New Beauty is Clean: Leaving Toxic Chemicals Behind
As new brands emerge and cosmetic science expands, we are finding more and more products available to try, ranging from affordable to luxury. With such a wide variety of options to choose from, how do we know which ones are worth our hard earned money?
These days with the rise of non-toxic and ‘clean beauty’ being front and center, customers are becoming more savvy and asking for brand transparency, the production process, sustainability, and whether products are safe to use longterm or not.
The older we get, the more aware we become about what we consume and put on our body. As health becomes a prevalent topic, we are sure to delve a bit deeper to make sure the best choices are being made.
It’s hard to say which items are worth the try since we all have different preferences and needs when we shop for our beauty products, but as companies demand more money and pump out different products can we really believe they have our best interest in mind? Slowly, online creators have been explaining how some popular brands are loaded with chemicals and can be harmful to our health longterm, and introduce lifestyle changes or swaps from their favorite haircare, bodycare, and makeup items.
From fragrance to preservatives, these chemicals are cancer-causing and are in the very things we use to keep us clean and put-together. In this Washington Post article, Amudalat Ajasa writes how formaldehyde can be found in personal care products such as lotions, bodywash, conditioner, and face cream that are often marketed towards Black women. These chemicals are released and are around us more than we know. It’s time that steps are taken to protect us the consumers. We may understand some things but not everything behind a product label.
Recently, NPR covered how lawmakers are trying to pass the “Safer Beauty Bill Package”, four different bills that would redefine federal cosmetic laws, each with a different focus ranging from product safety to banning toxic ingredients. This would mean products would be regulated, and with the rise of young girls turning to beauty and buying products they would be safer if the bill passed.
From our homeware to ourselves, everything in between has become something to examine, to question. There are no clear directions on how to make swaps that will help you in the long run, but you can always start somewhere.
Be curious, do your research, find what works for you — but remember you deserve the quality you’re willing to pay for. There are cleaner alternatives out there for everyone.
Bianca Mestiza is based in New York City and enjoys writing about beauty, arts and culture.