Makeup (minus the sketchy stuff)
Nude by Nature Contour Palette is made with minerals and Aussie-sourced natural extracts, such as kakadu plum. $32, nudebynature.ca.
Sappho New
Paradigm CC Cream was created by a Canadian makeup artist who noticed sketchy ingredients in other cosmetics. $38,
thedetoxmarket.ca.
Clove + Hallow
Lip Crème proves cleaner cosmetics can come in bold colours, too. $25, thetruthbeauty company.com.
Burt’s Bees All Aglow
Lip & Cheek Stick, new from the naturalbefore-it-was-cool brand, gives lips and cheeks a pretty kiss of colour. $21, beauty. shoppersdrugmart.ca.
FDA and the E.U. consider it safe for cosmetics. Still, more companies are choosing to go sulfate-free. Herbal Essences has just launched its Bio:Renew Sulfate Free shampoos, the first mass-market haircare products to be EWG Verified—a seal given to products free of the group’s “chemicals of concern.”
Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used as plastics softeners and as solvents and plasticizers in cosmetic products like nail polishes and fragrances. Some phthalates have been associated with toxic effects on reproductive health in both men and women. Health Canada has concluded that only one type of phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is harmful to human health; it’s on the government’s Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist and prohibited for use in cosmetic products. But the E.U. is so concerned about four different types of phthalates—DEHP, as well as butyl benzyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and diisobutyl phthalate— that it is banning them from use in consumer products.
When it comes to choosing the safest beauty products, there are few cut-anddry answers. Ultimately, there’s no simple way to determine any given product’s “cleanness,” though you can find a handful of tools that have developed their own subjective rating system. The Think Dirty app (thinkdirtyapp.com) lets you scan barcodes for in-store research and offers a list of brands whose ingredients have been vetted. The most popular resource is the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database (ewg.org/skindeep), published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). This non-profit organization works to eliminate the use of potentially dangerous chemicals in household items, but critics have also accused it of fearmongering. Ivana Knezevic, cosmetic science professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Applied Chemistry at Toronto’s Seneca College, cautions that EWG ratings offer interpretations of research, making it tricky for someone who’s not a science geek to know who or what to believe. “I wouldn’t take them as an authority,” says Knezevic, noting
some people may be unduly fearful of certain ingredients and confused by conflicting messages over what’s safe or hazardous. Still, there’s value in research that allows you to feel as if you’re making better decisions as a more informed consumer, she says.
Humphrey agrees that resources like the Skin Deep database “come out guns blazing against many cosmetic ingredients that, if used in small amounts, have been shown to be safe.” In the end, it’s best to talk with your doctor about anything on a label you’re worried about, so you can work through your concerns together.