What you Put On Goes In
2018, it seems, is to be the year when the ‘clean beauty’ trend, after many years in the sidelines, is finally beginning to gain some traction. But what exactly is ‘Clean Beauty’ AKA ‘Bathroom Detox’?
When it comes to our health, we have a pretty good understanding of what 'clean eating' is - the virtues of healthy, unprocessed food, exercise, drinking, medications - and even the impact of stress on our physical and emotional wellbeing. We are SO very familiar with that territory. But wait! ‘Clean Beauty’ experts would argue that there is an infuriating piece missing from the health puzzle. What we are putting ON to our skin. It is after all your body’s largest organ and it is incredibly overlooked that what you put on goes in.A Staggering 99% of our cosmetics are based
around petrochemical derived ingredients.
Most people are still blithely unaware of the fact that almost every beauty product is derived from petrochemicals, many of which are known to be harmful both to our skin and reproductive systems.
Yep. Just as good as eating it, by the time you’ve had your wholegrain oatmeal you have likely already ingested a diet of plastics, carcinogens, (cancer causing), endocrine disrupting, (fertility-damaging), DNA mutating, known skin irritants and a whole range of other noxious substances, directly into your bloodstream. All of which could make that that salad eating and treadmill pounding a er - running joke...
View EvoNaturals range of non-toxic skincare here.
What have Phthalates got to do with it?
It's a bold statement, but one that is backed by too many studies and research to be ignored. And in many cases, terrible health outcomes - dermatological and immunological (as in my case) - and far worse including birth defects and infertility at the other end of the scale, statistics which correlate directly to of amounts of phthalates parabens and myriad other chemical compounds getting into our bloodstream via fragrances, nail polish and hairspray, and significantly damaging ours and our children's health.
What's Gwyneth got to do with it?
'Clean Beauty' - a term coined by Gwyneth Paltrow, among others, to espouse her brand's ideas around safer cosmetics, has come to mean 'those cosmetic products without harmful substances'.
With all of the hoo-ha about the dangers of parabens, phthalates and the like in the news, the big pharmaceutical companies - and remember billions of GPB are at stake here - are now considering making amends as the tide of awareness of this issue sweeps the western world.
Sadly, until like me you are directly affected, most people will continue consuming the same cheap toxin-laden body care products - and with the sheer lack of choice on the shelves, they can hardly be blamed.
Luckily, there are now a growing number of smaller companies, springing up to cater to those affected - as well as those who are aware and just want to buy healthier, cleaner body care products - and even think about detoxing their bathrooms altogether. Currently, these companies represent only 1% of the total body care market. But it's a starting point, the market is growing and the big companies are rightly concerned if not yet rattled.