If you are a newbie, like I am, the world of eco-friendly beauty can be overwhelming sometimes. There are so many products out there that claim to be “natural”, but are just as dangerous as their competitors and the products you thought you’d be able to use guilt-free are not as great as they claim to be. While I have had Renata and Amy to guide me, there are other resources out there for those who don’t have experts so readily available.
Anyone even remotely interested in an eco-friendly beauty should know about EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. A staple for beginners and experts alike, the database contains and scores over 74,000 products. Products and ingredients have two scores, one based on how hazardous an ingredient is, and another based on the amount of available data on the ingredient. Users may search by brand, company, ingredient, product, or just type in what you are looking for and see results for all of the categories. You can also go to a category (e.g. hair, makeup, skincare) and look for safer alternatives to the products you have now.
After spending quite a bit of time looking at the scores for products I used to use, I am even more glad and relieved to have made the switch. The results were eye opening, but they definitely help reaffirm the commitment. So don’t give up, all you newcomers, with EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, separating the truly great products from the ones that deserve to be trashed immediately just got a lot easier.
This post written by Bernadette Silva, intern for RenataHelfman.com.
Bernadette Silva is a student, animal lover, and intern for RenataHelfman.com.
