Non-Toxic Skin Care Guide

Non-Toxic Skin Care Guide

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Transitioning to non-toxic skin care products is the next step in reducing exposure to harmful toxins. You’ve probably heard a lot about toxins found in food whether they be from chemical pesticides or food-like products. Maybe you’ve started shifting your diet to organic, whole foods and have done a Clean Program for better health. But did you know that toxins can also be found in your skin care products and cosmetics? Let’s take a look at why non-toxic skincare is a must and where to find the best products that actually work to give you clear and glowing skin.

Why Using Non Toxic Skin Care Matters

Our skin is our largest organ — the average human body contains around 18 square feet of epidermis! All that skin plays a key role in our well being because it serves as a protective barrier, helps to maintain stable body temperature, and allows us the sense of touch.

The skin acts as a passageway from the outside world into the bloodstream, so what we put on our skin can be absorbed by the body and enter our blood. Our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we slather onto it and the sensitive areas around our faces and armpits can absorb two to six times as much as other areas of the body.

Knowing that our bodies absorb the personal care products we use, it’s important to give ingredients a second look. Common ingredients found in conventional soaps, lotions, and makeup can increase our chemical exposure.

Chemicals like phthalates are endocrine disruptors have been linked to reproductive issues like lowered sperm counts and thyroid problems. Other chemicals in cosmetics are known to contain carcinogenic properties.

Do Your Homework on Non-Toxic Skin Care

Just like any packaged food, it’s important to start checking the labels of your skin care products. Scan labels and look out for red flags like these 12 toxic ingredients to avoid, including phthalates, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and propylene glycol. If you see any of these ingredients are listed, find a cleaner alternative.

Another potential red flag is products that are marketed as “natural,” “clean,” or “organic.” There is no skincare industry standard for claims like “natural,” “organic,” “green,” “clean” or “non-toxic.” Don’t be fooled by greenwashing claims and marketing techniques, be sure to do your research and check those ingredients. If a product is labeled as organic, look for certified organic ingredients in the ingredients list or the USDA Organic seal.

Finding Non-Toxic Skin Care Products

We’ve come a long way in the world of non-toxic skin care — today, there are more options for products that are not only safe to use and effective. Despite tricky greenwashing trends, many companies are making quality, truly non-toxic products. There are lots of options to choose from, we use these tools to help us narrow it down.

The EWG Skin Deep Database is a great resource that ranks skin care products based on their toxicity. You can check out the ratings of your current products, or use the database to discover new non-toxic skin care products to add to your routine — look for products in the 0-2 toxicity range, marked with green circles.

We’ve talked about natural products to keep skin hydrated, and this list of top natural skin care products contains almost 100 non-toxic suggestions.

Another reliable spot to find non-toxic skin care products and makeup is The Detox Market. They carry some of our favorite natural lines like Odacite, W3LL People and RMS.

It’s not all or nothing when it comes to health and transitioning to non-toxic skin care is a process. When one of your old products runs out, use it as an opportunity to replace it with a clean alternative. You can slowly restock your beauty bar with products that will make you look and feel great!

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