It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to buy safe cosmetics and skin and body
care products. There are so many ingredients to avoid, things to learn, and different ways
to choose healthier products for your body. With so much information to learn, knowing
where to start when you are just beginning your organic and natural journey can feel nearly
impossible. This is why we decided to put together a simple and easy to understand guide
so you can choose safer cosmetics. Sometimes quick tips and easy to understand formats
can make all the difference when first setting out on any kind of new journey.
In this post we will take a look at some tips for choosing safer cosmetics, how to properly
read product labels on makeup and skin care products, and how to shop for products in the
smartest and healthiest way possible!
Simple Ingredients:
Choose products that use simple, natural, and healthy ingredients you can actually read
and pronounce. It is a great rule of thumb that if you know what an ingredient is and can
actually, say it, it is healthier and more natural. For instance, find products made it essential
oils, uses natural and pure plant extracts, coconut and other nut and seed oils, makeup with
color from flowers and plants, and more. You also want to look for products that have minimal ingredients as well.  Many conventional products have a massive list of ingredients that are mostly chemical compounds that sound like they are straight from a chemistry scholarly journal. You will want to avoid these types of products as much as you can.
Look For Certain Labels:
There are certain labels on products you can look for to help guide you to healthier products
as well.  If you look for labels like cruelty-free, paraben free, USDA Organic, Non-GMO
Project verified, etc. these can often indicate a product is free from many of the ingredients
that are the worst for our health. You will still want to read the full ingredient list though,
because there can still be a host of toxic and unwanted ingredients in the product. These
labels are just quick visual signs you can look for when you are out at the store to help you
narrow down your search a bit.
Research Yourself:
When in doubt about a product or a specific ingredient, research it yourself. Use one of the
many sources available online to help you determine if an ingredient is bad and what dangers it possesses. Use a tool like EWG Skin Deep to help you search for specific products and brands or lookup individual ingredients. They will give a product or an ingredient a score from 1-10.  1 is the lowest and safest level and 10 is a product or ingredient that is of high toxicity and concern. You can also see what specific ingredients’ most common issues are like if they are carcinogenic, bad for the environment, if they can affect your hormones, etc.
