What is forganic? Forganic is a term I coined to mean “fake organic.” Many companies out there use the word organic in their product name with nothing at all to back it up. Unfortunately in the cosmetic world, organic regulations for beauty products is not clearly defined. This leads to many “cheater brands” who take advantage. If a product claims it is organic, it should not contain harmful substances, such as phenoxyethanol, parabens, or petro-chemicals. Why are companies promoting their products as organic even though they are not?  More and more people are buying organic beauty products and they want their piece of the pie….it’s pure capitalism but in this case it’s profits before people.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) uncovered many of these cheater brands. Read this blog post for more on which brands to be wary of. I used to use some of them until I became more “label savvy.” You really have to be very careful when choosing a cosmetic and research the ingredients if you see one you are not familiar with.

Recently, the OCA protested these “forganic” brands at the Expo West Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California. Some of the very brands they were protesting were present at the expo. In fact, the media company who sponsors the event had people standing in front of the protest signs to block them! How’s about that for shielding us from the truth? Don’t we have a right to protest? Shouldn’t all people have a chance to know that the product you trust may cause disease later on? I invite you to read the full article at the Natural News website. Also check out the video below for Mike Adams a.k.a. the Health Ranger’s footage of the protest and to hear some of the presenters thoughts. It’s extremely thought provoking. What do you think about this issue? Your comments are welcome.

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Robin

Greenwashing? You may have heard this term before but might not know what it means. Greenwashing is a term used to refer to companies who portray their product as organic but which have non-organic ingredients. It is a deceptive practice which preys on unsuspecting consumers who are trying to go green with their choices but are unknowingly being led to believe the products they use are safe for themselves and the environment. This practice is dishonest and unfair. Once again, it’s profits over people.

It was recently found that many companies with the “ecocert” organic certification contained many ingredients that have no business being in a product labeled “organic.” Ingredients such as sulfates, preservatives, and phenoxyethanol. These are all substances that are harmful to the body, causing irritation, organ problems and cancer. Many of the ingredients in such products are tainted with pesticides and can produce 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogen. And they are labeled “organic?” You have got to be kidding me. I don’t know about you, but this pisses me off! We put our trust into these companies and they are pulling the wool over our eyes! Now you see just how important it is to become knowledgeable about ingredients and be a vigilant label reader. Look for my Toxic Beauty ebook soon- Saving Face: Exposing Toxic Beauty Products. It will be your must-have guide so you know what is in your products and what diseases these chemicals can cause.

I urge you to take a look at the ingredient labels of your most trusted products. Is it labeled organic? Does it have ingredients that are far from organic? For a list of the offending companies and how to take action so green washing of cosmetic products can be stopped click here: Organic Consumers Association. You may be surprised at the companies you see on the list! Any thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Robin

Happy Monday!

I just finished up a workout and sat down to watch one of my favorite shows, Clean House. I love how they help people clear out not only the clutter in their homes but in their lives as well. As I was watching, I saw a commercial for a well known skin care company. They claimed to cure dry winter skin with their special moisturizer. This ad is very strategically placed during Clean House, as much of the viewers are women. After watching this commercial, the average woman might go out to the local discount store to purchase this item. But does she ever think to read the ingredient label and research exactly what she is putting on her skin? Does she realize that what she rubs into her skin absorbs into the blood stream, affecting her organs and hormones? And that after years and years of repeated use, the toxins collect in the body and can cause cancer?

When you see an ad like that, what do you think? Do you look for the product in the store? Do you research the ingredients? I used to buy these products blindly, believing that if it was on the shelf, it’s safe… I was brainwashed by beauty! Now I know the truth….many companies put profit before people and make you think their products are safe. Well, now that you know this, you can be proactive and always always always check your labels! If you have any questions about the ingredients or find one you think may be questionable, send me an e-mail or check the ingredient on Skin Deep, an incredible cosmetics safety database.

COMING SOON: The Toxic Beauty ebook is where you can read about the most common ingredients to avoid, what they can do, and amazing alternatives.

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Robin

Makeup is something most women use on a daily basis. Do we realize just how much harm we may be causing ourselves by doing this? Many people do not know about the chemicals they are putting into their bloodstream via the skin on a daily basis, year after year and believe that because it is on the shelf, it is safe. This is far from the truth. Many commercial makeup brands contain dangerous carcinogens such as lead, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and talc. You might call them the “beasts” of makeup. Watch this video to learn more about the toxins in makeup and what you can do to become a more educated beauty consumer! Take special note of how more advanced Europe is than the US in recognizing toxic substances. Also check out skindeep.org for further information.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to enter the My Lip Stuff Giveaway!

