Riddle me this: when it comes to buying skincare and beauty products, do you ever stop and look at what’s actually in them? Really look, I mean – not just glimpse at it briefly before tossing it into your basket?
It’s something I’ve started doing recently – reading the labels – out of a morbid fascination for what people are prepared to apply to their own skins (and to remind myself why I decided to go the natural route instead).
Exhibit A:
A ‘Weekly Scrub Mask’ purchased at a well-known chain store
INGREDIENTS: Water, Calcium Carbonate, Kaolin, PEG-6 Stearate (&) PEG-32 Stearate, Glycerin, Polythylene Beads, Mineral Oil, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol (&) Sodium Methylparaben (&) Sodium Dehydro-Acetate(&) Sorbic Acid (&) Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchlorpisothiazolinone (&) Methylisothiazolinone, Colourants.
Now, I don’t know about you, but anything that has an ingredient as unpronounceable as ‘Methylchlorpisothiazolinone‘ has my little feelers twitching. What the hang is that, anyway? Even a determined consultation of the usually forthcoming world wide web revealed absolutely nada: no results whatsoever on any of the many search engines I tried.
Curiouser and curiouser.
However, this mystery substance’s equally tongue-twisting cousin ‘Methylchloroisothiazolinone’ did have quite an interesting little bio:
“Methylchloroisothiazolinone (5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolinon-3-one) is a preservative with antibacterial and antifungal effects within the group of isothiazolinones. It is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungi.
It is found in many water-based personal care products and cosmetics. It is also used in glue production, detergents, paints, fuels and other industrial processes. Methylchloroisothiazolinone is known by the registered tradename Kathon CG when used in combination with methylisothiazolinone.
…
It was first used in cosmetics in the 1970s. In high concentrations it can cause chemical burns and it is a skin and membrane irritant and so it was largely removed from most cosmetic products except for those with only short duration skin contact such as rinse-offs. Its inclusion in certain forms makes it more acceptable to sensitive users, so it can be found in cosmetic creams and lotions which require skin contact. In the US accepted concentrations are 15 ppm in rinse-offs and 8 ppm in other cosmetics.”
(Source: Wikipedia)
Lovely… And if that isn’t enough to make you gasp in horror, take a look at all the other household products that contain this delightful substance – everything from shoe gel to porch and floor gloss enamel to hair dyes, shampoos and conditioners.
Exhibit B:
A popular (and expensive) sunscreen lotion widely used in South Africa (and internationally)
INGREDIENTS: Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene, Glycol, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Decyl Glucoside, Xantham Gum, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Sorbitan Oleate, Isohexadecane, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum – [FPT2050].
My fingers hurt, just typing that out… I’m not going to go wild with the details on this one, but I’ve linked through to more info for a few of the ingredients, if you’re curious.
What I don’t get is how putting this stuff on our skin (and releasing it into our environment) seems like a good idea. Do you?
Obviously, these are just two examples, and I picked out what seemed to be the worst ingredients of the bunch, but it’s enough for someone like me to make a big shift in my thinking:
If the cosmetics companies are willing to put even the smallest quantities of what are potentially toxic substances (I’m not buying the ‘short duration’ and ‘accepted concentrations’ justification) into something that’s going straight onto my skin (and, through it, into my bloodstream), then I will never touch any of their so-called skin-care products again.
Never.
And why should I, when it’s so easy to go au natural: products that contain only natural ingredients (organic wherever possible) are in – anything with unpronounceable environmentally-unfriendly ingredients is out.
Exhibit C:
Apricot and Walnut Exfoliating Facial Scrub from The Victorian Garden
INGREDIENTS: organic Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), organic Cetearyl Olivate, organic sorbitan Olivate, Apricot Oil (Prunus Armenica), organic Jojoba (Simmonsia Chinensis), organic Olive Oil, Apricot Kernels, Pumice Powder, Vegetable Glycerin, Walnuts, Yucca Schidigera.
Quite a different kettle of fish, isn’t it? All these ingredients come straight from nature – they didn’t need to be manufactured. And, with so many toxins already in our environment (in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat), it makes sense, I think, to find something natural for our skins.
And so it was that I became a regular visitor to Faithful to Nature, a wonderful, user-friendly Cape Town-based website stocking only natural and organic products. Their passion for all things eco- and body-friendly has inspired me to take a complete leap, and I will never look back.
