Clean Cosmetic Companies Your Face Will Be Grateful You Found
Our skin is truly remarkable. It offers us protection, helps our bodies to get rid of toxins, synthesizes vitamin D, it is even capable of absorbing substances like nitrogen and oxygen! In fact, our skin absorbs up to 60% of what is put on it.
If our skin is is able to absorb helpful nutrients, it stands to reason that it can absorb not-so-helpful things too, right? Though how much our skin soaks up varies from person to person, we do know for certain that substances on the skin make it inside our bodies.
In extreme circumstances, people who work in industries that involve toxic chemicals have become sick and died from said chemicals through “dermal absorption”. Most of us aren’t working with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde or asbestos. But we are exposed to some chemicals on the daily through our makeup, body care products, laundry detergent. (Click here for a safe, effective, easy-to-make laundry detergent!), and even our bath water (thanks to the people who think chlorine is the only way to sterilize water).
Just to offer some perspective…
Did you know … that the cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA approval to be sold? And, the FDA does not have the authority to take something off the market if it causes adverse side effects. Instead of recalling products, they send strongly worded letters suggesting the company take the product in question off the shelves themselves. And they don’t even do that much until enough bad things have happened that they decide to act–we are actively guinea pigs.
Did you know … that Canada and Europe have banned ingredients from being used in their products that the US still allows? The European Union has banned over 1,400 chemicals found in cosmetics. The FDA has only banned 30. The U.S. is behind 40 other nations in cosmetic ingredient safety.
I don’t know how this information makes you feel. It makes me feel cheated, lied to, disgusted, grossed-out, and itching to throw things out and start fresh (and clean)! So here is a list of clean cosmetic companies that you can feel good about using that strive to care for the earth, too.
Clean Cosmetic Companies
- 100% Pure Beauty: This company carries fruit-pigmented make-up, and products for skin care, hair and body, and wellness. They guarantee that their products will never contain harsh or toxic ingredients and define natural as “an ingredient or formula composed of plant, mineral, and/or marine vegetation that undergoes chemical changes due to biological processes such as fermentation, distillation, and cold processing”. 100% Pure Beauty also strives to be environmentally sustainable with several brick-and-mortar locations. (For money-saving opportunities, check out our Body and Hair Products Page!)
- Tower 28 Beauty: Tower 28 hyper-focuses making products for super sensitive skin. The creator of this brand has suffered from eczema and understands the struggle to find good quality ingredients, and one such brand was born! Tower 28 is compliant with EU regulations, even though it’s based in Santa Monica, and has six store locations. Made in USA.
- Juice Beauty: Juice Beauty starts with a certified organic blend of juice to start their products (as opposed to tap water, which is typically used), and the organic matter produces 30% more antioxidants than non-organic materials. Juice Beauty also farms many of their organic ingredients, which gives them even more control over their ingredients than most anyone. Juice Beauty offers a wide variety of skin care products for all of your skin needs and deficiencies. They also use recycled packaging and have solar and wind power for their process. Their product can be found in several beauty stores across the country.
- Alima Pure: Alima Pure is a cosmetics company that uses clean, non-toxic ingredients and is a Certified B Corp, is carbon neutral, and gets its power from renewable resources. They also have refillable compacts for minimal waste. You can find products like concealers, bronzers, primers, eyeshadows, mascaras, eyeliners, and brow pencils! Alima Pure can be found in beauty stores in 16 states.
- Vapour Organic Beauty: Vapour Beauty’s ingredients are organically farmed and responsibly sourced with the best environmental ratings. They have earned “Champion Safety Status” from the EWG and Campaign for Cosmetics. Vapour uses recycled packaging and is a wind-powered factory. You can even earn rewards with Vapour by sending back your empties and recycling with them! Vapour can be found in various beauty stores across the country.
- W3ll People: W3ll People has been verified by the EWG and has been highlighted in several magazines and blogs, including Ecosalon, Goop, and Allure. W3ll carries cosmetics and skin care products as well as synthetic, cruelty-free brushes. Made in USA.
- CocoKind: CocoKind uses key ingredients like hibiscus flower, oat, avocado oil, and rosewater. They are certified organic, non-GMO, and cruelty-free. Some of the products you can find here are makeup, skin care like serums and moisturizer, and three different kinds of masks. Their products can be found in Target and Whole Foods Market Stores.
- BeautyCounter: BeautyCounter goes above and beyond the US, Canada, and even the EU’s ingredient restrictions and bans over 1,800 potentially and actually harmful ingredients. In fact, they won’t even use an ingredient if it hasn’t been tested! They also have an ingredient glossary of every one they use on their website AND which products you can find them in. BeautyCounter’s standards for safety includes responsibly sourcing materials, tracking their environmental footprint, and “unparalleled safety screening”. To top it off, they offer skin care and shaving products for men in addition to body care, sunscreen, body wash and makeup for women. Some of their products have been chosen to be featured at Sephora, and they have a store front in Denver and NYC.
How cosmetic companies can get away with using whatever synthetic, harmful, untested ingredients they want is unacceptable and, quite frankly, repulsive. But the MARVELOUS news is there are more and more clean cosmetic companies being created (mostly by women, frustrated moms and wives) with the united goal of harmless, natural, and impressive products that keep Mother Nature unharmed in the process!
Tools To Check Safety of Ingredients
The National Institute of Health
Extra Resources
Here is a round-up of companies mentioned in the article for your shopping convenience!
- 100% Pure Beauty
- Tower 28 Beauty
- Juice Beauty
- Alima Pure
- Vapour Organic Beauty
- W3ll People
- CocoKind
- BeautyCounter
- Ancestral Organics
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