Cracking down on "organic" claims

This article appeared this week, and in my opinion, has been a long time coming!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/20/organic-product-lawsuit_n_880752.html

The terms "natural" and "organic" are bandied about with very little scrutiny...and the buying public has bought into it lock, stock and barrel! Yes there are reputable companies out there who are diligent and honest about their ingredients, but for consumers, it's a real job to sort out labeling requirements and what those ingredients lists actually contain.

Most magazines have feature articles that talk about various beauty routines, but organic beauty tips to promote good health cover more than just the outside of your body. Learning about and using organic products is a way that you can make sure you’re keeping your body its healthiest inside, too.

While most people wouldn’t even consider using toxic materials inside their home and seek ways to go green, they’re unaware that their day to day routine of using mass produced beauty products could be harming their skin and even introducing dangerous toxins into their body.

Every single product you use in your home and for your body should be used with an eye out toward keeping your life the healthiest it can be. Many women (and some men) use facial masks to get rid of dead skin cells and to invigorate new growth.

These masks keep the skin looking younger, feeling smoother and promote internal well being from knowing your skin looks good. However, you can inadvertently add years to your skin by choosing the wrong facial mask - the ones with abrasive chemicals in the ingredients.

Instead, you can opt for a safer and gentler mask by using oatmeal. You can either buy a natural oatmeal mask or you can make your own at home with the ingredients you already have on hand.

All you need is oatmeal, a little bit of honey and some water. You mix the ingredients together until it’s nice and sticky and then apply it to your face. Leave it on for no less than ten minutes and then remove with water. You’ll instantly feel the difference.

If you enjoy painting your finger and toenails, then you especially need to learn about organic beauty tips to promote good health because nail colors contain an ingredient known as nitrocellulose.

This is an acid - and while it’s used in nail polish, guess what else it’s used in? Explosives such as dynamite. Did you know that the ingredients listed in nail polish are poisonous?

Those ingredients are things like butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and toluene. Toluene is a solvent (think paint thinner), which is what gives nail polish that pungent odor. Inhaling the fumes from nail polish can poison your body. What’s the alternative if you want to paint your nails? Look for a water-based nail polish that doesn’t contain dangerous chemicals.

The best way to understand which products are healthy to use is to not only select from organic choices, but to study exactly what you’re putting on your skin and into your body.

You might think that companies would avoid products that could harm you, but they don’t. Even little ones aren’t exempt from dangerous ingredients in products (some diaper creams contain boric acid).

So it’s important to make informed decisions rather than taking someone else’s word that what you’re buying is good for you - especially if that someone else is making a profit if they convince you to buy. There’s nothing wrong with making a profit. There is however, something very wrong with making a profit at the expense of the public’s health.

As in all things: be a smart consumer! Read those labels, and know what they mean!