Tips
*Originally published March 29, 2021, updated March of 2024.
Feeling overwhelmed is a shared sentiment of people trying to switch to natural products. Whether you are just starting or even if you are in the thick of it, these helpful tips will streamline the process of finding non-toxic products and make it less stressful.
Locate the Full Ingredient List
Oftentimes, brands prominently feature “key ingredients” while putting the full ingredient list in the fine print. “Key ingredients” is purely marketing. Although front and center and seemingly crucial, key ingredients are often added to formulas just for the marketing claims. They do not give the full and accurate picture of what’s inside the product.
Make sure when you are looking for clean products that you scan the full ingredient list for toxins, not just the key ingredients. This is a crucial step in assessing whether or not a product is toxic.
Don’t Rely on Front Label Claims
Typically we check out the front labels and are drawn to claims like natural, organic, and clean. While the USDA regulates natural and organic claims for food items, the USDA does not have authority over the labeling of cosmetics and personal care products. The Federal Trade Commission has issued Green Guides to help marketers ensure environmental claims are not deceptive.
But in terms of safety for cosmetics, personal care items, and cleaners, what do labels like “clean,” “natural,” or “organic” actually tell us? Here’s what these commonly-used claims legally mean when it comes to cosmetics and personal care products in the US:
Clean - nothing, the FDA has no regulatory definition for the term
Natural – nothing, the FDA has no regulatory definition for the term
Organic - nothing, the FDA has no regulatory definition for the term
USDA Organic - certification that the product is made of agricultural ingredients, and has met the USDA/NOP organic production, handling, processing and labeling standards.
With the exception of USDA Organic, these claims don’t mean much when it comes to the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. The decision to purchase a product should come after careful consideration of the full ingredient list.
Skip Products with Long Ingredient Lists
If the ingredient list is very long, the product is more likely to contain harmful ingredients. Some of the most effective products on the market contain only a few simple and natural ingredients.
Below are examples of two products with short ingredient lists that I personally use and love and are quite effective.
Avoid Fragranced Products
If the ingredient list includes fragrance, aroma, or parfum there are several important facts to note. First, this indicates a lack of transparency from the company. Fragrance is a trade secret and companies are not required to list the ingredients in the fragrance. If a company does not disclose all of the ingredients that make up the fragrance, it is a best to avoid that product.
Second, fragrance on the ingredient label indicates there may be potentially harmful ingredients present. Studies have revealed toxic ingredients in fragrance such as phthalates, octoxynols, and butylphenol methylpropianol. In addition, fragrances emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Read more about why you should avoid fragranced products in this blog post.
Be Aware of Greenwashing
Greenwashing refers to labels, imagery, and marketing that mislead consumers into believing a product is safe, despite containing ingredients that are potentially harmful to health. Below are two potentially harmful ingredients that are commonly found in greenwashed products (products marketed as “clean”).
PEGs - thickening agents and humectants that help retain moisture and enhance penetration of ingredients. PEGs can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are associated with reproductive, developmental, and endocrine effects, cancer, and DNA damage.
Phenoxyethanol - skin, eye, or lung irritant. In 2008, the FDA warned consumers not to use Mommy’s Bliss Nipple cream because it contained phenoxyethanol which was harmful to infants. The statement indicated phenoxyethanol could “depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants.” Phenoxyethanol remains a controversial ingredient and even “green” beauty products continue to use it as a preservative.
Familiarize yourself with these so you can quickly spot and avoid a greenwashed product. For more details on other common red flag ingredients in cosmetics, check out this post.
Scan Products for Toxins
Most of us do not know what all of the ingredients in our products are and whether or not they are harmful. Use the Switch Natural app to scan products for toxins before purchasing. The app will notify you if there are any potentially harmful ingredients, with descriptions and links to the relevant research. Learn more about the Switch Natural App here.
Switch Out as You Run Out
Making one switch at a time is much less overwhelming than overhauling all of your products at once. You will have better success at finding products you love when focusing on one product at a time. Save money and waste less by switching a product when you run out of it.
This gives you space to enjoy the process!
References & Resources
[1] https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/resources-industry-cosmetics/small-businesses-homemade-cosmetics-fact-sheet#7
[2] https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling/trade-secret-ingredients
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404651/
[4] https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-issues-revised-green-guides/greenguides.pdf
[5] https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/OrganicCosmeticsFactSheet.pdf
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018511/
