Shopping for natural beauty products can be downright confusing, with many cosmetic brands claiming to be safe and all natural while still using harmful ingredients.

The simple truth is that many beauty products are advertised as natural and organic when their ingredients are far from it. The terms "Natural" and "Organic" are used often to "Greenwash" products - products that want to appear green, when in fact they are not.

Currently the government does very little as far as protecting consumers and workers from harmful chemical ingredients used to make cosmetics. This means that awareness and education are the best ways to look out for the health of yourself and your family. The current dilemma over the use of the Brazilian Blowout hair treatment, and the FDA's delayed warning, is a prime example.

Recently released scientific studies by Switzerland's of Pharmacology and Toxicology, conducted in 2001, prove a link between synthetic sunscreens and hormonal disturbances in the body. The chemical compounds in synthetic sunscreens have been found to accumulate in body fats and in breast milk, and, by mimicking the effects of estrogen, can induce undesirable hormonal changes...

There are two major ingredient labeling standards — the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) standard, which is used in the United States, and the International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) standard, which is used in the rest of the world, including Canada....

There is a class of chemicals that can disrupt the human hormonal system, and particularly effect the fetal development of males. These chemicals are in many everyday consumer products, and also used widely in agriculture and industry. In some heavily polluted US waterways, frogs & salamanders have sprouted extra legs, alligators have stunted genitals, and male Smallmouth bass have been discovered producing eggs...

Recent UK studies advise of strong health risks when using Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) in nanoparticle form in powdered mineral makeup. These inhaled TiO2 nanoparticles coming in contact with living tissue have a similar effect as asbestos and could cause lung cancer...

Hydrogenation is the process of making certain unsaturated fats or oils more saturated such that they have a higher melting point and a longer shelf-life. If not completed hydrogenated, some unsaturated fats turn into trans-unsaturated fats. This partial hydrogenation is performed when the desired effect is a product that is solid at room temperature but melts upon baking or consumption...

Animal derived ingredients are often found in skin care: beeswax, lanolin (a grease derived from wool), gelatin (from animal skin and bones), and squalene (extracted from shark's liver). To be considered vegan, products must consist of only ingredients sourced without any use of animals...

There are a number of mistruths about ingredients out there. We'll discuss a few here.

If you can’t read the ingredient, it’s probably bad for you.
All European made personal care products require ingredient labels that conform to the INCI standard. This standard requires that the ingredients be listed using their scientific name. For example, water is listed as AQUA, jojoba is listed as SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS. So based on this myth, one would assume simmondia chinensis was a synthetic ingredient...

Ingredients and pollutants can more easily penetrate the body thru the tear channels and the cornea. During a lifetime of regular lipstick use, you actually eat about 4-6 lb. of lipstick! Most lipsticks contain ingredients that are not healthy at all...