Natural View

When researching the safety of synthetic chemicals and other substances used in cosmetic and personal care products, one theme emerges: There are few, if any, definitive answers. This is partly due to the lack of scientific studies conducted on over 85% of the ingredients currently being used, or on the effects of combining the various chemicals. As you may already know, the American government does not require manufacturers to prove the safety of the chemicals they are using, and has very little power over the cosmetics and toiletries industry in general. So while these companies are likely testing the products to rule out potential skin reactions, they are not conducting the kind of research that would determine long-term effects such as cancer, infertility or neurological (i.e., brain) effects.
In other countries, however, and in laboratories around the world, studies have been conducted on animals to examine long-term consequences of exposure to these substances. The findings are grim: everything from increased susceptibility to breast cancer to a greater likelihood of infertility and even Parkinson's disease have been attributed to exposure to the chemicals many of us slather on, lather up, and spray all over our bodies on a daily basis. And yet, because there is no conclusive evidence that any of these substances are harmful, they remain on the market. In fact, the chemical and cosmetic industries spend millions of dollars to persuade our legislators to keep it that way.
To make matters worse, there are no regulations around what qualifies a product as "natural"or "organic." In other words, you could take a bottle of chlorine bleach, squeeze some organic lemon juice into it, slap a pretty green leaf on the label, and sell it as Organic Bleach. Of course, most of us would see right through that bit of deceptive marketing. Most products, however, are not nearly as straightforward. Manufacturers are dedicating an enormous amount of resources to figure out how to spin their products in a way that makes them sound more natural, organic, and safer than they really are.
The truth is, in order to cover all you need to know to truly understand the complexities of this industry, we would need to write a book. Fortunately for us, someone already did. If you are interested in learning more about what is lurking in your lotions, preserving your pomade, or leeching out of your lipstick, we strongly encourage you to read the book, Not Just a Pretty Face, by Stacy Malkan. For the staff at The Nature of Beauty, this book changed our lives forever. We suspect it may have the same impact on you!
In the meantime, we have compiled a list of ingredients most experts consider to be among the most harmful on the market. They also happen to be the ingredients you won'tfind in any of our products. Whether you purchase products from us or not, we hope you will continue learning more and taking steps to protect yourself and your family from the potentially harmful and decidedly unnecessary chemicals hanging out in your medicine cabinet, cosmetic case, and diaper bag.
to read more about the criteria we used when selecting products.