Beauty with Eyes Wide Open

Who doesn’t want to be beautiful? Regardless of how you define beauty, it is a thing that consumers worldwide are willing to pay a lot of money for—and with a smile!  But what should you look for when shopping?

One thing that is popping up more and more, though, is whether or not the products we use are truly safe? In 2007 and 2008 we experienced numerous cases of consumer products like toys, toothpaste, lipstick, and dog food making it to store shelves in the U.S. and elsewhere with harmful ingredients or other unsafe features. Who can help but be worried about the things we buy in this new global economy? All the more important are the products that we eat and drink, or put directly on our body, such as cosmetics and bath products. So, are you wondering what you need to know about the countless products you use to make yourself look and feel better?

How can I tell if my cosmetics are safe? The full answer can be a bit mind-boggling! How many of us are chemists or physicians? This article isn’t about all those details, though. Instead, we’ll focus here on how a “regular person” can be confident that their beauty products are safe. There are a few easy ways you can have some peace of mind that all those unpronounceable words in the ingredients list aren’t going to harm you. Of course, there is no substitute for being educated on the topic, but let’s be reasonable here. It can be quite complex, and cutting through all the chemistry and health stuff is probably better left to the “authorities” anyway. There are three easy ways to look beautiful with an easy mind.

Three easy ways to be confident your beauty products are safe

1. Buy products that are certified organic
2. Buy from manufacturers who have a reputation for using only safe ingredients
3. Buy from trustworthy specialty retailers who do the hard work for you and sell only carefully-selected safe products

Certified organic cosmetics (and bath, and body care items) are manufactured using strict guidelines governing the ingredients and quality-control processes for the product. The standards used by differing certifying bodies do vary, but products certified by government agencies in the U.S., U.K., E.U., Japan, and Australia (among others) are generally accepted to meet fairly-uniform high standards. It is important to be careful in looking at product packaging. The words “natural” and “organic” are often found on products that have not earned certification, and there is nothing preventing manufacturers to throw in some other ingredients that you don’t want on top of something “organic”. Certified products don’t permit this, and usually proudly display their certification label on the package.

Reputable Manufacturers: Of course, just because a product isn’t certified organic, doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is not safe. The natural and organic products industry is still very young and growing, and there are a whole range of small and innovative companies out there making great safe cosmetics. These small companies are often not able to afford the costly process of earning organic certification, yet are selling products that use only safe ingredients and sometimes even meet all the certification requirements. Most of these companies are banking their future on the integrity of their products and are surely working towards earning certification. They would love to earn your business, but you will (of course) need to know who they are. This may require some homework on your part (browsing the natural and organic brands sold at specialty stores is a good place to start). Once you have found a few brands you trust, you may be a customer for life!

Specialty retailers are the third way to take the hard work out of being sure your products are safe. With the growth of the natural and organic cosmetics industry, there are a growing number of retailers (physical and online) that are specializing in carrying products that use only safe ingredients, are manufactured responsibly, and are not tested on animals. These retailers want to earn your business by offering you their expertise in addition to the products. If you see something in their store, you can rest assured that it meets their standards. This way, you relax a bit and don’t need to fuss so much about reading the ingredients list—although it is usually there if you want to.

Until the day when all cosmetics are made to the same high standards, you should approach your beauty with your eyes wide open. There are many ingredients you should avoid, and even more where the jury is still out. If you are like everyone else, you probably don’t have the time to keep up on all this, so keep in mind these three easy ways you can stay beautiful without the risks of harmful ingredients. The cosmetics industry is changing rapidly. Major brands are experimenting with new organic formulations, and new, innovative companies are making an impact on what you can buy today and tomorrow. Don’t be afraid to take the plunge and try some organic bath and beauty products. They are every bit as good as yesterday’s products, yet also give peace of mind.

Do you have questions about finding high quality organic cosmetics or safe natural cosmetics? Contact the author, Molly LaCombe, who is the sole proprietor of <a href="http://www.LaBellaVitaUSA.com"><b>La Bella Vita</b></a>, an online store that features great <a href="http://www.labellavitausa.com"><b>organic and natural cosmetics</b></a>. At her store website, you can also learn more about <a href="http://www.labellavitausa.com/shopbybrand.html"><b>organic and natural product brands</b></a> and ingredients to look for.