There’s a wide range of everything from beauty products to healing products to cleaning agents and pet shampoos – all of them completely natural (except the very few that contain clearly-indicated safe synthetic ingredients) . And they deliver within one working day. Plus, their environmental passion extends to their packaging: everything delivered is wrapped in recycleable materials, in previously used boxes. Fabulous.
And if you think going natural means it’s going to cost far more, think again. Certainly, some of the ranges stocked by Faithful to Nature are on the pricier side (and prices in general have recently gone up, fuel-price hikes ‘n’ all), but there’s one range that I feel offers incredible value, as well as unbelievable quality: The Victorian Garden.
I cannot recommend these folks highly enough. I love all the lotions and potions I’ve tried so far – just the smell of them can drive a girl wild – in particular the Double Rose Ultra Rich Hand Cream (R47), the Apricot & Walnut Exfoliating Scrub (R50) and the Chamomile and Avocado Body Butter (R78).
They don’t have flashy packaging, but what’s inside is pure gold.
Oh, and by the by, it’s not all girl territory. For the guys, Faithful to Nature also stock shaving gels and soaps, moisturisers and aftershaves and loads more.
So, next time you’re out shopping, and you find yourself staring at the rows and rows of lotions, potions and add-ons, consider for a moment what’s in them, and what they could be doing to you – and then make your choice.
Some useful resources for finding out what’s in cosmetics:
Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database – an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products (founded by the Environmental Working Group).
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – coalition working to eliminate chemicals in cosmetics linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems.
DISCLAIMER: Please use any event information as a guide only. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy thereof, things do change – and the best way to make sure something is definitely on is to contact the event organisers themselves. Full bells’n'whistles disclaimer here.
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James on 
Hi Pia,
Sometimes I think it is not quite as simple as we would like it to be. I came across some other reading which you may be interested in from Gaia Research who are based in Knysna. I think this article on mineral oils vs plant oils is a good place to start.
Hooohah! Wow, that makes for some reading… Rather a minefield, isn’t it? As I was writing, I was wondering whether I was being naive to think ‘natural’ is always better. I know nature has its own toxicity (as that article you mentioned explains in some detail), but in this I am going with my instinct. These particular natural products feel good – they don’t feel like they are doing my body harm. The others I’d used had very often felt like they were stripping my skin, which is why I hardly ever used any lotions and potions for so many years.
That said, I have always been of the opinion that it’s a very good idea to chop and change – ie not using the same substances day in and day out, ‘natural’ or not. The body is good at dealing with external influences, as long as you give it a chance and don’t bombard it constantly.
The same applies to all aspects of life, I think. Whether it’s what you eat, or what kind of exercise you do – everything should be done in moderation (including moderation itself, as they say). And, importantly – it should be varied.
I’d say we could debate the good and the bad, the beneficial and the toxic until we’re blue in the face… and worrying about it can only cause its own kind of toxicity. I prefer these natural products because they feel right, and they feel soothing, whereas most of the non-natural products I have tried over the years do not.
But, my ears and eyes are open, and I am always ready to find out more! (Thanks for the links).
Synthetic vs Natural Toxins… Anything in excess can be toxic, and if I am to choose between the lesser of two evils, I’d go Natural – Mother Nature made it for her own good reasons!!
It’s the same as choosing between 100% cotton or synthetic clothing – which feels better for you? Personally I’d rather sleep with cotton bedlinen than half plastic stuff, but that’s just me.
(That said, I do choose to run and cycle in all the fancy non-cotton clothing!)
And I’m loving my Victorian Garden day cream and the Taryna face oil – my skin has never been better!
What a fantastically thorough article! I was smiling broadly as I imagined the hours you must have spent finding out about each of the ingredients – you need to be a sleuth of note to track them on the internet! We’ve written about the chemicals contained in cosmetics and household cleaners on urban sprout and the frightening things for me has been the thought of the cocktail of chemicals we’re sending down our drains into our water, when you combine all of these. It’s got so that we won’t clean with anything more harmful than vinegar and bicarb (although I have succumbed to the odd ‘green’ household cleaner by enchantrix and ecosoft) and all of the products we use are natural or organic. The big thing for me is to create awareness of the importance of reading the label. We all need to start taking responsibility for what we put on our own skins and throw down our drains…
Hello
Neatly avoiding the minefield of what’s best for your skin, I think most people can agree that using lots of harsh chemicals for cleaning (anything!) just isn’t a good idea. Check out the Earthsap range of all-natural ingredient cleaning products at Pick n Pay, I’ve been well impressed. Not expensive at R15 – R20 a go. (They also do some people-cleaning products, of which I’ve tried the wonderful Lavender and Sugar Beet shampoo and conditioner, about R25 a bottle and totally divine).
