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Natural Personal Care News

Natural Personal Care News

by Janet Poveromo | May 1, 2014

Considering the growth of natural cosmetics, as well as the persistent “green washing” in the industry, in terms of potential regulation, natural advocates are fighting for the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 as a measure to enforce safety and transparency. “This act would ban chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm from cosmetics, require companies to conduct safety testing, and demand full disclosure of ingredients,” said Jennifer Norman, vice president of marketing at California-based cosmetic company, derma e.  “If the act passes, the natural products industry could experience even stronger growth than expected and investments in green chemistry could dramatically accelerate.”

According to the Natural Products Association (NPA), the hottest topic of the industry surrounds ‘natural’ label claims. “Without a FDA (Food and Drug Administration) definition for ‘natural’ personal care products, we’re seeing lawsuits aimed at companies for claiming their products are natural. NPA recommends that consumers and retailers look for the NPA Natural Seal to know that they are purchasing a truly natural product,” said John Shaw, the association’s former executive director and CEO.

In addition, Shaw noted that sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) have sparked a lot of controversy over the past few years. “These surfactants are what causes foaming in shampoos, toothpastes and cleansers. SLS can cause skin and eye irritation. SLES is the less-irritating version but undergoes a synthetic process called ethoxylation, which can produce 1,4-dioxane – another carcinogen—as a byproduct,” he said.

Shaw also pointed to oxybenzone and dimethicone—chemicals used in sunscreens.  “Oxybenzone is a synthetic ingredient that gets absorbed into the skin and potentially disrupts hormone balance. While dimethicone is still a synthetic ingredient, its main function is to allow the cream to spread easily and to provide a protective barrier on the skin. By having that barrier, it now traps all the ingredients in the product on your skin and allows the skin to absorb the chemicals. Most natural sunscreens will use titanium dioxide,” he added.

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