Often times we think living a cleaner lifestyle is about watching the food we intake but watching what ingredients we are exposing our self to through our body care routine is equally important. As a result there has been a growing need for the production of clean beauty products.

Clean Beauty is the use of ingredients in personal care products that are naturally occurring and are not toxic to the body. For Planted Beauty Rx , clean beauty also means to be transparent in the ingredients used with our consumers and to exclusively use rich quality plant ingredients. Planted Beauty Rx ensures the safety of its consumers through its clean products and also values the sharing of knowledge to expand the minds of our consumers so they can take their health into their own hands. Thus, bringing us to our first blog piece about clean beauty.

First, the skin is the largest organ of the body. One of its many functions is to process everything we put on it and directly disperses it into our system. We put so many different products on our body, in fact, we use 9-12 products daily and if for example each product has 10 harsh chemicals in it, that can be 120 chemicals a day that we are exposing ourself to. From the toothpaste we use, body lotions, body scrubs, deodorant, serums, masks, moisturizers, face toner and hair care products they all can contain very toxic ingredients that gradually deteriorate the body’s system. We will be discussing some of those toxic ingredients to stay away from as they have been linked to cancer, to reproductive growth problems and are even harmful for the environment. Below are some ingredients that consumers should steer clear from.

1. Parabens
   • The most common Parabens are methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben. They are commonly used as a preservative to prevent bacterial growth and are used in products such as make up, skincare products, and deodorants.
   • Parabens have been linked to increasing the risk of cancer, disrupting hormones in the body, is a skin irritant and can harm reproductive organs.
2. Sulfates
   • The most common sulfate you will see in products is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). It is most commonly used in body washes, shampoos, facial cleansers, detergent and dish soap.
   • Sulfates can lift the cuticle off of hair, cause scalp irritation, cause follicle stress, irritate the eyes, skin and lungs. It also negatively impacts the environment as once it washes down the drain it can be toxic to sea life.
3. Perfume/Fragrance
   • We all love products that smell nice but more often times than not products contain an ingredient called “fragrance” or "perfume” to achieve that scent. Perfume/fragrance is not just one ingredient as listed, it is many ingredients but brands are not require to list any of them.
   • Some fragrances / perfume may consist of about 14 chemicals in which they do not disclose, and many of those ingredients irritate the skin, are carcinogens, allergens, are endocrine disruptors and are environmental pollutants. Look for more natural scents such as essential oils or plant derived fragrance.
4. Phthalates
   • Phthalates are used in lipsticks, nail polish, skin and hair care products. This chemical is used as a plasticizer.
   • In large quantities phthalates can disrupt the male and female reproductive system. In males it can decline sperm quality, while in females it can cause pregnancy complications. We are so often exposed to this chemical that it has been found in breast milk, amniotic fluid, saliva and seminal fluid.

What does this mean for you?

The ingredients listed are still being used in many beauty care products in America, while other countries have banned their use. Leaving us to take our health into their own hands. Planted Beauty Rx will choose to not use ingredients that have been deemed harmful to the body and will focus on using plant based ingredients for your beauty needs. Out moto is to not unnecessarily expose our customers to ingredients that are linked to being toxic to the body. As you navigate to clean beauty always read the ingredient list, research ingredients you do not know and select products that have statements that go along with your values such as "vegan" and "cruelty free".

While this is just a short list of ingredients to stay away from, did we miss some really important ones? Share your thoughts by connecting with us on our social media platforms.

Resources

Nowak, K., Ratajczak–Wrona, W., Górska, M., Jabłońska, E.(2018). Parabens and their effects on the endocrine system. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0303720718301060?via%3Dihub

Freitas R., Silvestro S., Coppola F., Costa S., Meucci V., Battaglia F., Intorre L., Soares AMVM., Pretti C., Faggio C.(2020).Toxic impacts induced by Sodium lauryl sulfate in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol

Mei-Hsia Chan M, Tan LS, Leow YH, Goon AT, Goh CL. Comparison of Irritancy Potential of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate-free Aqueous Cream to Other Moisturizers: An Intraindividual Skin Occlusive Study. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2019 Jul;12(7):52-58. Epub 2019 Jul 1. PMID: 31531162; PMCID: PMC6715333.

G. Lottrup, A.-M. Andersson, H. Leffers, G. K. Mortensen, J. Toppari, N. E. Skakkebaek, K. M. Main. 2006. Possible impact of phthalates on infant reproductive health. International Journal of Andrology. DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00642.x

Environmental Working Group. (2020). Personal Care Products Safety Act Would Improve Cosmetics Safety. Retrived from https://www.ewg.org/Personal-Care-Products-Safety-Act-Would-Improve-Cosmetics-Safety

Additional Resources

https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/cosmetics

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/sulfates#takeaway