Natural Skincare

I went out the other day to visit a local business. It was once a place where folks could buy organic produce (before the fad hit) and other natural items. However, it’s been revamped and turned into a natural skincare/cosmetics store. They sell a number of vitamin supplements and other green dietary things. I am in the market for lip balm, lotion and perhaps some vegetarian Omega-3 DHA/EPA supplements. I thought this place would be perfect because it would be supporting a local business owner, as well as allow me to talk to a real live person concerning the natural products and their ingredients. Unfortunately, I was not impressed and left without purchasing anything. The shop came off as being more interested in making profit off the natural care industry than being genuinely interested in natural products. The saleswoman told me several times that the cosmetics adhered to the European standards and were “high-end”. When I inquired as to why the products were better, she again said they were high-end. She told me that petroleum cosmetics were bad for the skin because they couldn’t penetrate, and so I inquired about the wax (bees and such) which were in the lip balms and if that was similar to the petroleum. The lady honestly seemed stumped by this question.

She then went around the store checking the ingredients in assorted products while repeating that they were high-end and agreeing there was wax in them. Oookay, so I’m thoroughly confused. I should point out that these lip balms were $8 a pop, and yet she could not give me any real information on why they were better. I also saw a bottle on the shelf which was labeled as a hair care product, 100% jojoba oil. I was confused by this. Jojoba oil, as I know it, isn’t just used to treat hair but also as an excellent skin moisturizer, among other things. Yet they were selling this $20 bottle of 8oz Jojoba oil (I didn’t see anything about certified organic either) and proclaiming it this wonderful hair tonic. Seriously, slapping a fancy label on something does not make it worth $20. This lady also spent 10 minutes looking for a vegetarian Omega-3 supplement, swearing they had one before pointing out the “high-end” one they can’t keep on the shelves. Why is it high-end? I ask, and was directed to the brand name and how quickly it sells. Cue the eye rolling.

So I went online to my favorite LiveJournal natural community to see if they had any suggestions. I found several rave reviews about a place called My Lip Stuff. It’s made by one woman called Brea, and is 100% natural. There are even several Vegan options. It’s not just lip balm, but lotions and body scrubs and body sprays. I decided to buy a Vegan lip balm for myself, a no-nonsense balm for my husband (labeled as men’s, which basically means there is no scent or taste; I didn’t like the gender label but not everyone is perfect), and a body butter stick. All three cost me $14.75, which included shipping. I was impressed that I placed the order on November 4th at 3:30pm EST and it was shipped by November 6th. Most orders are shipper Priority Mail, but since I got samples (same size as normal, just shipped first class instead) it’ll take a couple days longer.

I’m looking forward to this. I opted for non-scented body butter since I’ve never used a body butter and wanted to try it raw, and a Sweet as Sugar lip balm. Apparently it’s flavored with vanilla and Stevia. I’ll post my thoughts once it gets here and I try it out. Yay for natural products from small businesses!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is catching heat within the natural living communities and many folks have sworn off using products containing it, but is it really something to be cautious of?

SLS is a naturally derived (from coconut and/or palm kernel oil) foaming agent which is used in car wash soaps, engine degreasers, and floor cleaners. It can also be found in many cosmetic items such as shampoo, soap, and toothpaste and in household cleaners like laundry detergent. It is popular with many manufacturers because of the cheaper production cost and effective cleaning process. Per The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association discourages use of sodium lauryl sulfate in products intended for prolonged use, unless in low concentrations. There are studies (according to this website which states Linda Chae as a reference for these facts) that suggest SLS penetrates the eyes and tissue (like organ tissue), and causes retention which can affect a person’s (especially infants and children) growth and vision. The website also states that SLS creates nitrates which enter the blood and cause problems such as hair loss, skin rashes, dandruff, etc., and causes the production of nitrosamines. It is also reported that the use of SLS in toothpaste can cause canker sores, though the connection to mouth ulcers is so far unfounded. The inhalation of SLS can lead to extreme choking, and thus is a hazard.

Tom’s of Maine, a popular natural care manufacturer, is very adamant that SLS is completely safe and rebukes the assessment that SLS can cause canker sores or is linked to cancer, liver disease and other medical problems. These statements are also reinforced by Snopes.com whom relays that “…three different agencies — the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have all rated SLS as being non-carcinogenic.” The Cosmetics Database lists the toxic level of SLS as 2 (low hazard), but also states the compound to be linked to cancer and other medical problems.

So it seems that there is no definitive answer concerning SLS. While the government offices and other reputable sources say SLS is harmless, there are studies and voices which state otherwise. Of course, that is just what the studies now show and we all know that sometimes chemicals and drugs deemed perfectly fine one year can come back in later years and be attributed to all sorts of nasty things or vice versa. I’m by no means suggesting people should be afraid, but I do believe in keeping informed and knowing the risks.

There is also a component called sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) that is considered the weaker cousin of SLS. It seems many people confuse the two, which may be able to explain why there is such a lack of solid evidence on whether SLS is harmful. The two compounds are similar, but different enough. A concern with SLES is that is can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane which is considered to be a probable carcinogen by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (and leads me to wonder why the Cosmetic Database rates SLES as a 3 or 4 on the hazard scale, while SLS is only a 2).

It is the advice of this blogger to stay away from both chemicals, and their counterparts (the websites linked to in this article give lots of alternative names for SLS and SLES as well as products which use them). When it comes to chemicals with this much uncertainty I would rather play it safe than sorry.