Venturing back into the minefield, I think the valid point made by all parties is that a little education goes a long way. We need to stop buying blindly. If we’re ok with putting sheep’s fat on our faces, then I guess it’s ok if we buy our lanolin based moisturisers. But I’m not, no matter how natural it is
And please, please, never forget to check whether products are tested on animals. Our pretty faces are just not worth it!
active girl: i was reading an article today in the latest edition of odyssey magazine (April/May 2008) and they put it rather well, i thought:
wanda: thanks! yes, it took rather a lot of poking around, and the information wasn’t always forthcoming. and when it is, you always have to judge whether or not it’s coming from a biased source… as for the things we use in our households, i totally agree. we get bombarded by all those terrible adverts telling us how dirty things are, and how we need this or that new product to get rid of them OR ELSE (part of the reason i rarely ever watch tv these days) – and so people are, in a sense, brainwashed into believing they cannot do without them, that their children are in danger if they do not use them… and yet most or all of them are full of horrid substances children (or anyone for that matter) shouldn’t be anywhere near. and then there’s the bug-sprays and antibacterial soaps… yet another bone of contention i could chomp on all day. as you say, though, it’s all about taking responsibility, and asking questions, and considering the impact of our choices.
lisl: i’ve got the earthsap veggie wash stuff – pretty cool indeed. and with so many natural cleaning products now available, at reasonable prices, there’s no excuse for any of us to be using those nasty chemicals. what needs to change here is the perception that natural ingredients won’t be enough… that they are somehow inferior. never mind the fact that our forebears did just fine before they came along…
and as for the animal testing – totally with you on that, of course. (any nutter who’s not should have a look at this). that self-same odyssey article had a chart of animal-friendly cosmetics (as approved by Beauty Without Cruelty) which include Dermalogica, Endocil, Innoxa, Like Silk, Thursday Plantation and the Victorian Garden. the full list (and the blacklist) is here.
hi pia, thanks for the article. i met the owners of Faithful to Nature at last year’s organic product fair in Cape Town. they were very insightful and gave us some interesting info on the chemicals used in conventional cosmetics. i also started using the Victorian Garden range because it’s so affordable and the products relaly do smell out of this world. being a student, i don’t have lots of cash to spend on cosmetics anyway, so the organic alternatives are way out of my price range. also, south africa doesn’t have a huge range of organic cosmetics yet, and i didn’t want to start buying imported stuff. i would really recommend Victorian Garden because it’s local and not too much more expensive than other options.
hey candice! i met them at the women’s show, earlier in the year… lovely stall and, as you say, lots of useful info on the chemical story. i just love that victorian garden has managed to stay really affordable instead of doing what so many people do, which is to choose a price that’s just under their competitors. you get the feeling they’re not adding huge profit margins – enough to make it worth their while, sure, but not vastly inflated unrealistic prices.
Hi Pia – just wanted to add my endorsement for The Victorian Garden too. I recently started using their eye gel and Neroli & Lemon day cream and my skin feels and looks better than it ever has before. So not just natural and affordable, but effective too
This is such a good article!
I’m also a big fan of Faithful to Nature – they sell some of the loveliest organic baby products.
Yes, you become a whole lot more aware of what you’re putting onto skin, etc when you have a little one with such soft sensitive skin to take care of.
They even stock organic baby food, which is most convenient to have delivered to post box.
I’m trying to convert my sisters to organic skincare too – it’s getting there slowly:-) They’re already using organic face creams, so I’m working on the rest. Wish me luck!
Kash
Hi Kash. Thanks! Once people have gone for natural and organic alternatives, they find it hard to go back… I know I couldn’t use that mass-produced stuff any more. And with affordable products like the ones from Victorian Garden, it really is so easy to go natural
Good luck with the converting!