Have you tried reading the ingredients list on a skincare product label lately? If you haven’t, I understand why. About hundred thousand different chemicals are currently used in products around the world and that number is increasing rapidly . With a new chemical being created every few seconds, and most chemicals having multiple names, who could possibly keep up?

This is why we’ve created an Ingredients to Avoid card. The card doesn’t list absolutely everything, or give all the reasons why – it provides a concise reference because with a few tips, it can be much easier to make product choices that are better for you, your body and the environment.

Next time you order, we’ll pop one in with your products. Or we can pop one in the mail for you. Too easy.

And in the meanwhile, here’s a little bonus tip that’s not on the card, but it’s one that I find really useful:

Does it have any numbers on the Ingredients List? Odds are, this is a product you’re better off putting back on the shelf even if it sounds natural.

From that one tip, here are a few examples of the chemicals it can help you avoid:

Polysorbate-20, Polysorbate-40, Polysorbate-60, Polysorbate-61 and so on are all ethoxylated, which means they’ve been put through a process that may leave it contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. There’s a class action happening in the United States at the moment, due to the presence of 1,4-dioxane in many products made by Johnson & Johnson, Kimberley Clark, Procter and Gamble. Perfectly good alternatives exist so there’s no need to use these ingredients and risk polluting our bodies, our waterways and landfill.

Chemicals like PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, PEG-70 Mango Glycerides or Olive Oil PEG 7 Esters are a classic warning sign of greenwashing. Because they contain the name of a plant they sound natural. They’re often referred to as ‘plant-derived’ but in fact these too are all ethoxylated chemicals.

The use of Cl, D&C or FD&C with a number generally denotes a coal- or tar-derived colour and we would recommend to avoid them because artificial colours are one of the leading causes of skin irritations. For example, the pretty ‘baby pink’ colour of Johnson&Johnson Baby Lotion comes from a colour known as Red 33, D&C Red 33 or Cl17200.

There are many more examples of course, but I think that’s enough to explain what to look for…  The card provides a swag of additional tips that make it super easy to make your choices more informed and in alignment with your desire to use products that are healthier for you, your family and for our environment.

Orritey then, must run – stay well and see you again soon!

Barbara xx