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

-Robin

Hello Toxic Beauty readers! I hope you enjoy this video on why and how to choose organic beauty products. It makes some great points about why it is important to delete synthetic products from your routine.  The video mentions purchasing organic beauty products from the health food store but I want to remind you the Internet offers more affordable source for many beauty products, such as luckyvitamin.com.  Enjoy and don’t forget to share your thoughts.

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
-Robin

You may be hearing a lot lately about parabens…but what are they and why should we be concerned about them? Parabens are a group of preservatives used in over 25,000 cosmetics and personal care products. Which of these items do you think contain parabens? Shampoos, conditoners, make-up, tanning oils, styling mousse, body wash, toothpaste, tooth whitening products? All of them do. If you check your label, anything that contains the word “paraben” is a product you should discontinue using. I stopped using any product containing this toxin years ago and when I check ingredient labels now, if I see parabens, I put it down.

Parabens are artificial ingredients that the body readily absorbs. Studies show that parabens can affect hormones and mimic estrogen (and too much estrogen is not a good thing, for women OR men.) Excess estrogen has the potential to cause breast cancer, in fact, parabens were found in breast cancer tumors of women and in urine of people tested by the CDC (so the body does retain it.) Parabens are so prevalent in personal care products today that more boys are being born with deformed reproductive organs. In fact, a study recently done on fish in the Potomac shows that male fish are being transformed into “intersex fish” – male fish born with female characteristics.  This is nature’s way of warning us to stop using parabens in our products. It is something pregnant women should most definitely avoid.

Many companies are finally admitting to the dangers of parabens and are offering paraben-free products. Just be sure to read the rest of the ingredients, because they may still contain some toxins. So I give you this challenge: Go check the labels of some of your products. I guarantee that most, if not all, will contain parabens….and leave a comment here to let us know if you’ve decided to ban parabens from your products!

If you’d like to read more about these “intersex” fish, click here to read the NY Times article: “It’s Time to Learn From Frogs.”

Click here for safe skin care: Dr. Mercola’s paraben-free, organic body butter.

Check out this informative news story regarding toxins in cosmetics today (parabens are mentioned.) It’s a must watch!

When you walk into the nail shop, you’re looking forward to a relaxing spa experience. Instead, your nose is probably assailed with chemical odors. What are you smelling? It is not a natural smell….it’s a myriad of chemicals: the powder used for acrylic nails, nail polish remover, and nail polish to name a few. If it smells this bad, can you imagine what it can do to your body? Some of the most toxic chemicals you will encounter at the nail shop is toulene, formaldehyde, or DBP. You may be saying to yourself, what are these and why should I be afraid of them??

Out of those three ingredients, the one you might have already heard of is formaldehyde. Yes, that is the same substance used in the preservation of dead bodies. Formaldehyde is not something you should be using while alive, as it is a carcinogen. And this is the same ingredient in your nail products. Toxins, anyone? It is mainly used to make the polish resilient. Toulene is another chemical used in polishes to make it easy to apply and fast drying. It is a toxin that is easily absorbed through the skin, found in paints and explosives. It can cause a myriad of problems. DBP is dibutyl phthalate, has been found to interfere with birth development and is sometimes not even on the ingredient list!

So when I go to the nail shop or go to purchase nail polish (because let’s face it, most of us do not want to give up our pedi’s and mani’s) I look for this on the label: formaldehye/toulene/DBP free. It’s not too difficult to find, in fact, I recently caught up with one of my favorite blogs, The Organic Beauty Expert and I was delighted to read about a new nail polish (NP2 Nail Perfection) which does not contain any of these chemicals. I went on to read more and went to the site to check out the new polish. Guess how much? $22.50 a bottle. Now, this is a pretty cool product in that it is a two-sided bottle that comes with a supposedly chip resistant express dry top coat. But for some of us on a budget this might not be the best option. To check out this post, click here: The Organic Beauty Expert.

Enter… Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens! I was shopping one day and found they carried Sinful Colors Professional Nail Color, a very affordable (under $5 a bottle) and safe brand of nail polish. And the colors are truly sinful! If you’re like me, you’’ll probably want one of every color. And the best part is, their formulas are formaldehyde, toulene, and DBP-free. You can also find them at sinfulcolors.com. So when you’re at the salon or the store, check out the ingredient list before you buy and make a safe choice when it comes to your nail products. Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.

