This year, I’m determined to limit my exposure harmful chemicals in my environment – at least the ones I can control.
Since the average woman uses 12 personal care products containing 168 different ingredients each day – many of which are designed to penetrate the skin and have been linked health problems – cleaning up my cosmetics in 2018 seems like a great place to start.
Here's the bad news: Cosmetics companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient in their products. That's right – they can put nearly anything in the products you use on your body. Some of the chemicals they use, such as phthalates and parabens, have been linked to serious health problems, including endocrine disruption, cancer and reproductive harm.
But here’s the good news: EWG is raising the bar for the cosmetics and personal care industries with our EWG VERIFIED™ program.
In order to qualify for the EWG VERIFIED™ mark, products must meet robust criteria:
- Companies can’t use substances that have been banned by U.S. or international government agencies, or public health bodies such as the World Health Organization.
- Prohibited ingredients include parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, triclosan and other harmful substances.
- Manufacturers must also fully disclose everything they put in their products – including the chemicals in "fragrance," a vague catch-all term that can hide lots of potentially harmful or untested ingredients.
- Companies must follow good manufacturing practices.
There are now more than 1,000 products that have qualified to carry the seal!
Join me in EWG’s #RaiseTheBar challenge to limit your toxic chemical exposures by swapping three of your daily-use personal care products for healthier versions like EWG VERIFIED™ products. The full list of verified products can be found here.
