The new, all natural, organic and gluten free products coming onto the market are not all centered in the food sections of health stores. One of the fastest growing areas of the natural products’ market lies in women’s and men’s facial and body “pampering, prettying and healing.” And those products worth their salt are beginning to put pressure on the traditional beauty industry, with good results.
Americans spend more than $50B each year on personal beautification products, yet there’s no federal agency testing the safety of those products. The FDA gets involved “after the fact,” when something goes horribly wrong and the consumer starts complaining of skin and scalp irritation or, in the case of Rio, a hair-relaxing product in the ‘90s, hair actually turned green. Not a pretty picture. 
A group known as the Cancer Prevention Coalition claims there are more than 30,000 cosmetics-related injuries serious enough to call a doctor or make a trip to an emergency room each year in the United States. But more importantly, no one is testing the long-term effects of many bath and beauty ingredients. Remember the stories circulating after Jackie Kennedy died? It was said she wondered on her death bed if the hair dye she used for years contributed to the particular type of cancer she had.
We don’t know the answers to that or other questions about products most of us take for granted and have used for years, but the organic, health industry is sending up red flares. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware. Read those labels. There’s hidden carcinogens in many a beauty product. When in doubt, do your research and ask a knowledgeable health food store team member. They’ve been doing their due diligence for years.
We know that some leading beauty companies are taking a look at the toxic chemicals that they’ve been putting in their products, thanks to pressure from a more educated public and consumer advocates and regulators. Tests conducted in the Fall of 2008, revealed that a least some segment of the beauty industry was making progress in removing phthalates, a set of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects and a whole host of autoimmune diseases.
To California’s benefit, that state now requires large cosmetic manufacturers to report any products that contain cancer-causing material or a reproductive or developmental toxic agent. Wonder if the movie industry has anything to do with that? The fact that the west coast is leading the way may influence other manufacturers to follow suit, still, as they say, “we’ve got a long way to go, baby!” That’s why GreenAcres invests only in products we know to be safe.
- The next time you’re in one of our stores, ask our HABA department market team to show you products that are effective and safe. Here are a few that you might want to learn more about:
- Mychelle’s Sun Shield Clear Stick, SPF 50, comes in a handy pocket size so you can replenish all day long.
- Booda Butter, a daily moisturizer you can use in 50 different ways on skin, hair, lips and more which we’ll post another day. The 50-list is pretty fun to read—No. 18 says even dreadlocks need Booda. No. 19 says Booda is great for ouchies. No. 20 touts the benefits of Booda on riding sadles (!) and No. 22 says “even carpenters and construction workers love Booda.” What’s not to love!
- Burt’s Bees has a most effective “Herbal Blemish Stick” that our customers swear by.
- Cindy, one our HABA experts, loves Andalou’s Sensative Skin line with essential oils. When she feels dry, Cindy spritzes this luscious rose-scented oil all over her face for instant hydration, and likes it for the company’s commitment to stem cell research.
- Andalou’s Instant Hydration Serum Mask is a great mini-facial. Just open the packet, put it on your face and rest. After 20 minutes, take it off, rub those refreshing oil into your face and follow with Dessert Essence Balancing Face Oil for extra hydration. There’s even a mask for dry, brittle hair!
- Body Firmer Skin Drink is a new product that Jennifer, our Central HABA Buyer, just brought in. It has CoQ10, C Ester and Alphalipoic Acid to do the job from the lower layers of the skin forward.
- For men, it’s the Badger After Shave Face Tonic that gets rave reviews. We have a customer that takes home new products and tries them out on her teenage boys. If they pass the teen test, she reports back.
- Hannah, our new makeup specialist, loves NOW’s long-lasting deodorant stick in the lavender scent, and Dessert Essence’s Tea Tree Oil stick is a favorite among GreenAcres employees.
- And one of Hannah’s favorite “gift” products is Mineral Fusion’s eye shadow kit--a great way to test which colors work best for you without buying a bunch of eye makeup.
Just open the packet, put it on your face and rest. After 20 minutes, take it off, rub those refreshing oil into your face and follow with Dessert Essence Balancing Face Oil for extra hydration. There’s even a mask for dry, brittle hair!
So, keep GreenAcres in mind when you’re determined to go toxic free, yet still want to look and feel beautiful but want that healing touch. We’re here for you every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Your good health (and ours) means everything to us!