Going organic in your diet and in your personal care products does not have to be an all at once process. When I first went organic, I started with baby steps. I still had a lot of products I had already purchased and I wasn’t about to throw out that expensive eye shadow…I have been holding onto them for a while now…it’s time to let them go!  But for some of your products, you may want to sweep them all into the garbage immediately because you’re simply horrifed at what the ingredients can do. For others, you may say, “Well I’ll just use it up, then I will buy a better alternative,” (and I am here to tell you about those alternatives!)

Figure out what you’re able to do and do it! Going organic is a big change and it can be an expensive one. That is why you need to prioritize. Most of us are struggling with the economy right now and you’re probably thinking, “What is she talking about? How can I possibly do this?” The task might seem daunting. But if you truly want to make a change for yourself and your family and you are committed to this, go for it. If the only thing you can do right now is buy one thing, that is a great start. But what to start with?

A shower filter is essential. I first learned of this through Kevin Trudeau’s book. Although a small, step, it can make a huge difference. You may notice your skin is dry or irritated after showers. This could actually be from a combination of reasons. First, the soap you use probably contains sodium laurel sulfate (mixed with other toxins and synthetic preservatives.) Second, most municipal waters are highly treated with chemicals to make it “safe” (ha!) With a shower filter, you will see softer more healthy looking skin. When I first had a shower with my filter, I was amazed at my skin (didn‘t even need lotion!)

Shower filters are reasonably priced and are available at hardware stores or check out Mercola.com for great info and options. Why is a shower filter so important? When you shower, your pores are open, absorbing the chemicals in the water. It’s a bit like a gas chamber. The filter takes the chlorine, fluoride and other toxins out, making the shower what it should be, a truly pure cleansing experience. To maintain the filter, you simply need to replace the filter (about $10) every 6 months to a year, depending on how toxic your water is. You will see how black and icky the filter is when you replace it! So if you take one little step at a time, eventually, you will be living a 100% pure organic lifestyle. If you need any more tips on transitioning into the organic way, send me your questions and stay tuned to the blog. Subscribe for automatic e-mail updates so you don’t miss a post! Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin

Hey Toxic Beauty readers! You may have noticed my blog has undergone a bit of a make-over. Hey, if women can do it, why can’t a blog? I am really excited about the new banner and I would love to hear your comments! Now on to today’s new post….

Some people categorize their skin as “sensitive”  or think they have skin allergies. They use special formulas because otherwise their skin will break out or become irritated. Did you ever think that maybe your skin isn’t really sensitive? It might be that man-made chemical ingredient in your product that made you break out. I’ve heard many instances of this. You don’t necessarily have sensitive skin or allergies, it’s the toxic ingredient or combination of ingredients that cause problems for anyone who uses them. Such ingredients shouldn’t be in beauty products. Not only can they disrupt the surface of the skin, but they are absorbed into the bloodstream disrupting bodily functions and organs.

I recently heard from Jenna and she had this to say:

“Love your Toxic Beauty blog. I used to think I had allergies because my eyes were puffy and itchy more often then not- I recently switched to all natural and organic beauty products and my skin has never looked or felt better- I was polluting myself without even knowing it! Go Green!”

So if you experience similar problems, be it puffy eyes, bumps, or itchy skin, give your regular beauty products a break and give natural products a try. You may be very surprised (and pleased!) at the results. If you’ve experienced any of these side effects from using commercial beauty products, drop me a line. Stay natural…stay beautiful. -Robin

When you buy a bottle of shampoo, bubble bath, or soap you think that the product you bought is safe and you believe that this product does what it claims to do without any risks. You trust this product so much that you use it on your children and family. But much of this is blind trust, as companies put many chemicals into bath products which we have no idea about….until now. Recently the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report on children’s bath products and stated some very alarming facts. Parents, listen up! 
  They studied numerous children’s bath products and found that some companies were adding formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane to their formulas. Lab tests have shown that these are carcinogens and can lead to dangerous chronic diseases and disabilities, especially with repeated use. Why are companies adding these posions in children’s products?? Check for these chemicals on the products you have in your bathroom right now and if you find them, toss it out! Thanks to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, now you can be on the lookout for them when you shop as well.

  As you all may have noticed, my blog got a bit of a make-over recently. I wanted to add some things to make it more user-friendly as well as a little more attractive. I am still in the process of changing a few more things, so bear with me! In the meantime, stay a while, take a look around, and let me know what you think!