April 22nd, 2011 
Tushar Mathur 
Experts have warned consumers for decades that many of the most common beauty products contain earth-harming chemicals which are not only bad for the environment but bad for your health as well.
Sometimes people choose to ignore it or even refuse to believe it. Others go as far as stating that they simply can’t afford to buy eco-friendly cosmetics and choose the cheap and common beauty products instead just to save a few dollars.
But the fact of the matter is, not only are these products damaging for your health and the environment, they are also harmful to different types of wildlife as well: Because what you put in your hair and on your body gets washed down the drain whenever you have a shower, the toxic chemicals then get carried down to lakes, rivers and oceans which can negatively impact the local fish and birds.
Statistics show that the average person can use up to 15 different beauty products a day, so if you choose even one eco-friendly beauty product out of all the products that you use on a daily basis, the impact on the environment could be enormous.
Make-up
Because make-up is applied to the most vulnerable areas of your face like the eyes and the mouth, it’s extremely important to do the proper research beforehand and make sure that the cosmetics you use are not damaging to your health.
When choosing an eco-friendly cosmetic, try to look for items that contain non-toxic, soy-based and Formaldehyde-free ingredients, as environmentally friendly products are usually made from natural pigments and are free of preservatives and chemicals like parabens.
Hair products
Some of the many toxic ingredients found in hair products include butane and propane (which are both toxic to humans in large doses), Cyclopentasiloxane and dipropylene glycol (which both harm the sense organs of wild animals) and polybutene (which is commonly used in pesticides), just to name a few.
Not only that, because anything you put in your hair is then absorbed into your scalp, if you are using a product that contains damaging chemicals they are essentially absorbed into your body as well, which could not only affect your organs and blood, but even increase your risk of developing cancer, allergies, hypertension, and much more.
When looking for eco-friendly hair products, whether it is shampoo, conditioner or even hair color, be sure read the fine print and see exactly what types of ingredients are found in the product. Some of the most popular natural and organic ingredients found in hair products range from Shea butter, olive oil, or Aloe Vera, and are usually free of SLS and parabens.
Nail polish
Believe it or not, technically speaking there is no true “natural” nail polish because all of them contain harmful chemicals, some of which include neurotoxins, coal tar dyes, and phthalates (AKA plasticizers), and much more. Once the nail polish is applied to her nails, the toxic chemicals then get absorbed into your blood stream and could also disturb the endocrine activities in your body as well.
If you’re having trouble finding eco-friendly nail polish at your local supermarket, Polished Mama is a popular eco-friendly nail polish company that was founded by an RN and an organic chemist, and sells water-based paints specifically for pregnant women. Other good options include Honey Bee Gardens, a company that uses water-based nail colors which are odor free, Peacekeeper Cause-Metics, which has nail polish that is both solvent and toxic free, and Spa Ritual, a water-based vegan nail polish company.
Moisturizers
Because a moisturizer should essentially help provide nourishment to your skin and help protect it against any bacteria, then why would you want to use a moisturizer that contains toxic chemicals?
The majority of environmentally-friendly moisturizers are usually made from plant-based ingredients, natural fruit and fruit oils and are free of mineral oil, parabenes, or chemical preservatives.
Also, if you’re looking around for an anti-aging moisturizer, then made sure it is made of natural oils and not mineral oils, because mineral oils won’t be absorbed into the skin and will actually make your skin more dry, and also prevents your skin from releasing toxins because it blocks your pores.
Sunscreen
With the summer season slowly approaching, now would be the perfect time to invest in some environmentally-friendly sunscreen.
Believe it or not there are actually four chemicals that are commonly used in sunscreen that activate a virus and can actually bleach choral. In fact, experts estimate that approximately 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers who swim in the ocean each year, which means that up to 10 percent of all coral reefs are threatened because of the chemicals.
One popular company that sells eco-friendly sunscreen is produced by Caribbean Sol. (or Caribbean Solutions). SmartSheild is also another eco-friendly sunscreen that is both waterproof and sweat-proof, and is even commonly used by athletes and the US Coast Guard as well. Furthermore, it’s also petroleum free, marine safe, and completely biodegradable.
Of course these are just some of the hundreds if not thousands of examples of eco-friendly companies that release products that have less of a harmful impact on the environment. But with more and more companies tapping into the eco-friendly beauty market, it’s extremely important to do the proper research beforehand and make sure that the product is truly organic and environmentally-friendly before you put it on your skin r in your hair.
Remember that the most environmentally-friendly companies are the ones that typically like to share the ingredients of their products online, so if you are unsure of a type of product be sure to check out their website before you make any purchases.
Author: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching physical therapy student grants as well as physician assistant scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
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