that the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has no authority or power to ask cosmetic companies for safety data, or to issue recalls of cosmetics and personal care products found to be unsafe or contaminated.
#2 The Industry is Self-Regulated, and Often Misleading Us to Believe We are Buying Safe Beauty Products
What this means that it is up to the personal care and cosmetics companies themselves to decide what and how they want to test products. When many companies think of health and safety, they do so in short-term context.
In other words, they work to avoid acute reactions such as a rash, or irritated eyes.
There are very few companies that are paying attention to how the chemicals used in our products affect our long-term health. But the good news is that there are some that are working to create safer products.
What are these companies doing to ensure their products are safer than all the rest?
At least one, that I know of, rigorously tests its products to ensure our safety. This means that they test every. single. batch that is produced! They are also testing each ingrdient that goes into making their products.
Why are they doing this? Is it really possible for one product to cause so much harm?
Well, no, not likely. But it isn’t that simple, because none of us use just one product a day. Women, on average, use 12 products a day – this includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, AND makeup. Men, on average, use 6 products per day. And teenage girls use approximately 17 products per day.
So when you consider how many products we use a day, each likely containing toxins, and compound those together, we are absorbing hundreds, if not thousands, of chemicals into our skin.
Think about this happening every day, every week, every year over the course of a lifetime. These chemicals can accumulate in our bodies and prove to be harmful over time.
The fact that cancer is on the rise, is likely proof of this. Keep in mind that it is legal for U.S. cosmetics companies to use known carcinogens in the products we use everyday. And companies certainly take advantage of this.
Statistically speaking, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in his/her lifetime. So whatever we can do to mitigate this possibility is definitely worth trying.
So maybe you are thinking “ok, Kristin, most companies aren’t using the safest ingredients, but how are they really misleading us into thinking that they are?”
Well, being that the industry is self-regulated, terms like natural and organic have absolutely no meaning behind them. These terms are not defined and therefore, any company can claim it’s product is natural or organic, yet still be laced with toxins.
That’s why it’s important to research and find a company that you can really trust. One that is 100% transparent about their ingredients, and is known for working to get safer beauty products out and into the hands of consumers.
If you’d like to switch to products made by the company that I trust most with my health, which is also a leader in the safe beauty industry, please message me on Facebook here.
#3 The Industry Does Not Discriminate When it Comes to Age, or Stage in Life
What do I mean by this? Well, specifically, I mean that most products, no matter what the intended age of the consumer, contain toxins. What I’m thinking of mainly, are baby products, kids products, and even products used by pregnant women.
A study conducted by the Red Cross, found that more than 200 industrial chemicals were found in the cord blood of newborn babies. So, in other words, the chemicals in the products that their mothers were using while pregnant, were absorbed into the mother’s bloodstream and then passed onto their baby.
What’s just as bad, if not worse, is that leading manufacturers of baby products, like baby wash and lotion, also use known carcinogens in their products. How disgusting is it that these companies market their products to parents, for their babies, and yet they are still producing products that are unsafe?
What’s also disheartening, and even outrageous, is that there are also companies which claim their products are safer or gentler for baby, yet still contain toxins.
Exposure to some chemicals during critical developmental periods, like in utero or during infancy or puberty, can have a bigger impact on health than exposure at other times in life. And the industry, in general, does very little, or nothing at all to protect our babies and children, or to provide options that are truly safe beauty products for them.
So when choosing a company, it is important to find one that takes all of these issues into consideration; tests rigorously, bans harmful chemicals intentionally, and does everything in its power to protect our health.
If you are interested in switching to a company that advocates for reducing exposure to toxic chemicals across the board to help protect our health then please reach out to me on Facebook here.
But if you want to navigate finding safer products yourself, then don’t forget to pick up my free guide, My 5 Must-Have Smartphone Apps Every Good Mom Should Have to Keep Their Family Safe and Healthy. Pick it up by now by clicking the button below!
Download My 5 MUST-HAVE Smartphone Apps Guide Here
These are only a few of the not-so beautiful facts about the beauty industry. I would love to share more, but this post would go on for days if I didn’t cut it off somewhere! 😉
I hope that you have found some value in these facts, and are able to put them to good use to find safe beauty products!
If you have found value, please share by clicking on the icons below this article! I’d love to help your friends to find safe beauty products as well!
Until next time……..
Here’s to achieving true wellness!
*Legal Disclaimer – All information provided above is for educational purposes only. Information should not be construed as medical or legal advice in any capacity and is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure disease.